The Good Soldier (2009/I)

Directors:

Lexy Lovell
Michael Uys

Writers:

Lexy Lovell (written by)
Michael Uys (written by)

Release Date:

11 November 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

What is Courage?

Plot:

Follows the journeys of five combat veterans from different generations of American wars as they sign up, go into battle, and eventually change their minds about what it means to be a good soldier. |

Cast

Michael McPhearson	...	Himself
Perry Parks	...	Himself
Will Williams	...	Himself
Edward Wood	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Massey	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

Out of the Blue Productions Inc.

A must-see for anyone who still believes there's anything good about war

I've just seen a shortened (about 50 minutes) version of this film on the PBS-TV show "Bill Moyers' Journal" and all I can say is I'm overwhelmed. The film features veterans from various American wars from World War II to Iraq War II, and shows that despite whatever justifications are hauled up to defend this war or that war, war itself is fundamentally wrong and a perversion and destruction not only of human life, but also of what it means to be "human" and what we like to think separates us from the animals. The stories that especially moved me were those of Will Williams, an African-American who served two tours in Viet Nam, and when he came back from his first one he was so appalled by the sight of anti-war protesters he wanted to kill them and so he volunteered for a second tour so he could kill people legally; and Jimmy Massey, who served in the most recent Iraq war, came to the conclusion that the U.S. was committing genocide and made the mistake of telling that to his superiors. No one who sees this film with an open mind will ever again be able to maintain the illusion that war is somehow ennobling; instead of building the human character (as is the old-time myth), war turns people into psychopaths and leaves the country that sent them to fight with the problem of dealing with them once they get back and have a hard time turning off the impulse to kill. President Obama should be forced to watch it before he makes up his mind whether or not to send any more Anerican servicemembers down the rat hole in Afghanistan.