The documentary I focused on was Restrepo by Sebastian Junger. It revolves around the experiences of Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army. This group of young men were placed in what was considered to be the most dangerous part of the world at the height of the war against terrorism. The message Junger was trying to send to its audience is that our soldiers in the front lines do not care about the political mess that happens on Capital Hill. They do not care about what the top brass of the military is doing. The only thing these young men, literally for the fact that the age range is between 19 to 25, want to do is protect the people of the lands they were sent to, and to protect their brothers-in-arms. There is nothing more to the matter, that is the sole purpose of why they enlisted and joined the fight, to protect the United States.
Junger in his documentary, follows the same platoon for the extension of their tour of duty which lasted one year. Junger's style was not to interfere with outside sources or political junk. He was just there living with them day by day, and the documentary is just the story of each one of the soldiers stationed at outpost Restrepo which got its namesake from a combat medic by the name of Restrepo who had died earlier that year. The link I have inserted will capture the atmoshphere and the thoughts they were having as they were arriving in the Korengal Valley.
The documentary was successful in my opinion because it captured the true character of this rowdy bunch, and their true desire to serve. Several times throughout the film, the soldiers stated that the only reason they fought was for the man standing next to them covering their back. Nothing else to it. The one line that I believe captures the message behind the whole documentary, and that seals the argument being made, is when one soldier says that the thing that keeps him going is John 15:13. I had to look this up and what it says is, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."
