|
Pictures from the Iraq war flashed across the screen showing images of soldiers in action, at rest and embracing loved ones; these images provide a window into the lives of America’s warriors.
These pictures were shown in the film at the Drexel Gateway Theatre Nov. 13, prior to a screening of director Kimberly Peirce’s latest movie, “Stop Loss.”
Stop loss is a term with which many Americans are probably unfamiliar. It refers to a policy that allows the military to retain troops after their service has been completed based on the contract they signed when joining. The idea of stop loss was created by Congress after the Vietnam War. It can extend a soldier’s service six months after a war ends. According to the movie, 81,000 troops have been ‘stop-lossed.’
This is the focus of Peirce’s movie, an emotionally powerful and captivating movie, which she said is not a war movie.
“It’s really a deeply personal story about characters, American people and what they are going through,” Peirce said.
Peirce was at the screening and sat down for an interview with The Lantern following the screening.
“Stop Loss” follows a group of three fictional Iraq war veterans as they return home to their small town in Texas and struggle to readjust to life back at home. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) served one tour in Afghanistan, one tour in Iraq and was due to end his service in the military upon his return from his latest deployment.
However, once he returns he learns he has been ‘stop-lossed’ and is ordered to return to Iraq. King then sets out on a journey discovering and challenging his own ideals of duty, honor and what it means to be a leader. This forces him to decide whether to go to Mexico or Canada to avoid redeployment. In the end, King realizes once a leader always a leader, and he decides to return to Iraq.
Peirce recently sat down to talk about the film, its inspiration and message.
She said the idea came from having a brother serve in Iraq, seeing some of the images he brought back and realizing these images told the story of war from a soldier’s perspective.
“I was very interested in soldiers and what was making them want to go to this war,” Peirce said. “How they were being affected by it and when they came home how their families were being affected.”
One might expect “Stop Loss” to focus on some of the political aspects of the Iraq war but this is not the case.
“People want to go to the movies and see a story about human beings, they don’t want to be preached to about politics,” Peirce said. “They can read a newspaper; they can listen to politicians about that.”
Peirce originally started the movie as a documentary and amassed more than 100 hours of footage before realizing the story she wanted to tell would be better suited for a fictional story. From there, she based the story upon what she has discovered through her research and input from her brother.
“My goal is that you are totally brought inside a human experience and that you learn more about these guys, our country, and ourselves, I think that’s why we tell stories,” Peirce said.
Capt. Anthony Stokely, an assistant professor of science and Leadership in the ROTC program at Ohio State, served in both Afghanistan and Iraq for more than two years on three separate deployments where he flew Chinook helicopters.
While Stokely did not get stop-lossed he can relate after serving three tours.
“It’s hard when you think your going to go for a certain amount of time and then its extended because you work everyday for an entire year and your tired at the end of it.”
Stokely said he has not experienced many difficulties readjusting to life back at home but described what some fellow soldiers have experienced.
“Some of the problems my soldiers have had has been that you operate on adrenaline while you’re gone and it’s hard to turn that down when you get back.”
Another problem, he said returning soldiers face, is a change in the family structure.
“There is an adjustment with families, wives and kids. They’ve adopted different roles within the family,” Stokely said. “Sometimes people don’t recognize that your spouse has become more independent and your kids have become independent.”
Although Stokely found moments in Afghanistan and Iraq rewarding, he also finds his instruction of students at OSU fulfilling.
“My biggest reward is knowing that I’m training guys that are going out there to lead the guys that I served with before,” Stokely said. “I want to do what I can to make these guys be the best leaders they can possibly be and can help the guys out there on the line, the enlisted guys who are doing this for almost no money.”
Peirce said it was very intense having a family member who served in Iraq describing it as a scary, enlightening, moving and deeply personal experience.
“Stop Loss” opens in theaters March 28.
David McNeely can be reached at [email protected].
