Hidden Wounds

Another entry in the string of harsh documentaries relating to the ongoing occupation of Iraq, Iris Adler's Hidden Wounds offers an uncompromising examination of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on three young American men returning home from active duty. One of the three, 23-year-old Marine Reservist Jeff Lucey, was unable to obtain Veterans Administration assistance for his condition because of his alcohol dependency and eventually committed suicide. The other two, Army Sgt. Russell Anderson and Marine platoon commander Nate Fick, struggled with bouts of depression, anger, and denial before finally seeking assistance for their PTSD (Fick wrote a book on his ordeal, One Bullet Away). The documentary balances this trio of tragic individual stories with a grander condemnation of the failure of the Veterans Administration to provide proper counseling and support for the estimated one out of five veterans returning from Iraq with PTSD. Even if solid programs were in place for dealing with this crisis, however, the film suggests that many veterans wouldn't take advantage of them, since emotional disorders are still viewed as a weakness among too many in today's military. A provocative look at a timely subject, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)