plon31 This so called documentary is absolutely rubbish!! A documentary should be insightful and educational. This clearly is NOT! This is as educational as watching monkeys throwing cr@p in a cage.This is a so called "documentary" is about a backward redneck called Nathan who gets shot in the butt whilst on duty in Afghanistan and his stupid, backward philosophy and outlook on life whilst he is recovering back home.If you're an American you would probably find this semi interesting, as there is nothing like the story of a white trash redneck and his pointless experiences in the war.

samuraifa451 "Hell and Back Again" chronicles the return of Sgt. Nathan Harris' return home and the result is interesting, disturbing and somewhat lacking. Sgt. Harris, is a Marine and always wanted to be one. He wants to fight (and "kill") and almost thrives upon it with his obsession with guns. However, after taking an injury in the field in one of the most violent areas in Afghanistan, Harris goes through rehabilitation back home to try and get his life back on track. The focus of the movie is almost entirely on Sgt. Harris and that both helps and hurts the film. While this does offer personality towards the subject matter but it is difficult not to watch "Hell and Back Again" and wonder what this would have been like with other people as subjects as well as outside opinions about Harris himself. The film ends up almost lacking as it tries to alternate between life at home and life (sometimes clumsily) in the military with little to no interaction with anyone else but Harris. Outside of flashback sequences, none of the other members within Harris' Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment are given much development in regards to the narrative which is a shame because most of the segments in Afghanistan are by far the most interesting of the documentary. In the end, "Hell and Back Again" attempts to become the Marine Corps equivalent of "Restrepo" in terms of depicting military life and ends up somewhat missing the mark. It's not an awful documentary, it just could have been so much more than what it was.

rightwingisevil "that does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically revolutionary film that asks and answers these questions with a power and intimacy no previous film about the conflict in Afghanistan has been able to achieve. It is a masterpiece in the cinema of war" well, don't buy these words on its face value. this documentary actually didn't do anything further or deeper than all the other similar documentary films about the wars and battles in this particular theater. lives of the marines were just wasted for no purpose, just like when soviet invaded this country, thought it's a piece of cake but turned out to be a tough sheet that only made the soviet went bankruptcy. there's no answers to those dubious questions about patriotism, humanitarianism, moral values or anything.what we saw in this film was just a bunch of marines randomly shooting bullets aimlessly to nothing, while casualties added up more and more. then the wounded marine came home to find out that nobody in the u.s.a. gave a sheet to what he and his comrades did in that remote country. he couldn't even find a parking space in the big shopping center. he tried so hard to explain those "why we have to fight against taliban in that raghead country", because even he himself couldn't find an appropriate answer to satisfy himself.this is a very boring and pointless documentary that didn't tell anything worth watching or understanding. this film is actually the worst one i've ever seen so far. by watching this kind of pointless film only wore out my patriotism thinner and thinner. why only poor kids from the lower income families got the privilege to serve their country, lost their lives, their arms and legs and hopes when they came back from that sheethole and they have to deal with their painful treatments and recoveries alone? now, we are backing out and getting away from that death trap, and all the lives of our wonderful young men we wasted there would only be a faded memory. America is just like the huge parking lot in a shopping center, finding a parking space for your vehicle is the most important mission on a daily basis. war on terror? who cares? patriotism is not just waving a stars-n-stripes flag or put a flag on your imported car or, wrapping a yellow ribbon on the tree in your front yard.

akeason1 Many documentaries have some sort of bias, whether it be "pro" or "anti" something or other. "To Hell and Back Again" is different in that it will probably expose one's opinions without really having one itself. The documentary follows the life of Sgt Nathan Harris and his wife Ashley who live in a small town in North Carolina. Nathan is a marine who, on his third tour of duty, is wounded in his leg and has to go through extensive and painful therapy. Danfung Dennis cuts between these images and those he took earlier of Nathan leading his platoon in an intense tour in Afghanistan. The contrasts are incredible and help emphasize everything that a marine goes through both abroad and at home. Some images are severe, such as the deaths of an American LCP and an Afghan soldier (both die off screen but you do see their bodies moments after)The footage of Nathan at home, however, is what may bring out very different responses. He is obviously in extreme pain and has a harder life, yet is still very gung-ho and dreams of a full recovery and return to the front line (which got a gasp of disbelief by some in my theater). He also is very interested in firearms, and there are several shots of him and his pistols which he keeps near his bed and which he trains his wife how to use. She, meanwhile, must deal with the stress of caring for an injured husband while still performing her daily routine. Together, they see people in their community (who are quite positive), the marine doctors (who are hopeful for his recovery), and attend a very sad memorial for recently KIA soldiers at the base.To anyone who is staunchly pro-military, the footage should be quite uplifting. Nathan is determined to recover (and he does noticeably improve though as of April 2011 is not fully healed) and the support of his community and especially his wife is heartwarming. Those who are not so gung-ho will probably be shocked by the footage. In the Q&A with the director and Ashley after the screening, one woman asked Ashley if she was scared for her life at all (a reference to Nathan's constant gun wielding, which she wasn't). Regardless of your leanings though this is an excellent documentary and should not be missed.