Extra Credit Assignment #2: "Another Brother" and "Three Tours"

These documentaries challenged the view we have of Veteran’s Day and made the audience consider what we are truly supporting on this national holiday. The audience learned that, rather than viewing themselves as heroes, many veterans feel ashamed of the acts they committed during the war. These films, and especially “Another Brother”, brought the fact of widespread drug use as a coping mechanism to light. It was painful to see that, although we honor veterans’ sacrifice during this holiday, there were not a lot of support systems in place for these people after the war was over; they had to struggle with everything they experienced and did not dare to open up to their families about it. Overall, the experience of a veteran opened my eyes; I never knew how many veterans were anti-war before this. Also, although “Another Brother” was made over 20 years ago, the allusions to race relations still hold weight today, and that is just as disheartening; although we do not have segregated troops, discrimination is still present and so we mentally segregate ourselves.

            The film also clearly showed techniques we are using in class. Even during the opening scene of Another Brother, I noticed the 20mm/30 degree rule being used as Clarence’s daughter was leaning down to take out a box of photographs, and a POV sequence was used every time she picked up a photograph, looked at it, and had a reaction to it. Also, video and audio was edited to establish a narrative between different people about Clarence in "Another Brother" and about veterans’ suffering during the war for “Three Tours”; I noticed the way they cut audio and video and interlaced it with still images and music, as well as edited in important pauses and fades.