Danfung Dennis's Hell and Back Again, which won two awards at last year's Sundance Film Festival and garnered a nomination for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards, focuses on Sgt. Nathan Harris of the U.S. Marines Echo Company, who is injured in battle in Afghanistan and returns to his North Carolina home to recover from injuries to his hip and leg. Dennis is with Harris and his comrades in the midst of conflict, and he spends extensive time with the Marine and his wife, Ashley, during the difficult rehabilitation process. Harris is not the most likable individual—his fixation with guns and frequently surly attitude towards Ashley dilute some viewer sympathy. In an initially jarring but eventually annoying approach, Dennis cuts back and forth from the frenetic chaos of battle to the slower pace of life on the home front during the recovery process. Like the Oscar-nominated Restrepo (VL-1/11), this is another nonfiction film that turns the lives of U.S. ground forces into extended versions of reality TV productions. Extras include audio commentary by Dennis and editor Fiona Otway, a featurette on the groundbreaking cinematography technology used in the film (this is the first production shot entirely with a highly customized Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR camera rig), deleted scenes, and Willie Nelson's “Hell and Back” slideshow. Considering the extensive award recognition, this is recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Hell and Back Again
(2011) 88 min. DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4229-7452-9 (dvd), 1-4229-9252-7 (blu-ray). Volume 27, Issue 2
Hell and Back Again
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