Thursday, August 14, 2008

Full Battle Rattle Uh!



An evacuation in order, with fake refugees and real special forces soldiers. Meanwhile just out of shot, a reporter has her walkman on oblivious to the intent of the exercise.
It's when 2 events rub against each other so incongruously that you get what might be satire and Full Battle Rattle (FBR) certainly does that.

It's bizarrely brilliantly disturbingly comedic: American military personnel undergoing combat training in a fake Iraqi village, with fake Iraqi people et al.

US military let a production team make a film that at times is as uncomfortable as having your girl friend's mum hit on you, or the dad for that matter.

Read the Director's statement to get a better sense of their motives.

But it's not so surreal after all.

In the Nato War Games exercise (pic) above I recall some equally peachy moments:

  • All the journalists pining to go on a rigid raider; a sort of flat board hovercraft and then chucking their guts out, including me, when we were out at sea.
  • One girl listening in to her walkman, and humming, during an evacuation mission
  • Another journalist breaking down crying convinced we were in grave danger when special forces approach us
  • And then a simulated fight between British and Danish military turning er, a bit, real!

I don't think I'd have it in me to parody, what we did, but FBR does provide a blanket to explore.

If I ever do cut something from the hours of footage, I might talk about , though no pics, the story around Naked bar - ( still have to pass it by our press minder).

That's what you shout apparently when you want the Brit Marines, well the lads we were with, to go in the buff during RandR.

It's all a bit of harmless fun, but a word of warning though, if you make the call, you've got to strip as well.

And yes, a woman reporter who will forever rename nameless made the call.

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