He was the soldier that divided a nation.
After deliberately walking off his post only to be captured by the Taliban, returned hostage Bowe Bergdahl was celebrated as a war hero when he arrived on back on US soil after being held captive for nearly five years. But the jubilation soon dissipated after people started asking questions.
And once again Serial’s Sarah Koenig stepped up to steer listeners through the ocean of information on Bergdahl's case and help decipher opinions from facts, leaving questions lingering long after the episode had ended.
Tens of thousands of us around the world were drawn in yet again to try and make sense of his choices, and empathise with his journey, via the recorded conversations between Bergdahl and screenwriter Mark Boal, of The Hurtlocker fame.
If the thoughtful character study of Bowe Bergdahl consumed you, here’s some more juicy viewing and listening to follow up on if you’re a fan of military conspiracy and national security as Season Two draws to a close.
Crossing the Line
In 1962, disillusioned US soldier James Joseph Dresnok was captured in the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea after voluntarily ‘crossing the line’. Dresnok was one of a handful of American troops who defected to the communist state where he would go on to live (right up to the current day) and become a strong proponent for Communist propaganda. This documentary truly is the ‘untold story’ as Dresnok talks exclusively with the filmmakers about his experiences living under Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
Jarhead
This biographical memoir traces Anthony Swofford’s experiences as a sniper for the US Marines on the Arabian Peninsula after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. Similar to Bergdahl’s own experiences, Swofford, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is forced to keep watch on the unit’s waste after an impromptu Christmas celebration goes wrong. The oppressive heat, boredom and suspicions of his wife’s infidelity back home ultimately lead Swofford to have a mental breakdown. The film poignantly captures the internal battles many Marines and troops face on assignment and after they have returned from duty.
No End in Sight
This Oscar-nominated documentary ruthlessly chronicles the failings of military policy in Iraq and poses questions about America’s lack of knowledge and resources on the ground. The film probes the logic of those who were involved in the Iraq occupation early on and reveals fundamental flaws and inexperience within the Bush administration.
Restrepo
Restrepo puts the soldier's voice back into the highly-politicised debate surrounding the war by taking the viewer to one of the most dangerous outposts in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan for a year. It captures the visceral experience of the soldiers posted there who regularly clash with Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the hostile landscape and try to side with the locals without much luck. While the enemy is rarely seen in this Academy Award nominee documentary, it conveys the culture of brotherhood while making clear the palpable tension in an outpost where the “threat came from 360 degrees around you”.
Korengal
The sequel documentary to Restrepo, Korengal details what happened after the US finally abandoned the Restrepo outpost in 2010 following heavy bombing and the deaths of 40 Americans. One soldier openly questions the work the US military is doing in Afghanistan after repeated attempts to help the locals fail to foster trust. The dynamic between the troops and the locals perfectly captures the ostensible futility of the war.
War on the Rocks
For those who prefer their content on the go, War on the Rocks is one of the only comprehensive national security and policy podcasts out there - and it’s damn good. With over 70 regular contributors who have worked in the front line, bargained with militias and negotiated treaties, this is an excellent port of call for those who are seeking a deeper insight into America’s military involvement that doesn’t necessarily celebrate it.
The War Tapes
The War Tapes is a documentary shot from the perspective of three soldiers who took cameras with them on a tour of duty in Iraq. The result is a raw and intimate portrait of vulnerable men who begin to doubt their own government’s motives.
Armadillo
Armadillo juxtaposes the horror of war - in one scene showing dead Taliban members littered across the ground - next to the tedium of daily life on the ground. For this group of Danish soldiers posted to an operating base in Afghanistan, the nobility of their cause slowly becomes distorted as a result, as in Restrepo. The camerawork in this film has become a focal point for many critics - while it is a documentary, the editing at times makes it feel more like a dramatised Hollywood production.
Fahrenheit 9/11
Another Michael Moore classic that perfectly frames the hysteria surrounding the policy decisions made in Washington in the lead up to and during the Iraq war. If the US troops on the ground were suspicious of the commercial motives behind the mission, this documentary does all but confirm those inklings.
Iraq’s Secret War Files
This is the only television documentary to have ever had early access to one of the largest Wikileaks releases. It details grim revelations about the number of deaths and the extensive torture perpetrated by US soldiers which may have continued even after the Abu Ghraib scandal. It makes undoubtedly clear, as one editor quotes William Tecumseh Sherman: “war is hell”.
No release date for Triple Frontier, the story of Bowe Bergdahl as written by Mark Boal, has yet been announced.
