From beginning to ending this film was intense, stylish, and disturbing. Jean-Stephane Sauvaire created a unique and truthful depiction of children soldiers in Africa. The film was shot in Liberia where there had been a civil from 1989 until 2003. Sauvaire went to Liberia and actually found 15 ex-children soldiers who had fought in the civil war in Liberia to act in the film as the children soldiers.

Now uneducated, impoverished and without family, these children struggle from day to day. Sauvaire gave them a chance to tell their story to the world. These children were forced into a life a death, rape, and drugs by the high ranking members of the countries rebels. The film does not forget to show the humanity of these children still cling on to even after they have had their lives corrupted by the rebel commanders. After all of the sacrifices the children made for the cause of the rebel cause they received no reward for their duty after the war was over, leaving them completely abandoned and helpless.

The costumes of the children soldiers palyed a significant role in the style of the film. Each soldier made their own personal creative army uniforms from all of the clothing that they looted. One even wears a wedding dress another had fairy wings and the General Mad Dog covered himself with beaded crucifice which he claimed made him invisible to bullets allowing him to live through any battles.

I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in seeing the story of the brutal truth of the children soldiers. This movie is not for the weak of heart: from beginning to end you are thrown into the chaotic violence of a civil war.

Tags: Africa, civil war, Jack Browning, Johnny mad dog, Liberia, sundance film festival, war

This entry was posted on Friday, January 16th, 2009 at 8:13 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.