Directed by:
Rick RowleyScreenplay:
David RikerCinematography:
Rick RowleyComposer:
David HarringtonVOD (3)
Plots(1)
It's the dirty little secret of the War on Terror: all bets are off, and almost anything goes. We have fundamentally changed the rules of the game and the rules of engagement. Today drone strikes, night raids, and U.S. government–condoned torture occur in corners across the globe, generating unprecedented civilian casualties. Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill (author of BLACKWATER: The Rise of the World's Most Mercenary Army) traces the rise of the Joint Special Operations Command, the most secret fighting force in U.S. history, exposing operations carried out by men who do not exist on paper and will never appear before Congress. No target is off-limits for the JSOC "kill list," even a U.S. citizen. (IFC Films)
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Reviews (2)
I don't know if these documentaries that try to show us how right and fair the war on terror is are going to do anything, but let them be made, let them be made as much as possible. The documentary reveals facts that you would never have connected, facts that should never have been known. I'm quite surprised that journalist Jeremy Scahill is still alive. That is a good thing. Someone needs to dig into this shit and show us how it actually works. Certainly, the film could have been made better, but its storytelling ability is still immense.
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The war on terror transformed into a self-fulfilling prophecy. You certainly had a teacher who could put a whole class to sleep with his monotonous delivery however interesting the topic was. Jeremy Scahill is just that sort of teacher. And it’s a fundamental drawback, because it is evident that he is an extraordinarily talented investigative journalist who isn’t afraid of delving into unpopular topics and asking the western world unpleasant but burning questions. You can just feel how he is disgusted with the current situation, how he would like to shake up the status quo of “things we don’t talk about". At the same time it is clear that he isn’t interested in shoveling controversial manure onto a family tomb, but that he’s trying to change something by uncovering faults. He has a talent for finding the right stories and evidence, which sometimes isn’t absolutely conclusive or without question marks about their credibility, but he doesn’t claim anything about them, he just believes that these facts should be known and everybody can make up their own mind. And it’s not so much about big conspiracies (even though everything about JSOC is crying out for attention) and more about personal fates. He lacks one thing; judgment. He should have let somebody else do this presentation, someone who could sell it well and who wouldn’t talk so much, and not to be so literal where it isn’t fitting. This really does seem like ninety-minutes of report reading in front of a committee than anything else. This also applies to the form which isn’t ideal and tries to hide the lack of relevant footage by filming Scahill walking though towns, riding on a train etc. So, it’s highly interesting and edifying, but due to the form and his unfortunate delivery, it’s rather boring.
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Gallery (5)
Photo © IFC Films
![Dirty Wars - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/158/428/158428029_b4788d.jpg)
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