High Ground

I saw a screening of this film in October. It's a great documentary. It doesn't just tell a great story, but a number of great stories inside a great story. You will have a much greater understanding of, and respect for, our American military service men and women, including what they sacrifice and what they suffer, selflessly and quietly, first when they're in war and then after they get home. You'll get to know each of these military men and women, these wounded warriors, so well that you care about each of them and want to know how they're doing now. You'll see their spirit, courage and character in how they fight personal and natural obstacles to climb a tremendously challenging mountain, but also in how they fight battles every day that are just as big or bigger. You'll hope that they'll continue to get help and that they'll eventually find peace and happiness. I don't think you'll ever look at or think about veterans the same way again. And you'll want to know how you can help. In addition to the appeal of the story itself and the people it's about, it's just an excellent documentary. Great subject, great story, great scenery, great cinematography, great music. You'll leave feeling changed. I highly recommend it.

Now, I'd like to say something about the average user rating you might see here. When I sat down just now to write this review, the average user rating on IMDb was about 3.5, based on about 110 reviews. That's just plain BS. If I calculated the raw ratings, the average was about 7.5. If I calculated the raw rating excluding 18 people who rated it a 1 (haters of the U.S. or the U.S. military, I'd guess; half were from outside the U.S., and most or all probably never saw this film or have never even had a chance to), the average rating would be about 9.0.

I'm a big fan of IMDb and generally trust them in their use of a "weighted average" rating to present a more accurate average rating. Specifically, they say: "IMDb publishes weighted vote averages rather than raw data averages. Various filters are applied to the raw data in order to eliminate and reduce attempts at 'vote stuffing' by individuals more interested in changing the current rating of a movie than giving their true opinion of it. The exact methods we use will not be disclosed. This should ensure that the policy remains effective. The result is a more accurate vote average."

I'm just saying that, in this case, their method for averaging votes has clearly had the opposite effect, at least at this point. I am beyond certain that it has given more weight to people who have never seen the film but are hostile to the subject than to people who have actually seen the film and given honest ratings. Maybe the weighted average rating system doesn't work with a very small sample size, and maybe it will work better and be more accurate when enough people have seen the film and rated it. In the meantime, I'd suggest that IMDb take a look at their weighted average system and how it's working for this film. And, for now, I'd recommend that you ignore the average user rating.

If you want confirmation that this is a solid, high-quality film, just look at the high Metascore rating of 77/100 from critics. This is an excellent documentary. Go see it if you get a chance.

This is a stunning film, both visually and in its message. As a viewer I was pulled into the intense despair that some of the soldiers were feeling, and then I was drawn out of that into a place of hope, beauty and appreciation of life. It was easy to really care about these people and their struggles. This film has the potential to create change in our society as thousands of soldiers return to our communities with burdens that many civilians simply cannot understand.

We cannot afford to make the same mistakes we made with our Vietnam veterans, and High Ground goes a long way towards creating an understanding of our society's challenges and our responsibility to our returning soldiers. This message is portrayed with a stunning background of incredible cinematography and music.

This story was told with such raw genuine emotion. It was very emotional and touching in an inspirational way that showed the struggles of our veterans to heal. You cannot watch this without a deep connection for the service and all that they gave to serve our country regardless of how you feel about the wars. The cinematography of the Himalayas was breath taking. I especially enjoyed the visual connections that were made when sharing the story of Steve Baskis the soldier who had lost his sight. The strength and camaraderie that the soldiers received from each other coming together gave you a sense of the bonds that must grow on the battlefield and the love and commitment they have to each other with a shared experience. This movie will leave you touched and inspired.

I cannot understand the low rating this has on IMDb. I have never written a review before but created an account to sing the praises of this movie. Stunningly beautiful and emotionally moving, I wish more people could see it and appreciate the true bravery of these soldiers, more for what they talked about than the mountain they climbed.

Thank You

This review on rotten tomatoes makes much more sense. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/high_ground_2012/

writing more to satisfy IMDb rules??? Wow, this is silly, I may never right a review again!

True stories are always the best stories, and stories don't get much more "true" than those told by the soldiers in High Ground. An entire generation of Americans have become desensitized to the realities of war, myself included. Hearing soldiers share their post-war struggles, both physical and emotional, was heartbreaking. Watching as they take small steps towards overcoming those struggles was heartwarming. Chad Jukes adds a great dose of comic relief along the way, and Aaron "Ike" Isaacson shows what it really means to be a hero. The cinematography in this movie is stunning, as is the soundtrack and score. I can't recommend the film enough!