Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4683 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-07-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Synopsis
Director Brian De Palma, whose CASUALTIES OF WAR addressed a horrific tragedy that occurred during the Vietnam war, turns his attention to Iraq with an unfortunately similar tale. Inspired by true events, REDACTED follows a group of soldiers who are stationed at a checkpoint in Iraq. Angel Salazar (Izzy Diaz) is an aspiring filmmaker who is intent on capturing his experience on videotape. His fellow soldiers--Reno Flake (Patrick Carroll), Lawyer McCoy (Rob Devaney), and Gabe Blix (Kel O’Neill)--seem to be surprisingly well-adjusted at first, but it isn't long before their true colours come through. When Reno decides to get drunk and harass an Iraqi family, the situation devolves into rape and murder, putting an incredible strain on Lawyer, who wants to expose Reno but doesn’t want to rat out a fellow soldier.


In making REDACTED, De Palma embraced the various forms of technology that have allowed soldiers to connect with Americans back home: video cameras, blogs, YouTube, etc. The result is a fictional documentary that feels immediate and experimental, incorporating first-person video perspectives, security cameras, and a variety of other techniques to tell its tragic tale. De Palma is clearly unhappy with the developments in Iraq, and he wants the world to know that he doesn't support the war. REDACTED will certainly never be misconstrued as a pro-war film. This is a challenging work that attacks the very nature of the American presence in Iraq.

Customer Reviews

A great chance, unfortunately squandered.
I'm sorry to say that this film was an utter disappointment. I'm saying this calmly, as I really want you (the potential viewer) to read and consider what I'm saying before thinking "He's being negative, I'll click the 'not helpful' button."
I bought Redacted when it was full price £15.99 - I teach at university level and, having read the reviews (and knowing Brian De Palma's usually high level of ability) I thought this would be a perfect example to show my class and ask them about the *way* in which the Media (in this case a film-dramatisation inspired by actual events) represents American forces in Iraq. I'm sorry to say I was appalled - not at what happens in the film (though I was appalled by that) - but by the incredibly low level of acting ability and, hence, very poor direction given by one of my favorite directors. I'm stunned! Truly. Don't get me wrong, the way in which De Palma chooses to represent the story is interesting with an clever mix of Cloverfield-esqe handycam shots, traditional film and, at times, different angles (representing different spatial and ideological points of view) of the same scenes using different filming media, Webcam conversations, security camera/CCTV footage, You Tube clips, etc... It's a style which is innovative, attractive and, itself, a real metaphor for the way in which information on events is only ever going to be partially presented and individually spun and understood (Hence the title: "Redacted"). However the acting is just so stunningly appalling it's cringeworthy. I cannot show this to my students or anyone else, the appalling acting would get in the way of any appreciation of the film's style or an analysis of the representations made. This was, I feel, a great chance for De Palma to make a (meta-)movie about Soldiers' lives in Iraq AND make a solid and valuable critique about the way in which the media represents them. This he tried to do but the acting and direction of the actors (not the scenes) is terrible. And it's not even so terrible as to be 'cult'. It's just bad....stunningly bad. I'm sorry, I really like De Palma but this is inexcusable. Please hire or borrow a copy before deciding, for yourself, whether to buy. If (and I really mean *IF*) you can sit through the end scenes (where the "Whistleblower" is in a bar with his friends back in the US and he 'cracks' and spills all that he saw) without cringing in embarrasment for wasting 90 minutes of your, and your friends' / partner's lives for inviting them to watch it with you, then this film is for you (email me and you can have my copy, cheap). If not, don't waste your money. Please.

90 minutes of my life i'll never get back
So sorry to start by saying, for Brian DE Palma this is very very poor!!!

I saw the trailer, and thought wow! looks like a great film to add to my vast war film dvds.

How sadly mistaken i was.

Poor acting from start to finish, from actors you will never of heard of.

If you are to buy this dvd, borrow it from a friend who has no sense like me, and then and only then, consider buying it.

Redacted
This was an aamazing movie, but not in the normal sense. It shows the human costs of battle and the effects the Iraq war has on them. There are scenes were you think the news has just come on and others with a documentary type feel. Sterling performances from pretty much unknown actors. It really opens your eyes to what really goes on over there. I would reocmmend watching it but prepare yourself for some chilling footage.