The REEL Addict 

By Allan Tong of Holy Grails

Renown documentarian Nick Broomfield (Kurt and Courtney, Biggie and Tupac) crosses into drama to recreate the US Marine massacre of the Iraqi town of Haditha. 

On November 19, 2005, Iraqi insurgents planted a roadside bomb that claimed a vehicle full of Marines.  Enraged, their comrades embark on a brutal retaliation by killing 24 innocent men, women and children who were hiding in their homes.  The insurgents videotaped the house-to-house battle and interview one of the few survivors, a nine-year-old girl, who lost her family.  Meanwhile, the soldiers who carried out the slaughter suffer guilt and post-traumatic stress.

Battle for Haditha adopts opposing viewpoints to tell its sad story.  A young couple is making love in the shower when they spot two suspicious men planting a bomb outside their window.  They run to their leader, the Sheik, but it turns out that he is orchestrating the bombing.  On the other side, the Marines, led by Cpl. Ramirez (real-life Marine Elliot Ruiz) swing between boredom and rage as they roam a hostile country.  Altogether, these are volatile elements waiting to explode.

Broomfield’s documentary experience informs his detailed recreation of the battle and Marine life.  During downtime, the Marines blast hardcore metal, endlessly clean their weapons and curse their superiors.  After several tours of duty, Ramirez complains that the army offered him a pittance in severance pay, so he stayed on.  Elsewhere he shows off his leg wound, which he received in actual combat.  However, the film takes on an unnerving realism when the Marines invade houses, blindly toss grenades into rooms where children and parents are hiding, and fire through doors without warning.  It looks real.

Broomfield casts real-life Marines and Iraqis to populate his cast, lending a deeper realism to the film.  When Ramirez suffers a breakdown after the massacre is he acting or confessing?  The drama isn’t always convincing however.  The subplot between the young married couple feels like it belongs in another film, handled with a little too much sentimentality.

The DVD offers two audio commentaries by Broomfield and Ruiz.  Broomfield is generous in explaining the shoot, which took place in Jordan after he personally sought permission from the Jordian royal family.  He also had his Marines, all non-actors, sleep in real barracks in order to reinforce their performances.  Ruiz offers the perspective of an actual Marine, imparting not only tidbits of army life, but the stress and guilt that come with the job.  No further bonus features are required.

Film: 4 out of 5 REELs

DVD: 4 out of 5 REELs