Restrepo

Name: Restrepo
Genre: War, Documentary
Released: June 25, 2010
Duration: 93 min
Rating: 85

2010

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 88 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 88 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

National Geographic Entertainment | Release Date: June 25, 2010 | R

Summary: A feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soliders in Afghanisatn'ss Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the US military. This is an entirely experientialA feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soliders in Afghanisatn'ss Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the US military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley: there are no interviews with the generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you. (Passion Pictures)… Expand

Director: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington

Genre(s): War, Documentary

Rating: R

Runtime: 93 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mike Scott

A film that is beautiful, harrowing, heartbreaking -- and necessary. Read full review

Noel Murray

Restrepo can be tedious at times and nerve-racking at others, but why shouldn't it be? That's exactly what Junger and Hetherington saw on the front lines, so that's what they show, with very little filter. Read full review

A.O. Scott

As the war in Afghanistan returns to the front pages and the national debate, we owe the men in Restrepo, at the very least, 90 minutes or so of our attention. If nothing else, this film, in showing how much they care about one another, demands the same of us. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

It gives such a down-to-Earth view of the joys, terrors, boredom, anxieties and camaraderie in a war zone. Read full review

Rob Nelson

For a movie that's both a study and a product of blood, sweat, and tears, an oft-cited mid-'60s quote from film and combat vet Samuel Fuller seems to apply: "Film is a battlefield," Fuller said in Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le fou. "There's love, hate, action, violence, death. In a word: emotions." Read full review

Sara Vilkomerson

A documentary so real and unflinching (and at times deeply frightening) that it's hard to watch, but it is one of those film experiences that you'll feel glad about getting through. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

Even after experiencing the film, what they've gone through - and how they deal with it - deliberately remains a mystery. Read full review

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User Reviews

blok

Mar 3, 2011

Made up of intimate interviews and disturbing combat footage, the movie does what it sets out to do. It throws the grisly circumstances of war up on screen and lets us interpret them. And by not delving too far into these questions (and not taking any real stance), the filmmakers allow theMade up of intimate interviews and disturbing combat footage, the movie does what it sets out to do. It throws the grisly circumstances of war up on screen and lets us interpret them. And by not delving too far into these questions (and not taking any real stance), the filmmakers allow the material to reach a much wider audience than if they had (thus, it wonâ… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

khoin

Aug 20, 2010

I'm a huge war film and documentary fan and a high school history teacher so I had high expectations about this film and was certainly not disappointed. This was clearly one of the most powerful war movies I've ever seen. I never got a sense that the soldiers or the filmmakers had a clearI'm a huge war film and documentary fan and a high school history teacher so I had high expectations about this film and was certainly not disappointed. This was clearly one of the most powerful war movies I've ever seen. I never got a sense that the soldiers or the filmmakers had a clear point of view about the war or their role but that, in and of itself, says much about the overall U.S./Afghanistan policy. I couldn't help but see frightening glimpses of Vietnam, Iraq, and Korea. History certainly repeats itself and we (the U.S.) seemingly never learn our lesson; however, this movie proves that sending young, innocent men into harm's way for cloudy objectives is too often the default and demented policy of a nation too quick with the trigger finger and an egomaniacal attitude. I highly recommend seeing this movie and I intend on showing it to my students when it comes out on DVD.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

OscarPicks2010

Dec 1, 2010

Restrepo is real. It is not like the Hurt Locker (no offense), but this is actual camera work during the war. The cameramen must have been paid a lot to be in a warzone that is considered the most dangerous of all war zone. Nevertheless, the movie based its story on the visceral power of theRestrepo is real. It is not like the Hurt Locker (no offense), but this is actual camera work during the war. The cameramen must have been paid a lot to be in a warzone that is considered the most dangerous of all war zone. Nevertheless, the movie based its story on the visceral power of the film. They want to get the audience feeling for the death soldiers by not showing but implying. Sometimes Restrespo fell short on its plot but most of the times it shows real emotions of soldiers that fought for our country. Restrespo is probably one of the better documentaries of the year, considering that there are a lot of good docs this year.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

j30

Sep 22, 2011

Nearly no narritive, but a powerful film that is one of the best documentaries of 2010.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

CitizenCharlie

Mar 23, 2011

It is good the general public is now able to see just how remote and prehistoric most of Afghanistan is. Restrepo is the name of a fallen soldier from the Korengal Valley in 2007 and it is also the name of the outpost the soldiers in Battle Company construct in the valley and name afterIt is good the general public is now able to see just how remote and prehistoric most of Afghanistan is. Restrepo is the name of a fallen soldier from the Korengal Valley in 2007 and it is also the name of the outpost the soldiers in Battle Company construct in the valley and name after him. The Korengal Valley is two provinces north of where I was stationed and it makes my base, which was remote and sparse, seem like Vegas compared to OP Restrepo. A long deployment to Afghanistan is extremely monotonous punctuated by brief periods of action. This is how the documentary is edited. It briefly shows some of the soldiers a week pre-deployment, as newbies on the ground, and then follows their highlights (and lowlights) throughout the next 15 months. Building the new outpost takes up most of their time as do the relentless patrols to the surrounding villages. They conduct shuras (meetings) with the locals who they know are in contact with the Taliban but dare not tell them their locations for fear of death. It would be extremely difficult to convey the bleak day in, day out routine of a deployment that long and in around 90 minutes, Restrepo does not really pull that off. There are a lot of firefights on film including one with a KIA and they effectively show just how confusing situations like that can be. This documentary felt too brief for the heavy subject matter; however, I'm glad it was made at all. The guys on the ground at the Company level and below rarely get any face time.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

KundK

Nov 28, 2010

I had read Junger book "War" before I watched the movie and was looking forward to see the soldiers and the mountainous landscapes so well described there. I have to say that the movie left me underwhelmed. It was neither about the situation in Korangal Valley (which would demand some sortI had read Junger book "War" before I watched the movie and was looking forward to see the soldiers and the mountainous landscapes so well described there. I have to say that the movie left me underwhelmed. It was neither about the situation in Korangal Valley (which would demand some sort of a introduction, maps, narration, analysis of strategic and tactical importance) nor about the troops in one of the most dangerous outposts in the world (which would demand more background on the soldiers, going into the psychology of warfare, PTSD...). The whole thing feels somewhat directionless (maybe as a commentary on the Afghan war) and probably much more so for the viewers who did not read the book. On the positive side, (not counting the great dance number to the immortal tune "Touch Me" by Samantha Fox) you get immersed - the camera is almost always in the middle of action, you can see the bullets flying and feel the explosions. But if you really want to get to know the men of Restrepo, read the book. This does not help much.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

shaunmed

Jan 2, 2011

This movie is just boring. If you realize that war sucks because people die, you wont see or feel anything new. Movie critics walk on egg shells around the subject of dead soldiers, but it doesn't make it an interesting documentary.

2 of 9 users found this helpful27

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16	#16 Best Movie of 2010
89	#89 Most Shared Movie of 2010