‘Body of War’ Confronts Grisly Realities of U.S. War Mistakes in Iraq

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CHICAGO – They are invisible in the current war, which has lasted longer than World War II. It’s the soldier in Iraq who fights on – in the face of public apathy at home – and who carries out the decisions of an administration that has chosen to hide their caskets in death.

The face of this soldier is represented in the new documentary “Body of War,” which is produced and directed by former talk-show host Phil Donahue. He’s now an activist and filmmaker.

Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Body of War” in our reviews section. View our full, high-resolution “Body of War” image gallery.

Donahue aims his camera at two subjects: the U.S. Congress events in Oct. 2002 (recounting the vote that gave the Bush administration the authorization to invade Iraq) and the journey of American soldier Tomas Young.

He’s paralyzed from the chest down after being injured in the early days of the war, which is now at five years and counting.

Using a narrative technique that intertwines the two stories, the camera follows Young from his hospital release after a scant rehabilitation period. He’s embraced by a courageous fiancée who marries him and stands by him while he starts on a path of activism.

Tomas Young visits Ground Zero in “Body of War”. Photo credit: Ellen Spiro, Mobilus Media

Tomas Young in the capitol building in Washington, D.C. for “Body of War”. Photo credit: Kevin McKinney, Mobilus Media

Read Patrick McDonald’s full “Before the Rains” review.