Restrepo

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Released:06/12/2010

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Studio:Dogwoof

Director:Tim Hetherington

Amazon.co.uk Review

Following the fortunes of an American platoon during their 2007 rotation in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, Restrepo avoids any outright comment on America's involvement in the Middle East to capture the instinctive affection between young soldiers in the firing line of an ambiguous conflict. The cameras follow this inexperienced unit as they establish an outpost in the mountains from which to confer a shaky stability on the surrounding tribal villages. The importance of this difficult mission is never fully articulated by the soldiers--and in the absence of a clear military goal their desire to carry out their orders becomes attached to the desire to honour a fallen comrade: PFC Juan Sebastián 'Doc' Restrepo, a liked and boisterous private after whom both the film and the outpost are named. Daily life in the outpost is punctuated by frightening and inconclusive firefights that climax in a stalemate-busting final assault with some inevitably tragic consequences. These violent episodes are so close to the camera that you marvel at the bravery of the two journalists behind Restrepo: Sebastian Junger (writer of The Perfect Storm) and photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed in 2011 documenting civil conflict in Libya. Their unseen courage adds another dynamic to this arresting film. --Leo Batchelor

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