directed by: Petra Epperlein; Michael Tucker
documentary
| Gunner
Palace (USA;
85 min.) directed by: Petra Epperlein; Michael Tucker documentary |
|
| Michael says: "There are some films that are powerful
and fascinating to see even if they’re not really films I would say
were impressively made. CASUISTRY:
THE ART OF KILLING A CAT, which I saw
at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival is one of those
films. GUNNER PALACE, a first feature documentary by the directing team
of Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker is another. Tucker, manning the camera,
spent several weeks a few months after Bush declared the war in Iraq won,
with the American soldiers of the 2/3 Field Artillery living in the bombed
out pleasure palace of the Iraqi regime. Over the course of the film Tucker
chronicles the day-to-day lives of these soldiers, many just out of high
school from rural American towns growing closer to them and more involved
with their lives. The unique, unprecedented access provides for powerful
footage, not in a shocking way, but with a cumulative effect that hit me
strongly after the film was over. Tucker also does a good job avoiding
overt politics in this politically charged arena.
"Two major flaws of GUNNER PALACE are Tucker’s voice-over narration,
where he intentionally speaks in neutral, disaffected tones to keep emotion
out of his voice (it’s a choice that while understandable, fails),
and an odd scene midway through the film where Tucker leaves Iraq for
a time and returns home, pulling himself and his life, too strongly and
awkwardly into the film. A more skilled director could have handled the
latter more gracefully and to greater effect. Still, despite these flaws,
and a lack of coherence (again possibly intentional… we can’t
say) I was affected by this film and thus, give it 3 cats." |