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Gunner Palace review
:. Director: Petra Epperlein & Michael Tucker
:. Genre: Documentary
:. Running Time: 1:25
:. Year: 2004
:. Country: USA
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Named after a sumptuous Iraqi palace where American troops established their camp, this documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at the life of these soldiers, far from the propaganda imagery feeding the masses by local TV channels.
Director Michael Tucker lived with this Field Artillery battalion for a couple of months and what he brings back is a respectful portrait of disillusioned troops and a harsh critique of politicians who run the war from far away in their comfortable salons.
Putting in parallel the "victorious version of the war" according to Donald Rumsfeld with what really happens in Irak and what the gunners think — and you'll be surprised how realistic they are despite being true to their duty — Tucker mostly shows here that, despite what we might think, the war didn't end with Saddam Hissein's capture but is still running. During the course of this documentary, we witness raids, arrests, riots and, by the end, we will learn that several of the protagonists lost their lives during the filming. Showing self-restraint, however, Tucker prefers to focus on the experience and feelings of these men, rather than going for a voyeuristic approach that shows us shootings and death — for that you can tune in to Fox news.
Throughout history, art-and principally music-has always been a tool to express opinions about wars and politics, and while the "styles" might have changed, the spirit is the same as you will see, whether it's through rap, hard rock or comedy stints.
While we can easily assume that Tucker isn't a gung-ho pro-war activist, he doesn't really need to get involved in his work to give it a political or moral inclination, as spectators can draw their own conclusion themselves from what US troopers tell the camera and what is seen happening on these treacherous streets. And that's certainly what makes this film a stronger point than the work of an openly engaged Michael Moore, as detractors cannot undermine what the men fighting for them have to say.
As a side note, this DVD edition includes some interesting deleted scenes, mostly interviews from the front and back home as well as some additional hip-hop performances.
Fred Thom
 Documentary Reviews: 1998 - 2011
Documentary Reviews: 2012 - present
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