Hell and Back Again (2011)

What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically revolutionary film that asks and answers these questions with a power and ... See full summary »

Director:

Danfung Dennis

Stars:

Nathan Harris, Ashley Harris, The Marines of Echo Company

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Nathan Harris	...	Himself (as Sgt Nathan Harris)
Ashley Harris	...	Herself
The Marines of Echo Company	...	Themselves
Christian Cabaniss	...	Himself (as Lt Col Christian Cabaniss)
Eric Meador	...	Himself (as Cot Eric Meador)
Ted Hubbard	...	Himself (as Lt Edward Hubbard)
Terry Roberts	...	Himself (as Chaplain Terry Roberts)
Doug Webb	...	Himself (as SSgt Doug Webb)
Robert Gaines	...	Himself (as Lt Cmdr Robert Gaines)
Matthew Swibe	...	Himself (as Lt Cmdr Matthew Swibe)
Chris MacDonald	...	Himself (as Sgt Chris MacDonald)

Storyline

What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically revolutionary film that asks and answers these questions with a power and intimacy no previous film about the conflict in Afghanistan has been able to achieve. It is a masterpiece in the cinema of war.

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Plot Keywords:

afghanistan | reference to yarmouth port massachusetts | blood | gun | kiss | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Action | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK Afghanistan

Language:

English Pushto Dari

Release Date:

5 October 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Helvetet tur och retur

Filming Locations:

Afghanistan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,413 (USA) (7 October 2011)

Gross:

$37,539 (USA) (3 February 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roast Beef Productions, Thought Engine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Despite an establishing shot of the exterior of a Walgreens pharmacy, the scene where Nathan's wife purchases his prescriptions is clearly filmed inside a CVS pharmacy, as seen on the cashier's name tag.

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Soundtracks

"Hell And Back"
Music & Lyrics by J. Ralph
Performed by Willie Nelson

User Reviews

Not to be confused with a documentary

What was the Academy thinking? Nominate this and snub The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams, Living In The Material World and Project Nim?? I am not even sure this qualifies as a documentary at all. It feels as fake as your average MTV reality show. Some vignettes about the interaction of the US forces and the afghan villagers are revealing enough, but the rest is pure manipulation. There are even moments that may provoke unintended laughs; that is what generally happens when you try to get a "dramatic performance" from non actors. I believe the whole project is a very misguided attempt at portraying the harrowing effects of war in the bodies and psyche of soldiers. It would have been much better as a biopic given the director obvious penchant for giving the facts a little extra boost though cinematic techniques more commonly associated to fiction. I hope the Oscar in this category goes to Paradise Lost: Purgatory or even to Pina.