Too much of everything

Thanks for the memories!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Citizen Soldier is a fantastic documentary that fully immerses you in the American National Guard experience, showing both the soldier's mundane daily activities as well as the terrifying realities of combat. Following an infantry-brigade's tour through Afghanistan, the film brilliantly displays the bond that is forged between men and women serving their country: a bond that gives them the strength to keep fighting. In addition to all this, the film smartly follows its' brave subjects after the war, allowing viewers to get a feel for soldiers' struggles adjusting to civilian life. The film is a powerfully moving tribute to American soldiers that respectfully shows what they sacrifice for this nation without being sappy about it. I would highly recommend this documentary. It doesn't matter if you are a bleeding heart liberal or a hawkish conservative: this film is that good.

In the documentary Citizen Soldier, Directors David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud deliver an astonishing film about the Oklahoma National Guard's deployment in one of the harshest regions of Afghanistan. This film transcends the boundaries of a typical military film by using footage from helmet cameras to provide audiences with an immersive look at life and war overseas. As I watched from their perspectives, I couldn't help but feel like I was a part of their fight. Audiences get to see seemingly ordinary citizens transform themselves from strangers into a family of brave men and women known as "Citizen Soldiers". It amazed me to see what these men and women experience while deployed. They're thrown into hostile environments and must deal with adversity as a team. The most moving part of this film was watching these real people, in real combat, willing to put their lives on the line for their fellow soldiers. Through all of the victories and losses, they form an unbreakable bond that lasts long after they return home to their civilian lives. Not only is Citizen Soldier a moving documentary, but I think it's also an outstanding way to show appreciation to these soldiers, and all citizen soldiers. It's a fantastic film and I highly recommend it.

This film shows the reality of armed conflict for everyday people, no propaganda, just a documentary showing the realities of army reserve part time soldiers with normal civilian lives in the thick of the Afghanistan war. Afghanistan is one of the most volatile places on this earth and the documentary covers the rawness of its actuality. It isn't just a video of their job, but a film depicting the real emotions of the war such as the loss of a fellow solider or the high emotions of adrenaline filled firefights. If you want to see something that depicts the war for what it really is, without any dramatizations or additional patriotism, then this is a perfect documentary for you. Being a ex soldier of the Australian Army with a combat deployment to Afganistan and currently in Baghdad, Iraq as a private contractor this films relates to me in many ways. It also helps people that are unaware of the situations and the reality of what veterans have encountered whilst on combat operations. Absolutely recommended. David Salzberg has done wonders again to show the reality of war. Well done.

Current war narrative focuses almost exclusively on the plight of the armed forces juxtaposed with the plight of the civilians trapped in the war zones we in the West vote for. As far as I know, this is the only film that focuses on the ever growing Civil defense force, those people who used to be "Weekend Warriors", but who are now thrown into the hell holes of the world for months at a time.These are people who used to spend their Saturday nights doing pointless drills and occasional firing range sessions, now suddenly finding themselves sent to the far end of a horrifying firefights for half a year at a time. This film had me in tears so many times I cant count. It's the single most powerful and moving documentary I have ever watched. These are real civilians, driven by selfless need to provide service, suddenly thrown into the meat grinder for months at a time with a 10th of the training professional soldiers receive, yet thrown into the same grinder as our professional soldiers. If every Trump Tastic war mongering armchair General around the world was shown this, we'd have world peace by the weekend. These are "normal" relateable people like you and I, facing a hell we should pray each night we never have to see, and facing it with the kind of courage we should be thankful we don't have to find. This is the only film I will ever give 10/10 and I do that with the utmost respect to the people I have watched die tonight. Don't watch this film - BUY this film as many times as you can afford and donate to the charities supporting veterans with PTSD. Review written by a UK Pacifist who hopes for the day Afghan and Western can join together and stop being killed for the benefit of Wall Street. I'm not some jingoistic Trump wallah, this film is important and should be required viewing.