On the way out of Brothers at War, one of my esteemed colleagues in the Chicago Film Critics Association summed up a pretty natural response to the documentary when he said, "Well, I guess if we have to sit through left-wing propaganda about the war then we should have to sit through right-wing propaganda too." Propaganda might be a harsh word for Jacob Rademacher's film about his two siblings serving in Iraq, but it's not far off. Rademacher and executive producer Gary Sinise are clearly the kind of people who believe that not only has the conflict in the Middle East been perfectly justified but also that we'd all be dead if we hadn't gone over there to stop the impending evil.

The problem with Brothers at War has nothing to do with its political stance; it's that the film seems so oddly narrow in its scope. It feels like Rademacher not only never asked himself why his brothers are fighting but also felt that if he included anything remotely negative about them that it would hurt his film. Of course, the opposite is true and, by not addressing bigger issues like the fact that one of Jacob's war-driven brothers has clearly been a little damaged by his time over there (just ask his girlfriend), Rademacher has only told half the story. Right-wing, left-wing, half the story is half a film.

The heart of Brothers at War is undeniably pure - Jake Rademacher wanted to know more about his brothers' experiences overseas. As a writer, I would never pretend that I know anything about what it's like to be on the ground in Iraq, and Rademacher felt that he would be a better documentarian and a better brother if he walked a few miles in his sibling's shoes. Jake was given unprecedented access to four combat units in Iraq, including one of his brother's. In his first stint over there, Rademacher is subjected to the incredible boredom of reconnaissance as a part of his brother Cpt. Isaac Rademacher's Surveillance Company in Northern Iraq. Men are sent out to watch the Syrian border at spots where intelligence believes that the enemy is transporting information or weapons across. In deadly heat, men sit for days at a time and watch a spot on the horizon, waiting for movement. It's actually very interesting to spend time with these men and see what their daily grind is like and how they communicate and kill time. These men could someone you know. Even your brother.

After the recon missions, Jake comes home and decides that he's still not getting the respect of one of his brothers, the very dark Sgt. Joseph Rademacher, because he's not seen any "real action" in Iraq. In other words, he's itching for gunfire. Here's where Brothers at War loses me. When one of Jake's brothers talks about how many people he's shot and those that love him question how much darker he's gotten since he went to Iraq for the first time, you might expect Brothers at War to ask the serious questions about the toll conflict takes on the human heart and soul. Rademacher refuses to go there. I understand that he may not be ready to deal with the emotional cost on his family, but it's clearly there in Joseph's mournful eyes and when his girlfriend talks about how much more angry he's been lately. Jake goes back to Iraq and see some serious combat in what I think is a misguided effort to impress his brother, including time at sniper "hide sites" in the Sunni Triangle and an insane machine-gun battle of the kind that I pray I will never be anywhere near.

And that's the question left unanswered. I pray I and my loved ones will never be near enemy fire. Why do none of the Rademachers seem to pray for the same? Why did two Rademacher boys not only put themselves in harm's way but also do so repeatedly? And why does Jacob not seem interested in that question? The "what" of Brothers at War is very interesting, but it's half the movie without the "why". Not just the political one. I have no problem with Rademacher leaving the big, "unjustified war" question out of his film, but he also misses the personal, emotional one in his own family.

Rating: TWO BONES

Reviewed by Brian Tallerico (MovieRetriever.com Film Critic)

Release Date: March 13th, 2009
Rating: R
 
Director: Jacob Rademacher