The War Tapes
The War Tapes Image
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 4 Ratings

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  • Summary: In March 2004, just as the insurgent movement strengthened, several members of one National Guard unit arrived in Iraq, carrying digital video cameras. The War Tapes is the movie they made with Director Deborah Scranton and a team of award-winning filmmakers. It's the first war movie filmed by soldiers themselves on the front lines in Iraq. (SenArt Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    100
    Gripping documentary.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    100
    There's a lot to process when watching The War Tapes, and that's probably why the documentary gets even better a few days later.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mark Olsen
    80
    The film acutely captures the topsy-turvy uncertainty of life during wartime, where there's Burger King and land mines and Pizza Hut and snipers.
  4. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    60
    Make no mistake: The War Tapes is not an overtly political film. It appears to grind no partisan ax nor score either red or blue points. Whether viewers support the war or not -- or find themselves somewhere in the mushy middle -- this documentary won't fit comfortably into the pigeonholes of their preconceptions.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. VLadimirG.
    8
    In a world where documentaries oftentimes seek to indoctrinate rather than inform it's refreshing to see a movie where the makers suppressed their own biases as much as possible. The result is a nuanced and complex portrait of the war, not the standard one fed the public by each of the parties and from the general news media. Well-worth a watch.… Expand

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