Every so often, a film comes around that preaches about 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq. Green Zone is another one of those films. It plays a sort of “what if” scenario and blends fact and fiction quite nicely. Of course, with a film like this, it’s bound to spark some debates about the war in Iraq, so I will be as neutral as possible, and I suggest you do the same while watching a film like this.

• Film

Chief Miller on the ground

Green Zone is from writer Brian Helgeland and reunites director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon from the Bourne movies. Also starring is Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, and Brendan Gleeson, and inspired by the non-fiction 2006 book, “Imperial Life in the Emerald City,” by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The film takes place in the beginning of the occupation of Iraq as military forces invade the country in 2003. Damon plays Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller as he and his team are out looking for weapons of mass destruction. After three failed attempts to find any “WMDs,” Miller begins to question whether the intel is accurate or not and who is providing it. After a tip from a local Iraqi, Miller goes to a house where top ranking officials working for Saddam are having a meeting. A firefight ensues and Miller comes in contact with one of Saddam’s top ranking officials, General Mohammed Al-Rawi. Getting to Al-Rawi means getting the WMDs. Of course with all politics, nothing is ever what it seems as Miller is out to find out what exactly is going on.

• Video

Base of Operations

With a film dealing and having it’s setting in Iraq, get ready to see a lot of brown. The film is in a VC-1 encoded 1080p image with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. (Black bars on top and bottom for those keeping track). Like I said, there is a lot of brown, and since this can be considered a “war movie,” you’ll find an abundance of film grain. The film grain works very well in illustrating the heat that Baghdad has. I’ve never been to Iraq, nor could I know what it’s like over there, but Paul Greengrass tries to replicate the feeling you get there with the way he shot it. Handheld cameras in the middle of the streets while army soldiers try to get through, gives a sense of confusion that must have occurred a lot over there. Although there is a lot of film grain, you’ll see that the detail is top notch. From stone and brick walls, fabric, skin, and hair all look fantastic. Black levels are great, especially during the final 15 minutes of the film.

• Audio

Al-Rawi getting to the bottom of the situation

Universal pumps out an amazing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that does what it’s supposed to. You’ll also find French and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. Greengrass wants to give the audience an “in there” feel with his camera work and definitely with the audio track. From the opening credits as mortars hit the streets of Baghdad, to gun shots in the middle of the streets, to the dialogue, all crisp and very easy on the ears. One thing that works especially well is in the scene where Miller is with his troops on his way to a mission and has to cross a busy street. The civilians are screaming and shouting for water. The screams come from all directions, in the film and in your speakers, and definitely gives a sense of confusion that maybe this isn’t a place we should be right now, and that at any moment, someone just might snap.

• Special Features

Deleted scenes – Play with Video Commentary by Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon

Deleted scenes – Play without Video Commentary

Matt Damon: Ready for Action

Inside the Green Zone

Feature commentary with Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon

U-Control – Video Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon

U-Control – Picture in Picture

BD Live

pocket BLU App

social BLU App

Digital Copy

• Final Thoughts

Miller getting interrogated

It’s not The Hurt Locker. You won’t find the suspense and tension of that film. You won’t find a thought provoking story in it either. What you will find is a film with solid acting, decent action, and a “what if” story line that is bound to rile up a couple of people. Putting your feelings about the Iraq War aside, I think you’ll find a decent film that does what it’s supposed to, entertain.

• Thanks

Blu-Ray.com
Amazon.com
imdb.com

Don’t forget the popcorn

• Fin