On Beamafilm: Hell and Back Again

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“Hell and Back Again” begins in Afghanistan, with the Marines in Sgt. Harris’ Company dropped behind enemy lines. Eight minutes into the film, their commander is killed, and Sgt. Harris steps up to lead. Then, we flash-forward to when the Company returns home, with Harris badly injured. The rest of the film cuts between observing Harris and his men in Afghanistan, and Harris’ attempts to cope with his injury and readjusting to life back in America. Despite the trauma of his experience, Harris is determined to heal and return to the career he has always wanted. The film is extraordinarily well cut, comparing moments in civilian life with what Harris experienced in the war: like cutting between opening the door of a house in America to kicking open the door of a house in Afghanistan; from playing Call of Duty at home to an actual, dangerous firefight. By cutting between the two locations and times, the audience is given an unparalleled sense of what Harris experienced, and how his memories of the war continue to affect his daily life. It puts huge strain on his relationship with his wife, and Harris finds himself raging with anger over even small things, like being unable to find a parking space at Wal-Mart. “Hell And Back Again” is a personal document of the effects of war that we hear about but rarely see. By following the story of Sergeant Harris, Dennis conveys a sense of both the life of one man, and the lives of the many American soldiers that have fought and been injured in Afghanistan. “Hell and Back Again” successfully becomes a document of war; its effects; and a single man’s life all in one. Its impact is undeniable. Watch 'Hell and Back Again' on Beamafilm now!