Customer Reviews

Standard Operating Procedure [Blu-ray]

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I watched this documentary yesterday. Not only was I interested by its topic but since I was impressed with "The Fog of War" (made by the same director), I thought I'd enjoy a thought-provoking exploration of what's been going on in the Abu Ghraib prison...

This documentary is not focused on politics... It's centered on the people who took the infamous pictures. They are interviewed, their motivations are revealed... The problem is that it's horrible to discover that most of the soldiers interviewed, or those who appear in the photos, are not very intelligent and did not exactly know why they did what they did... Nor do they feel much remorse... Why then make them the focus of a documentary? I still wonder what this documentary is trying to show us or tell us... That stupidity and lack of a moral sense lead to violations of human dignity? Visually stunning with computer animations and realistically made dramatizations, it should keep you on your toes, but most of the people interviewed - with the notable exception of a former US General - are not interesting at all... These young soldiers don't have a clue, so what's the point of letting them express themselves? Maybe that's the point, to show that they did not know... If you don't mind watching people talking about actions they committed without thinking much, then this is for you. If you really want a good documentary on the issue of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, grab a copy of "Taxi to the Dark Side" and stay away from "S.O.P."...

I'm an Errol Morris fan, and this fascinating, yet disturbing documentary takes a revealing look at the military personnel who were either specifically uninformed or too inexperienced to handle the questionable orders from higher ranks. The consistent theme of personal consciousness conflicting with military orders, is not resolved. But to refuse any order would be an immediate career killer, so this film presents a constant hard-hitting catch 22. The not surprising result is a lot of lower rank scapegoating. Ultimately, there were only a few notes mentioning those with the longest prison terms, but I would have appreciated a 'wrap-up' of all the film's interviewees. As one observer notes of the outcome, "there were a lot of bodies thrown under the bus".