Hell and Back Again [Blu-ray] | DVD Review

First time director Danfung Dennis spent a number of months embedded with a 35 man US marine company in Afghanistan, where he found Sgt. Nathan Harris trying desperately to successfully complete a variety of dangerous missions behind enemy lines while keeping his squad safely intact. Just before completion of his third tour of duty, Harris was hit by enemy fire, shattering his hip and breaking his right leg. Unlike the comparable Restrepo, which displays the realities of war over the course of a year with a sizable cast, the double Sundance award winning Hell And Back Again gracefully juxtaposes Harris’s time as a leader in battle to his rough recuperation and readjustment to civilian life. The center of a deadly war may seem like the last place on Earth someone would want to be, but Dennis’s intimate feature skillfully answers why so many soldiers, including Harris, sign up for multiple tours instead of staying safely at home with their loved ones.

Harris was doing the only thing he ever wanted to do. He was leading a team of killing machines to eliminate the enemy in order to defend the freedom of Americans everywhere. Though he understood and accepted the risks of being at war, his life was turned upside down after being wounded in combat, and sent back home. Instead of running amuck in the Afghan countryside, Harris was now couch-laden, drugged up on a long list of medications, and under the loving care of his incredibly patient young wife. Not only was he physically struggling to do normal every day tasks like get dressed or go to the store, but like almost every US war veteran, the fast paced, hectic life of a normal American has been incredibly hard to adjust to after an intense, but simple and straightforward tour of duty. Facing a life with chronic pain, a severe limp, and no hope of returning to combat, Harris is left wondering what to do with the rest of his young life.

Like the late Tim Hetherington, Dennis is a brave man, somehow capturing absolutely gorgeous footage despite bullets whizzing past his head, bombs going off around him, and soldiers going down in front of him. His subject in the unfortunate sergeant, is a charismatic born leader shown at both the top of his game, and his weakest moments. This radical change is a direct result of the brutality of war, but Harris’s feeling on the outcome seems to be complete acceptance, though his mental and physical instability test him daily. His duel story line was carefully woven together by editor Fiona Otway, who metaphorically linked war front topics to situations that played out back at home with great ascendancy, perfectly selecting meaningful and moving images to transfer between.

Being that the film’s gorgeous cinematography was one of its many drawing points, a fine HD transfer was expected, and Docurama surely delivered with this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Fine detail is found in close ups, while the many tracking shots always run smooth, never distorting. There is only one moment of vertical noise found in a poorly lit indoor scene, but that’s a really nit picky complaint. Overall it looks quite stellar. The DTS-HD 5.1 master track also sounds quite good despite there being no real sound man for the production. It is mostly a dialogue driven film, but there is the occasional battle scene with rumbling gunshots and pulsing helicopters that are represented well. The two discs come packaged in a standard Blu-ray case with well designed mirror image cover art.

Audio Commentary with Director Danfung Dennis and Editor Fiona Otway
While the track is highly informative on the background of combat situations, thematic development, and the editing process, there are long lulls in conversation. Otway barely contributes at all, as Dennis waits until a moment inspires him to speak. What he does manage to get out is quite illuminating.

Technical Gear Demo: How Hell And Back Again Was Filmed
This short featurette is an audio rundown of Dennis’s technical setup. For shooting, he was basically a one man crew, so he custom built a hand held steady cam system that helped him take home the Sundance prize for best cinematography. His breakdown is highly technical, but all too brief. The audio is paired with shots that help describe what he was able to do after his adjustments.

Willie Nelson’s “Hell and Back” Slide Show
In the form of a music video, shots from the film compliment the song that runs with the film’s credits.

Deleted Scenes
Cut from the film for obvious reasons, these scenes include snippets from a seminar for parents who’s children will soon be returning from war, a similar seminar directed at returning soldiers themselves, a scene in which soldiers discuss the collateral damage they accidentally inflict in the heat of battle. There is also a Blue Star Families PSA included.

Following Restrepo with another real-life war film seemed somewhat risky in more ways than one, but new director Danfung Dennis makes his mark with a different take on the war in Afghanistan that focuses more on the harsh transition from active duty soldiers to regular old US civilians rather than the fighting itself (though there is plenty of that included). His beautifully filmed tale of the ferocity of war, and one man’s long road to a new normal upon arriving home. Hell And Back Again will leave you with a tense chest, and a new sense of appreciation for the freedoms we have here in the US and the soldiers that allow us to have them, despite your feelings on the war.

Movie rating – 4

Disc Rating – 3