Movie File: Armadillo

I am not gonna lie, I got my hands on this documentary purely with an equal opportunity mindset. Some of you might recall that a while back we recommended a documentary titled Restrepo. Well, Armadillo is a documentary that follows the same premise but from a Danish perspective.

Filmmaker Janus Metz follows a group of Danish soldiers, IASF 7, throughout their six month deployment in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. In general both Restrepo and Armadillo are quite similar, the main difference, however, being Armadillo's higher production values. This difference should make Armadillo appealing to a larger crowd, but still not for the faint of heart as it is more graphic than Restrepo.

I decided to watch Armadillo solely because I had seen Restrepo and figured I should give it a chance. What I found was an amazing documentary that should be a must watch for anybody that has an interest in the region.

Movie File: Restrepo

So, given my current line of work and study it was only a matter of time before I got a hold of this documentary. Restrepo is everything a war movie should be about. This film follows the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team's deployment in the Korangal Valley between Afghanistan and Pakistan, perhaps the most dangerous combat zone at the time. This first person perspective of war is incredibly gripping and undoubtedly one of the best films of the year. This should be a must see on everyone's list. There is also a Boston gem thrown in during the closing credits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpIVk2AY3sw