Citizen Soldier (2016)
CITIZEN SOLDIER is a dramatic feature film, told from the point of view of a group of Soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known since World War II as the "Thunderbirds.” Set in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan at the height of the surge, it is a heart-pounding, heartfelt grunts' eye-view of the war. A modern day Band of Brothers, Citizen Soldier tells the true story of a group of young Soldiers and their life-changing tour of duty in Afghanistan, offering an excruciatingly personal look into modern warfare, brotherhood, and patriotism. Using real footage from multiple cameras, including helmet cams, these Citizen Soldiers give the audience an intimate view into the chaos and horrors of combat and, in the process, display their bravery and valor under the most hellish of conditions.
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This is real and these are real guys fighting and digging in ... some making the ultimate sacrifice and their brothers in arms grieving afterwards. Citizen Soldier is an important film, trying to tell at least some of the heroic story of our communities' guard and reserve units who go out and do the job that few are willing to do, yet we all ultimately benefit from.
My favorite thing about "Citizen Soldier" is its originality and honesty. This documentary film was not about politics or promoting any kind of agenda and I really appreciated the raw honesty with which the movie unfolded. The incredible directors, David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud, really let the story be told by the men and women who were serving our country as part of the National Guard. The story the soldiers told was filled with a strong sense of brotherhood and connection with each other. Made me feel proud of our National Guard and the people who had to unexpectedly serve our country with bravery and valor in its time of need.
Citizen Soldier is set in post-9/11 and is about a group of Oklahoma men and women in the National Guard who get deployed to fight in the most menacing areas of Afghanistan. Go-pro helmet cameras were used incredibly in the making of this documentary because it gave a more personal look in to the soldier's tour of duty. This film included honest and genuine interviews from the National Guard members, which added a more inclusive and emotional element to the film. It stands out amongst all other military films because it is not simply a documentary about violent warfare or pro-war propaganda, but instead it shows the dramatic transformation of average civilians to National Guard soldiers fighting tirelessly in Afghanistan. It is focuses on the brotherhood and bond shared between these brave soldiers and defines what it truly means to have a fellow soldier's back while on the battlefield. The leadership and bravery that the armed troops of our country possess truly amazed me. I thought it was a heartfelt film.
Would rate this a definite worth a watch, let's say 7 (put a 10 in to offset Mr 1/10 who clearly doesn't u sweat and the point of a review- just that he thinks war is a waste of money which is a different question)But yea a refreshing no bs account of what wars are really like told from the human perspective (albeit from one sides perspective only). The pov footage was not detrimental at all in my opinion and really did immerse you in the situation at least as much as possible from the couch. Gripping for the most part and completely devoid of the standard 'murica yeah! mentality that is often conveyed in war documentaries/movies. And no I'm not American.