Review of Dirty Wars (2013) by Jack W — 16 Jan 2014

Watching a documentary such as DIRTY WARS (Richard Rowley, Sundance Selects, 2013) usually provides the viewer with inflammatory knowledge which ultimately serves to frustrate and render insignificance to the viewer (me).

This documentary introduced me to Jeremy Scahill, the author of the source material and the films narrator; Scahill is intrepid to say the least, courageous and admirable for what he does. The film raises awareness to under reported (or misreported) activities sanctioned by the U.

S. Government including covert paramilitary operations in Yemen amongst other countries. It touches on the endless erosion of our civil liberties as well as the permanent attack on the Constitution. The main issue I had with the documentary is that it isn't that revelatory in its presentation.

The narrative doesn't come full circle and in fact near the end of the film Scahill narrates that he himself wonders what his journey in the film really meant. No justice has been attained, operations by the U.

S. Government surely continue on as normal and as the viewer, our frustration for the helplessness in which we reside in here in contemporary America has only grown. The film also lacks if you keep or maintain any grasp of current world news and/or guard yourself against the extreme naïveté prevalent here in America.

This naive faith that our government is not complicit in these actions and that it does not conduct itself with morally ambiguous and ethically challenged aims around the world. Still, the most impressive part of this documentary is Scahill.

In and out of war torn areas, places where his life is in danger, antagonizing a government such as ours takes guts and I applaud him and this film.