The Good Soldier (2009/NeoFlix DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Documentary: B
After an impressive debut documentary with Riding The Rails (1997), Lexy Lovell
and Michael Uys return a decade later with the equally impressive The Good Solider, an impressive work
that is as Pro-U.S.A. and patriotic as any you’ll see, yet questions if the U.S. military
is being compromised and weakened by a lack of inner discipline that goes too
far. On one level, it questions war as
war should always be questioned, something that nothing like try to “erase”
Vietnam Syndrome can do.
In interviews with many soldiers over many wars, conflicts
and generations, this is the 79-minutes-long full-length version deeply
examining in brutally honest terms what is good and bad about how we handle our
military and what can be done in the future to make it stronger, keep the
soldiers out of the least amount of danger, not waste their lives and give
whose who serve the respect they deserve for being prepared to make the ultimate
sacrifice.
Yes, it also questions whether we should go to war at all,
but military conflict can be a necessary evil and no defense at all only
invites attack. It would be great if
there was another way, but outside of diplomacy, this is the way the world
is. This is very honest about the fact
that soldiers are trained to kill, but asks how nonchalant should we be about
that. The result is a standout work
among so many about how the second Bush Administration did permanent damage to
our world standing and botched any opportunity to solve any “terrorism” problem
ASAP.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is soft and
shot on what looks like a mix of low-def and high-definition video
sources. Add stock footage and you get
what one would expect from a documentary like this. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is not bad and
interviews are well-recorded. There are
no extras.
For more on Riding
The Rails, try this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2631/Riding+The+Rails+(American+Experien
- Nicholas Sheffo
