Featured Audience Ratings

• c0up  

  
  'Armadillo'. An alarming, eye opening look into a Danish platoon in Afghanistan, leaving me extremely conflicted about the motivations of soldiers.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"For you its a movie, for them its a reality"</i> Documentary filmmaker Janus Metz and cameraman Lars Skree spent six months following the lives of young soldiers situated less than a kilometer away from Taliban positions. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"For you its a movie, for them its a reality"</i> Documentary filmmaker Janus Metz and cameraman Lars Skree spent six months following the lives of young soldiers situated less than a kilometer away from Taliban positions. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dragged on they have produced an increasing number of provocative war documentaries that have shattered many of the myths about the black-and-white absolutes of war that have often been sold to those on the home front. Armadillo is one of the best films yet produced about the reality of life during a war. The film follows a Danish unit assigned to Helmand Provence in Afghanistan during a 6 months tour. The filmmakers hold nothing back in this intimate portrait of soldiers at war. They present a picture of young men who seem to lose their humanity in the brutal circumstances of war. The visceral picture of combat is harrowing and the filmmakers should be commended for what they have captured on film. A film like Armadillo makes us ask ourselves if this war is worth the human cost that we are paying and what it is doing to the soldiers that we are sending to fight these wars. The film has caused considerable controversy in Denmark.

• Mike S

  
  Personal, intimate and very gripping documentary, following a group of young Danish men during their military service in Afghanistan. Having lived in Denmark myself, this hit much more close to home than most documentaries I've ever seen. It's a shocking and very human view… More
  Personal, intimate and very gripping documentary, following a group of young Danish men during their military service in Afghanistan. Having lived in Denmark myself, this hit much more close to home than most documentaries I've ever seen. It's a shocking and very human view of the mental and emotional afflictions that comes with being a soldier. Keeping its focus placed on the individuals, as opposed to the politics, is what makes this film such a riveting watch. It doesn't try preach about what's right or wrong, but maintains a firm objectivity, while simultaneously being close in view. An honest, unfiltered look into a terrifying situation where death is ever present. Highly recommended!

• Carlos M

  
  During this fascinating documentary filmed as a fictional war film, I kept wondering how the filmmakers managed to stay alive while doing this in the line of fire. Authentic and magnificently edited, this compelling work grows even more intriguing when some ethical issues arise among… More
  During this fascinating documentary filmed as a fictional war film, I kept wondering how the filmmakers managed to stay alive while doing this in the line of fire. Authentic and magnificently edited, this compelling work grows even more intriguing when some ethical issues arise among the soldiers during the final act.

• Walter M

  
  In the searing documentary "Armadillo," there is a controversy late in the film centering around a firefight from outside the platoon the movie has been following for months. What is implied strongly in the conversation is that unless you were there, you cannot judge the… More
  In the searing documentary "Armadillo," there is a controversy late in the film centering around a firefight from outside the platoon the movie has been following for months. What is implied strongly in the conversation is that unless you were there, you cannot judge the actions of soldiers in combat. This documentary about soldiers facing an unseen and respected foe is the next best thing, however. "Armadillo" is largely filmed in 2010 at a forward base in Helmand Province in Afghanistan that houses 200 Danish and British soldiders. Unstated in this documentary is the fact that there is a draft in Denmark, so it is a little hard to judge who truly wants to be there, just as the immaturity of the soldiers show in their love of strippers, porn and video games.(There is a great cut from a violent video game to an outside scene illuminated by an infrared lens.) They are on a six month rotation to a war they did not start and will not finish. In the short time available, the soldiers try to make Afghanistan a better place for the natives living there who acknowledge their temporary status and do not all come out unscathed, like the soldiers seeking to protect them.