Woodyanders This documentary starkly (and unflinchingly) examines the prisoner abuse scandal involving American soldiers and detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the fall of 2003. Director Rory Kennedy offers a scathing indictment of how the lax policies of the Bush administration enabled the soldiers to blatantly violate clearly stipulated rules of the Geneva Conventions: The prisoners were deprived of sleep, stripped naked, and sexually humiliated. Worse yet, one female soldier even went as far as to have a photo of herself taken with the dead body of a slain captive while smiling and giving the thumbs up sign. While the soldiers who did this vile misconduct were penalized, the superiors who let this appalling stuff happen got away scot free. The soldiers try to justify their actions by explaining that they were merely "following orders," which speaks volumes on how they are rigidly trained to do exactly what they are told without questioning any of it for a minute. So the whole military mind comes into question here; it's terrifying to think about man's capacity for extreme cruelty and inhumanity when provided the proper circumstances to indulge in such things (Donald Rumsfeld approved in a memo the harsh techniques the soldiers applied to the prisoners while the climate at the prison was unbearably tense and thus conducive to all kinds of brutality). One interviewee says it best when he remarks, "There's no such thing as a little bit of torture." Indeed. Torture is torture no matter what's being done and that's just flat-out wrong according to the Geneva Conventions. Searing stuff.

swan_bruner It is unfortunate that Americans are constantly being watched for the wrong and never credited for the right. This "documentary" disappoints me because it focuses on what some have termed harsh techniques while not highlighting the true conditions that existed.Rumsfeld is made out to be a cold and heartless man who authorized certain "torture techniques." I am fortunate enough to have read a copy of the memo handed down from Mr. Rumsfeld and others. These techniques involved things such as forcing the detainees to eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), which is what our military eats on a regular basis, and adjusting the light so that the prisoners are only allowed 8 (yes 8) hours of sleep at a time. I do believe that our country should set an example, and I also believe that we have done so... in a good way for those of you who just rolled your eyes. We have set an example of strength, power and protection and that should continue. Unfortunately, there are many who live within our borders who are more concerned with what others think of them than their own safety. They apologize while their countrymen fight for their right to apologize. I am not saying that I agree with everything that went on in the AG prison; however, I do believe that the military has proved its ability to deal with situations such as this without the help of the general public. I don't think it does America any good for our media to plaster pictures and videos of our soldiers' mistakes all over the news. Do we see other countries doing that? No! And if anyone actually believes that America is the only country with a military that makes mistakes, well, I don't even need to waste my time with that discussion. I would like to say more, however am running out of space.I hope that, even if you disagree with the Abu Ghraib situation, you will still support our troops who are doing their job - and they are doing a damn good job of it! It is their job after all, and Americans are notorious for giving their all no matter what it is to be accomplished. In summary, this is yet another movie that will cause the rest of the world to laugh at us and our inability to support our own in times of crisis. Our weakness is our separation and that is what makes us, as a country, vulnerable.

artmonkredskin I'd like to start off by stating something I think is pretty obvious, why haven't we seen any documentaries about good things going on in Iraq?? To date, everything has been anti-American, or how we are the evil empire.This movie is no different. It sheds yet another negative light on America. If I'm not the only one, than let me be the first, Abu Ghraib was not and in no way will ever be in my mind considered torture. Let me throw this out to you reading. Watch this movie than think of what the terrorists do to our prisoners. They video tape them being beheaded with a knife in graphic detail. Now, contrast that with being stripped naked and humiliated. You tell me who the evil ones are??It was said plainly and correctly by someone in the film, that These terrorists did not sign the Geneva convention, nor do they observe it. Therefore, their treatment is not bound by that document.I wasn't appalled by the scenes in this movie, I was saddened by the fact that most of this film tried to make America and the white house look like Hitler and our troops like the SS Nazis!! I guess whether you like this movie depends on whether you hate bush and disagree with torture or whether you like Bush and agree with how we are running the war. If you are one of those Liberal Cindy Sheehan types, than this film will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, cause it will confirm all your hatred for the USA and it's troops!! Personally I thought it was tripe!!

PressedRat36 Film Summary Through startling interviews with perpetrators, witnesses and victims, GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB examines and contextualizes the abuses that occurred in the fall of 2003 at the notorious Iraqi prison abuses documented in photographs that are etched in our national consciousness. The film probes the psychology of how typical American men and women came to commit these atrocious acts and, on a parallel track, explores the policy decisions that eroded our compliance with the Geneva Conventions and contributed to making the abuse a reality. Ultimately, the film asks what these events say about America, our government, our military and our human nature.