The Road to Fallujah (Mark Manning, 2009): USA

Reviewed by Collier Grimm. Viewed at the 2009 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

After the Vietnam War, the United States government realized what a mistake they had made by allowing freedom of media coverage. Americans were bombarded with images of half-dead mothers carrying their less-fortunate children away from terror, along with images of the numerous caskets coming home every day, which acted as anti-war propaganda for a nation already in serious doubt. Today the media is kept far from the truth, and the images we see on TV only work to de-humanize the countries with whom we are at odds. Iraq and Iran have been severely presented in this manner, and thus we have much less compassion or remorse for the people we have been trained to hate.

The Road to Fallujah uncovers some truth behind what is really going on in those “far away” places. Mark Manning worked on an oil rig in Santa Barbara until his job was affected by the war. He decided to buy a camera, grow a beard, and discover for himself what was going on in Iraq. Manning reveals through voice-over that he believes media coverage in Iraq has been “sanitary.” He hoped, through his film, to introduce audiences to, and create understanding between, people who really want to connect with us.

            Manning’s first attempt at creating a documentary evokes strong emotions, but follows a very traditional style of documentary filmmaking. The film is broken into segments, or chapters, that give the audience a sense of direction and closure. Manning’s voice-over acts as commentary throughout the film, and allows for only his feelings on the subject to be shared. Archival footage, hand-held camera work, and home front news footage, are all in tow alongside talking heads with clever quips of opinion. Hundreds of images of children work as a device to draw a specific emotional response from the audience, and a serious lack of any alternative opinion makes the film strongly biased.

            This was one of the strongest films I saw at the 2009 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, but far from the most innovative. Yes, I cried, and I walked away with a better understanding for what is going on across the sea, and more compassion for a people I too had learned to hate. However, I must remind myself that this film is one side of the story, and there are many more voices that must be heard.

            In the end we learn that our soldiers overseas believe there is a window of opportunity and hope with the new US administration, but it’s still just words and speeches until we actually do something. Manning interjects that we wont know what to do until we learn about the people in Iraq and Iran.