IMDb > Body of War (2007)

Body of War (2007) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 6)
Body of War (2007) -- Open-ended Trailer from The Film Sales Company
Body of War (2007) -- Clip: Tomas Young in Washington DC, Voice of Cathy Smith (mother of Tomas Young)
Body of War (2007) -- Clip: Cathy Smith (Mother of Tomas Young) at Fort Campbell, KY
Body of War (2007) -- Clip: Tomas Young in Crawford, TX
Body of War (2007) -- Clip: Tomas Young at Ground Zero

Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   276 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Phil Donahue (writer)
Ellen Spiro (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Body of War on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Plot:
The story of an injured American veteran returning home from the war Iraq is set against the backdrop of a critical indictment of the government's handling of the U.S.-led invasion. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Operation Homecoming, Body Of War Screening
 (From Alternative Film Guide. 7 May 2009, 1:25 AM, PDT)

Opening This Week
 (From IFC. 7 April 2008, 6:10 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
One of the most important films of our time more (9 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Robert Byrd ... Himself
Brad Friedman ... Himself
Cathy Smith ... Herself
Nathan Young ... Himself
Tomas Young ... Himself
more

Additional Details

Runtime:
Canada:87 min (Toronto International Film Festival)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Certification:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Soundtrack:
Long Nights more

FAQ

How is Tomas doing now? (2/09)
more
17 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
One of the most important films of our time, 16 March 2008
10/10
Author: larry-411 from United States

When "Body of War" premiered in Toronto, it reportedly received the longest standing ovation in the festival's history. I wasn't able to see it at the time, and I missed it in Santa Barbara as well. Just in the past few months it's become one of the most acclaimed documentaries in years. So I jumped at the chance to see it here at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival.

Co-produced by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, "Body of War" is about one man's struggle to survive after returning home from Iraq. It takes the news headlines and puts flesh on them. The consequences of a simple Congressional vote have come home to roost in people like 25-year-old Tomas Young, who is now a paraplegic and a physical embodiment of all that is wrong with our government's actions over the past five years.

The cost of war is always reported in terms of numbers -- dollar amounts, casualties, refugees. What isn't reported on the evening news are the individual stories, the tragedies that result in broken lives and broken hearts. Tomas' story is representative of the untold thousands -- hundreds of thousands -- of young men and women coming home from Iraq with life-altering injuries. No, our presence in Iraq isn't just about numbers, and "Body of War" brings it home, literally.

It's obvious that a mind-boggling amount of work went into this project. The film's narrative runs along two parallel tracks. On one, we see the Senate vote taking place which originally authorized the war funding. We see legislators take to the floor with equally impassioned pleas on both sides of the debate. Meanwhile, the film cuts back and forth to Tomas' day to day existence, unflinching, from getting out of bed and dressing in the morning to a graphic demonstration of how to put on a catheter. Nothing is held back.

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder contributed original music to the soundtrack and, as Peter, Paul, and Mary did a generation ago during the Vietnam War, and countless others in wars before that, the songs of protest only serve to underscore the folly that is the Iraq war.

As "Grapes of Wrath" exposed America to transgressions against human lives generations ago, "Body of War" is a bold statement which will stand the test of time as a profound achievement in telling the truth about the consequences of America's presence in Iraq. The film is a masterpiece and one of the most powerful documentaries I've ever seen. A warning: this film will bring tears to your eyes over and over and over again. It will move you emotionally and, perhaps, politically. Very few films are truly worthy of the word "important." This is one of them.

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