Review of The Tillman Story (2010) by Lorenzo V — 17 Aug 2011

"a mystery. a cover up. a crime. one family will risk everything for the truth.".

Pat Tillman never thought of himself as a hero. His choice to leave a multimillion-dollar football contract and join the military wasn't done for any reason other than he felt it was the right thing to do. The fact that the military manipulated his tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in Amir Bar-Lev's riveting and enraging documentary.

REVIEW.

Sitting down to write about the "The Tillman Story" makes me recall the same emotions that the movie evokes, and frustration is at the forefront. I want to start by writing about the premise, the story of an intelligent young man who was a successful football player, who ended up dying while fighting in war. But that is exactly what Pat Tillman, the late protagonist, wouldn't want. In addition, Pat Tillman was the only thing the country was talking about for several months in 2004.

And then I want to extol the artistic merits of the story-telling in this movie, and how it carefully peels away at the truth behind his death. But ultimately the film-making qualities aren't what make this movie worth seeing. After that, I want to explain why "The Tillman Story" is simultaneously wonderful and terrible... wonderful in that it shines light on a shadow that deserves to be exposed, but terrible for how the viewer feels after seeing what was there. It is not the movie itself that is terrible, but instead how the story makes you feel after seeing it. But these descriptions are better left for the movie to tell.

"The Tillman Story" is worth seeing, and even more so if you are an American. It provides glimpses into the US military complex and it's mechanisms of self preservation. It details a family's experience with the death of one of their own. It will give you a mix of reactions and emotions, with no real final answer to the issues at stake. If you are looking for a light-hearted romp, or a documentary about the latest easy-going topic-du-jour, "The Tillman Story" isn't the right place to start.