Life > April 24, 2008

By Ryanne Wicker | Staff writer

American director Kimberly Pierce, who gained critical acclaim for her 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry, is back with a new film tackling one of society’s sensitive issues: the war on terrorism in Iraq.

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Stop-Loss stars Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Channing Tatum (She’s the Man) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick) as a group of United States Army soldiers who, upon returning home after their second tour of duty in Iraq, learn they have been ordered back to the Middle East to serve yet again. The term “stop-loss” refers to the military policy that gives the president the right to involuntarily extend the service of obligation of any member of the United States military.

The policy was implemented to stop the loss of soldiers and maintain the size and strength of the military when new recruitment levels are low. In the film, Phillippe portrays the decorated Iraqi war hero Sgt. Brandon King. After learning that he has been stop-lossed by the U.S. government, he resolves to fight back against what he sees as an unfair policy rather then return to Iraq for a third tour.

The movie follows his desertion from the Army and his moral struggle to find a way out of his military obligation, even as his options close in around him and his personal life and the lives of his friends are rapidly falling apart.

Arguably, Stop-Loss is not that great of a movie. While the complex struggles of the characters are masterfully set up, they are often not developed to their full potential that would give the film more weight. It seems as if the full character arcs of several of the main characters were cut out in the editing process because the film still drags through the middle and leaves viewers wanting more details about the lives of these tragic American heroes.

However, in her attempt to portray the difficulties facing American soldiers returning from Iraq, Pierce is able to successfully capture the attention of her audience and present the controversial issue that impacts soldiers, families and friends throughout the country. The difficult transition that the soldiers face is from serving two terms in a deadly war zone to going back to live in a small Texas town. This part is one of the most gripping portions of the film because one gets a feel of the struggle to readjust to peacetime.

The beginning of the movie depicts the soldier’s struggles with alcohol abuse, violence, severe posttraumatic stress disorder and paranoia. One early scene depicts Tatum’s character, Sgt. Steve Shriver, digging a fox hole in his front yard and maintaining a watch over his house.

The scene would almost be comical if it weren’t for the realization that his character is simply not used to being able to sleep without fearing for his life and those of the people around him.

Brandon and Steve’s friend and fellow soldier, Tommy Burgess (Jospeh Gordon-Levitt), descends deeper into his alcoholism as he no longer has the war as an outlet for his violent tendencies. In one scene, Tommy shoots at the gifts he and his wife received at their wedding.

It is clear that Pierce did not set out to make a film that was easy to watch. She presents a question in which there are no easy answers and no real solution.

Pierce tries to document the internal demons many soldiers have to come home and face after their tours of duty are completed. Without giving away the ending, I will say that it is by no means

the Hollywood, feel-good ending that many viewers might be hoping for. Phillippe’s character is simply left with two hopeless options, and is forced to come to terms with his lack of alternatives andgrappling with the impossible decision between

self-happiness and country.

Overall, I would say Stop-Loss is an average film. It is certainly not without its shortcomings, but I would still highly recommend it to any moviegoer. Regardless of your political views on the Iraq war, Stop-Loss presents a difficult question that Americans needs to deal with. Since the war started in 2003, over 60,000 American soldiers have been stop-lossed and sent back overseas after their tours of duty have been fulfilled to serve one more.

The movie is a haunting reminder that we are once again creating a generation of young men and women scarred by the effects of a difficult and controversial war.