The Invisible War
2012 Directed by Kirby Dick
Synopsis
The Battleground Is Your Barracks
An investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.
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Another documentary designed to make you feel like shit about the condition of the human race. The last documentary i watched was The Cove, between that and this, it seems to document that we are destined to destroy ourselves and everything around us. But thankfully there are documentaries about these things. Thankfully, people like Kirby Dick and Louie Psihoyos, are shining the spotlight on these despicable events and moving to put a stop to them.
The Invisible War is difficult to chew and harder to swallow. It is about both men and women raped in the military. A particularly powerful scene comes with a father who told his daughter that she would be perfectly safe where she was stationed, only… -
Part of the December Project: Film #14
Kirby Dick's The Invisible War is a haunting documentary that displays the best of investigative journalism in film. Instead of going for his previous pop style displayed in his other documentaries, Dick instead lets the material do all the talking, and it's more powerful as a result.
The Invisible War documents interviews and statistics of sexual assault in the military. It addresses both sexes experiences with it, but mainly focuses on the issues women have experienced with it, which is my only complaint, but a silly one considering how traumatizing the experience is for women as it is.
The Invisible War's best moments are when it documents the interviews with survivors who detail their experience before, during, and after their various incidents. For others, it provides the usual documentary "text shock" moments, but the material here is well researched and looked at that it practically transcends the formulaic documentary structure.
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This movie left me feeling dead inside, tears streaming down my face and my fist hurting after I punched my wall in anger.
Suffice to say I think it moved me.
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This is one film that was pretty hard to watch because of the subject matter. It was done in such a way that it does focus on the subeject matter in what was done with them but rather in how they are treated my the military after the accuse their person of it and as they are seen as the villain when instead they just want it to not happen to another person. It should get nominated for an Oscar this year and it is a great documentary to watch.
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The only other documentary I've seen thus far from Kirby Dick is the highly entertaining This Film Is Not Yet Rated from 2006. His target in that film was the MPAA and he takes them apart in a comedic documentary that also features himself. For this film Dick stays behind the camera and let's people tell their stories in their own words backed up by nothing more then occasional statistics because there is nothing he could have added to make it anymore more powerful.
His target in this film is the US Military's judicial system, or lack there of, when it comes to cases of sexual assault. I use the word "target" because like Michael Moore, Dick's documentaries tend to…
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to be honest there were a few points that I had to pause it and get up because it was so difficult for me to watch. it's disgusting to think that men can do shit like this and get away with it (not only get away with it, but have it blatantly ignored by their superiors and commended for it) and the women are left to suffer alone in silence for fear of retaliation.
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A very tough movie, but important. First this movie covers a story that is hardly ever covered, and even more importantly hearing from the victims themselves. Second this Issue has still not been, hopefully this movie will help in pushing to get something done.
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Support the troops...
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This was one of the most difficult films to watch. But it's something that needs to get out there. It's disgusting, not only the acts themselves, but the fact that no one cares.
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Powerful and rage-inducing
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This documentary feature, nominated for the Oscar, is an absolute heartbreaking tale of rape in the military. Men and women who serve our country aren't protected from crimes of sexually misconduct and are even punished for coming forward. Some of the young women feature entered the military with such hope and optimism. Now, they battle depression and thoughts of suicide.
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Incredibly moving and really depressing. #truthhurts
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Exposes a complete failure of justice. Powerful testimony of how sexual assault can lead to suicidal anxiety and depression. Hard to watch.
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This was one of the most difficult films I've ever seen - a documentary about rape culture in the US military, with interviews with survivors - as well as those complicit in covering up the literally institutionalized rape culture. The survivors are shown in their everyday context - some of the stories are incredibly painful. I'm inarticulate here as this film renders on inarticulate - as The Invisible War is just about an extreme manifestation of the culture in which we are all embedded.
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An excellent and sometimes uncomfortable look at a topic few want to discuss and fewer want to acknowledge.
The reason I liked this documentary so much is that it never attempts to overstep its bounds or break context. Each story is so genuine and every interview is done simply and straight-forward, allowing the story and tragedy take center stage and not the film making.
I am also a big fan of proper statistical use, and even more this film uses transparent stats (declaring within the first minute of the movie where they get their numbers from). While not always necessary, I feel that revealing sources beyond just 'talking heads' is important when a documentary is attempting to challenge and…