The Invisible War

Released:  June 22nd, 2012

Rated:  NR

Studio:  Cinedigm

Directed by:  Kirby Dick

Written by:  Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering, Douglas Blush

Personal Bias Alert:  likes Kirby Dick, respects the military

9.3 of 10

            It takes The Invisible War seven minutes to become foreboding and ten minutes to get to its first rape story.  What follows is fourteen more stories, told in quick succession, that makes it clear how pervasive, how horrifying, and how despicable the subject matter is.  It’s also an effective setup for writer/director Kirby Dick’s format, a way to get everyone instantly on his side so the rest of the film can be devoted to a systematic takedown of the broken way that the US military handles rape and sexual assault.

            Have no doubt, the subject matter is difficult to watch, and Dick makes us look directly at it without ever glancing away.  He employs a smart tactic of inundating us with stories from several women that bleed together into a horrifying mash, then pulling back to focus in on one story in particular, telling us of the woman’s optimism and ideals before plunging us into her story and it’s lingering effects.  The blended stories keeps us unsettled and gives us a sense of scope, but it’s the well-chosen individual stories that really makes you angry.  Dick deftly focuses on one woman in particular, Kori, a Midwestern girl-next-door type who is suffering but showing a stiff upper lip, exactly the kind of girl you can imagine joining the military.  The fact that she is fighting with the VA to get medical coverage for the injuries she sustained from her rapist only makes her story more enraging.

            To contrast Kori, Dick also extensively explores the story of Ariana, a highly intelligent and successful Marine Corps officer who is more emotionally open about her difficulties.  She had worked her way into the prestigious Marine Barracks Washington (yes, that’s national capitol Washington D.C.), only to encounter a party culture that turned a blind eye to sexual harassment.  Ariana’s story builds to her rape, but it also serves as the culmination of Dick’s larger point that the various military branches have all had horrendous pockets where rape and sexual assault have been condoned and actively covered up.  Siting previous scandals like the Navy’s Tailhook convention and the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground, the uncovering of Marine Barracks Washington’s detestable culture, emotionally landed by Ariana’s tearful confession, is a devastating blow against the military’s current handling of rape and sexual assault.

            Comprehensive explorations are something Dick’s known for, so seeing such a complete takedown from him isn’t shocking.  He’s trying to outrage us into change, and on that he earns perfect marks.  Where the film falters, if only slightly, is in its more blatantly manipulative moments, laying it on so thick you can almost imagine Dick behind the camera going “ka-ching!”  In one of the worse moments, he toys with the inept Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office so forcefully that I almost feel bad for her when I should be feeling nothing but shock at her office’s weak actions.  It’s moments like this, when Dick pushes just a bit too far, that the film loses a bit of its momentum.

            I’ve often heard this film described as timely, but I see nothing timely about it.  It came far too late, and the best we can do now is demand change as quickly as possible.  If this movie taught me anything, it’s that the military know how to endure these scandals and maintain the status quo.  Let’s not let that happen this time.  Keep spreading this film around.

Other Notes:

Ø  It’s one-sided, but it’s a one-sided issue.  Who would argue that rape is right?

Ø  The fact that all the stats came from the US government and hasn’t been disputed is staggering.

Ø  The most horrifying quote for me:  “They actually did charge me with adultery.  I wasn’t married.  He was.”