''Full Battle Rattle'' is a 2008 American war documentary film directed by Jesse Moss and

Tony Gerber Tony Gerber is an American filmmaker and the co-founder of Market Road Films, an independent production company. Personal life Gerber was born in New York City. He is a 1981 graduate of the Hackley School, and a 1995 graduate of the Columbia U ...

Plot

The film is about the war simulation in the fictional Iraqi town of Medina Wasl that the US Army built in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

, which is used to help train its army units before they deploy to Iraq.

Production

The pair were granted permission to live inside the simulation for the duration of a three-week training rotation. Moss and Gerber filmed on both sides of the “war”: Gerber lived with the Army Brigade in training and Moss lived in Medina Wasl. The duo used war films such as ''

Three Kings In Christianity, the Biblical Magi ( or ; singular: ), also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi, are distinguished foreigners who visit Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in homage to hi ...

'', '' Hearts and Minds'', and '' Coming Home'' along with the works of

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

as references when developing the film.

Release

''Full Battle Rattle'' made its world premiere at the 2008

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Reception

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reports an approval rating of 77% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "''Full Battle Rattle'' is an insightful, eye-opening account of the preparations soldiers must make for their service in Iraq."

David Edelstein David Edelstein (born 1959) is a freelance American film critic who has been the principal film critic for ''Slate'' and ''New York'' magazine, among others, and has appeared regularly on NPR's ''Fresh Air'' and ''CBS Sunday Morning'' programs. O ...

of ''

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'' magazine called the film “an indelible vision of modern war”.

A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', '' Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...

of ''

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'' wrote: “Remarkably thorough and detailed. The film emphasizes the strangeness and complexity of the conflict.” It won the Special Jury Prize at the 2008

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References

{{authority control 2008 documentary films 2008 films Documentary films about the Iraq War American documentary films