Constructed entirely of footage shot on the ground in Iraq after the fall of Saddam, this film is structured in three separate parts. Part one follows the child Mohammed at work and at school. Part two focuses on the south of the country with Muqtada al Sadr's radical Shia movement. The third and final part of the film focuses on life in springtime in the rural north of Iraq where the Kurds are dominant. The effect is not strong and flawed in equal measures but in different regards.
I'm normally accused of over-thinking things when I write and more often, being negative in picking up small things to criticise so I will be positive and focus on the good here. First and very much foremost is the footage captured by Longley. It is unbelievable to think that he has had the guts to go into these places with his white skin and film them; being embedded with US forces is one thing but cutting out and around is by far another. He gets us right into the heart of the people's lives and it is impacting to be riding in a car and see helicopters all around in the sky very much different from the world that many of us will be used to. In this regard the film is worth seeing but I gotta say that there are plenty of films and such with really good footage of Iraq even if some moments of this film are more than a match for them.
What makes for a strong documentary then is the whole package, not just the footage and I'm afraid that for Iraq in Fragments it is a case of "close but no cigar". The reason I say this is that Longley doesn't produce convincing stories or manage to pull everything together in such a way that he takes his viewer with him. There is something to be said for letting the viewer "experience" Iraq but even if you take this as the whole, I didn't think that the characters were strong enough to make a solid frame for this experience and the impact is lessened apart from some great specific moments. Longley doesn't help matters by utilising quite arty shots and montages as well maybe increasing the flair and style of the film but the technique contrasts badly with the majority of the film, which has its feet firmly on the ground. It is a shame because the film constantly reminds you that this level of access is impressive but the film just seems to be all about the fact that the viewer gets this access not producing a point, making an impact, informing or challenging.
I'm not sure if Longley just didn't get footage that he could work with or if it all just failed to come together in the editing room but one way or another it just isn't as good as it should be. Overall then it is impressive for its footage and its "experience" value but outside of this it is not that good and there are other documentaries that tackle the subject of life in Iraq under US rule with much better overall packages than this film delivered. Good but not good enough.
I'm normally accused of over-thinking things when I write and more often, being negative in picking up small things to criticise so I will be positive and focus on the good here. First and very much foremost is the footage captured by Longley. It is unbelievable to think that he has had the guts to go into these places with his white skin and film them; being embedded with US forces is one thing but cutting out and around is by far another. He gets us right into the heart of the people's lives and it is impacting to be riding in a car and see helicopters all around in the sky very much different from the world that many of us will be used to. In this regard the film is worth seeing but I gotta say that there are plenty of films and such with really good footage of Iraq even if some moments of this film are more than a match for them.
What makes for a strong documentary then is the whole package, not just the footage and I'm afraid that for Iraq in Fragments it is a case of "close but no cigar". The reason I say this is that Longley doesn't produce convincing stories or manage to pull everything together in such a way that he takes his viewer with him. There is something to be said for letting the viewer "experience" Iraq but even if you take this as the whole, I didn't think that the characters were strong enough to make a solid frame for this experience and the impact is lessened apart from some great specific moments. Longley doesn't help matters by utilising quite arty shots and montages as well maybe increasing the flair and style of the film but the technique contrasts badly with the majority of the film, which has its feet firmly on the ground. It is a shame because the film constantly reminds you that this level of access is impressive but the film just seems to be all about the fact that the viewer gets this access not producing a point, making an impact, informing or challenging.
I'm not sure if Longley just didn't get footage that he could work with or if it all just failed to come together in the editing room but one way or another it just isn't as good as it should be. Overall then it is impressive for its footage and its "experience" value but outside of this it is not that good and there are other documentaries that tackle the subject of life in Iraq under US rule with much better overall packages than this film delivered. Good but not good enough.