CITIZEN SOLDIER is a dramatic feature film, told from the point of view of a group of Soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known since World War II as the "Thunderbirds.” Set in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan at the height of the surge, it is a heart-pounding, heartfelt grunts' eye-view of the war. A modern day Band of Brothers, Citizen Soldier tells the true story of a group of young Soldiers and their life-changing tour of duty in Afghanistan, offering an excruciatingly personal look into modern warfare, brotherhood, and patriotism. Using real footage from multiple cameras, including helmet cams, these Citizen Soldiers give the audience an intimate view into the chaos and horrors of combat and, in the process, display their bravery and valor under the most hellish of conditions.
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Reviews
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
The film Citizen Soldier is a great, war documentary that follows a brigade in the Oklahoma National Guard while deployed overseas for 96 days in Afghanistan. My favorite aspect of this film and what I think makes it different from most documentaries of it's kind, is the unique way it was shot. With only the use of GoPros and cell phones, the soldiers film themselves as they journey through one of the most dangerous battlefields in Afghanistan. I thought that the directors, David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud, took an interesting approach by choosing to have the soldier's film it from their point of view allowing me to feel fully immersed in the film. Through the personal interviews and intense footage I was able to not only see what it is like to be on the front lines but what it really means to have a band of brothers willing to sacrifice their lives for you. Although they may go home to somewhat normal civilian lives, these men and women are forever changed. This is a touching tribute to our troops that everyone should see if they haven't already.
Citizen Soldier is a fantastic documentary that fully immerses you in the American National Guard experience, showing both the soldier's mundane daily activities as well as the terrifying realities of combat. Following an infantry-brigade's tour through Afghanistan, the film brilliantly displays the bond that is forged between men and women serving their country: a bond that gives them the strength to keep fighting. In addition to all this, the film smartly follows its' brave subjects after the war, allowing viewers to get a feel for soldiers' struggles adjusting to civilian life. The film is a powerfully moving tribute to American soldiers that respectfully shows what they sacrifice for this nation without being sappy about it. I would highly recommend this documentary. It doesn't matter if you are a bleeding heart liberal or a hawkish conservative: this film is that good.
Citizen Soldier takes us right into the heart of the battle with the Oklahoma National Guard, in a true immersive experience. Unlike many documentaries that I have seen, filmmakers David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud employed the use of helmet-cams to gather footage from the first person perspective, truly capturing the bravery and camaraderie of our men and women currently serving in Afghanistan. We are able to see and hear everything that they are in those moments, from bullets flying and shattering their glass covers to just having conversations about their lives in humvees as they navigate the terrain. This raw action footage, intercut with interpersonal stories, sends a strong message about brotherhood overseas. These courageous soldiers share a bond like no other and that is conveyed by their language with each other in the field and in the interview segments. They are serving overseas to protect our country, but it is clear that their priority while fighting on the front-lines is to protect each other and make sure their brothers make it home safely to their families.
Would rate this a definite worth a watch, let's say 7 (put a 10 in to offset Mr 1/10 who clearly doesn't u sweat and the point of a review- just that he thinks war is a waste of money which is a different question)But yea a refreshing no bs account of what wars are really like told from the human perspective (albeit from one sides perspective only). The pov footage was not detrimental at all in my opinion and really did immerse you in the situation at least as much as possible from the couch. Gripping for the most part and completely devoid of the standard 'murica yeah! mentality that is often conveyed in war documentaries/movies. And no I'm not American.
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