I got an enquiry about an Amazon order of Shadow Company - and while you can get the movie on Amazon directly - all that is handled by Amazon itself...while looking into it I came across a bunch of movie reviews I hadnt seen before. So for all those that worked on the movie (that I can recall) check out the highlights here. (I liked the last one) At last a balanced view - A. B. Mennie As a contractor in the security industry I voraciously read and watch all the material I can get on the industry. I ordered the dvd. Well I have watched the film and all the special features and all I can say is when is shadow company 2 coming out. Thank you Mr Bicanic for presenting a balanced view of the industry. At long last someone does not want to portray us as a bunch of violence addicted dolts. For anybody in or interested in the industry and for everbody interested in Iraq and Afghanistan Watch this film, you will learn more from this than 500 hours of the news! and unlike all the others no politics! a brilliantly made film Excellent movie, a must see for everyone - Colin Black Every time I watch a documentary these days I can feel myself anticipating the moment when I really get the point the film makers are trying to Convince me of. Its like when Im driving and I get that first little bit of road rage and suddenly I can feel myself looking for more reasons to get angrier and angrier. A lot of film makers play to your emotions, anger and fear being the best ones in my opinion, and I know I often get hooked in and by the end of the documentary I definitely have an opinion that was formed by the presentation of the info. It has made me biased. SHADOW COMPANY is different. The info is presented in a way that plays to a persons intellect, not to their emotions. They carefully examine the information and allow you to make a decision for yourself. The quality of the interviews is incredible. They are honest, heartfelt and true, not directed by the film makers to make a point. Having read some of Robert Peltons books I can appreciate his knowledge and really enjoyed hearing his opinion. The directing and editing is amazing. Early on I got a feeling of the vision that went into the creation of this film and felt how it carried through right through to the credits. Overall this was a very well made film and I think that everyone should see it and recommend it to their friends. I really hope to see more from Purpose Films in the future. A look into the modern version of what is probably the worlds oldest profession - Charles Ashbacher While war has been a constant throughout human history, the maintenance of large standing armies by nation states has not. Throughout history, when rulers needed to raise an army, they put out the call for soldiers, promising them plunder, slaves and the opportunity to rape the women of the opponents. Soldiers fought for wealth, Shakespeares line, Cry `havoc and let slip the dogs of war from Julius Caesar refers to the expectation that soldiers were to remain disciplined until a commander cried Havoc which was the signal that the soldiers were free to plunder. Many of the soldiers that fought in most of the wars down through history were soldiers fighting for fortune or mercenaries. In his classic work The Prince Nicolo Machiavelli warned about the use of mercenaries, considering them to be dangerous and unreliable. When the modern nation state arose, disciplined armies were formed whose sole purpose was to fight in the name of the nation. The pay was not necessarily high; love of country was considered the motivating force, although most nations resorted to conscription in order to get the number of men needed to fight in modern wars. However, the mercenary is still a factor in modern warfare and despite their horrendous reputation in some areas of the world the mercenary force is an improvement over the national army. The recent history of Africa is filled with conflicts within and between nations and most of them involved significant contributions from mercenary forces. This DVD is a series of interviews of mercenaries, academics that study the role of mercenaries in the modern world and retired military people that follow the role of mercenaries in the world. The conversations fall into two categories, the role of security contractors (the modern term for the mercenary) in the recent American involvement in Iraq and the role that mercenaries have played in conflicts in Africa. A mercenary operation in the African nation of Sierra Leone where both sides in an armed conflict were basically bandits terrorizing the population are described in detail. Even a commentator critical of the role of mercenaries admits that this was probably a successful use of mercenary forces. This is a look into what mercenaries have done and also a refuting of much of the media portrayal of what mercenaries do. The true professionals are openly contemptuous of the Rambo types, they emphasize that they have little time for the absurd amateur. Listening to the heads of the security firms, the clear impression that they are trying to give is that their organization is very disciplined and has a moral sense when they are considering taking on a job. That seems plausible, unfortunately by their own admission, other firms dont operate to those high standards. The interviewees express contempt for some of the security firms that were operating in Iraq, considering them amateurs from top to bottom. While this video will give you insights into the world of the modern mercenary, what you see is the most positive tip of an iceberg that has a great deal of sludge on it. There are reports of recent ruthless mercenary activity in Libya, several provinces of Russia, Bosnia, Georgia and in the current uprising in Syria. Those men would no doubt appear to be less reliable and professional than the men interviewed for this video Saving A Dying Genre - Joe Arrigoni After Fahrenheit 9/11 and When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts I feared the political documentary genre was forever lost in liberal bias. Shadow Company restores this genre to its rightful place of respectability. Far too often documentary film makers shape their films to fit their predetermined conclusions and present only the footage that backs up their premise. Shadow Company takes a fair and balanced approach that few filmmakers, or news outlets for that matter, have the courage and integrity to take. Shadow Company is an extremely insightful, educational, and entertaining look at a remarkable and very controversial event in contemporary politics and modern warfare. Anyone hoping to have a well informed conversation about the war in Iraq needs to see this film. Conservatives and liberals alike will call it one of their favorite films of the year.. Soldiers Without Borders - C. J. Wills Whether youre a hawk or a dove; a privatization booster or a socialist, Shadow Company is a must-see. Obviously inspired by P.W. Singers Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry (also a must read), these film makers have upheld the ethic of presenting well-balanced, non-judgmental material for the intelligent viewer to assess on their own. This is thought-provoking documentary film making and an accessible vehicle for creating awareness and generating conversations in the mainstream about this recent development in global military history. A documentary like this exposes people to the system and all of the paradox that goes with it. Would the Rwandan genocide have happened the way it did had the UN accepted a bid from an outfit like Executive Outcomes? Could stability be achieved in Sudan now? Will a privatized military create more problems than it solves over time? This whole issue presents a new level of complexity for systems and economies that are already vested and embedded in the military-industrial complex. The basic unit of input and the organizing principle for a privatized military is deadly violent conflict or, at least, ongoing volatile security situations. As interests continue to be vested, the short term economic and political self-interest benefits are clear, but the need for more deadly violent conflict to sustain the business interests is also clear. What happens in the long term will be very interesting... especially in places that dont get as much attention as Iraq and Afghanistan - e.g. places like Nigeria, Guyana, and Sudan (again). This film generated a great deal of questions and ideas for conversation for me... which I think is the highest praise. Looking forward to more work from these film makers. Education At Its Best - Barbara J. Tutino I used Shadow Company in my 11th grade Social Studies Class to inspire discussions about the War in Iraq. Because it has no rating I obtained permission slips from parents first to comply with Department of Education guidelines. These usually unreceptive inner city students were TALKING, TALKING, and TALKING about how this movie impacted their thinking about the war and why every citizen needs to see this film. More specifically, they learned a great lesson about the use of private armies in warfare. Most realized the significance of documentary movies for the first time in their life!
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 00:02:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015