Excellent but underrated film

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

What I saw on this Doc is a National Disgrace, and I can imagine what women and certain men also endure in foreign occupations. So girls...as I see it, the only way you're going to have a career in the military is to be tall, muscular, have a black belt in martial arts, carry a concealed knife or other blunt object and not be afraid to smash a chair over a drunk's head or crash your booted foot across his face. No make-up or revealing clothes...please. Never, ever drink in a military man's presence and if forced to then carry a secret empty container in your pocket in which to pour your shots and then off to the toilet. The military is no dream job and unless you can face the truth stay in a civilian home girl's job. You were accepted into the military because it needs meat to throw to the hungry predators. Wake up and get some street smarts and so sorry. Keep on fighting for your rights, but accept the truth about humans because they are capable of ANYTHING.

The Invisible War is an Oscar nominated film directed by Kirby Dick that investigates the issues of rap in the US Military. Dick presents the viewers with statistic after statistic of the amount of people that are raped each year and how many rapes are undocumented. Dick interviews many different women. By him showing interview after interview he is really getting his point across and impacting the viewer with the numerous women he talks to. The director's use of close up shots makes the interviews personal and intense. It makes you feel how that person is feeling weathers it's sad or frustrated. One question that Dick asked to his interviewees was, would they allow there daughter to join the military. All of them said no. With Dicks asking this question he gets his message across that it is a big issue and something need to be done about it. These people are serving our country and they should feel safe in the military and feel comfortable allowing their children to join the military. This film is something that I think everyone should see. I would also recommend it to people who are thinking of joining the military. This is a really big issue in our country that I feel most people just brush aside and ignore when they shouldn't.

This is a hard documentary to stomach both from human, judicial and political views. We get to see the every day existence of American military veterans who have been raped and then disbelieved by their own and then discarded like trash, left to pick up the pieces of themselves with little money to do so. This documentary exposes the many flaws in the take-care-of-your-own inner workings of the American military so-called justice system; women are often systematically treated like garbage if they report rape. We follow some persons and learn of their background, what happened and where they are now. These are some extremely strong individuals. I highly recommend watching this.

I am writing this review two days before Veteran's Day on purpose, not out of sheer, fortunate coincidence. When president Dwight Eisenhower declared November 11th a day of remembrance and observation for current war veterans and those who have died in combat, I highly doubt he knew that one day, there would be surrounding controversy that female members of the military were facing rape and sexual assault cases, and little was being done to punish those involved. Speaking as someone who loves the country he's been fortunate to be born into and someone who continuously supports, gives credit to, and thanks veterans for their service, this is an appalling and sickening feat that almost taints the entire military system as a whole.Kirby Dick's The Invisible War is a film that will have an unprecedented impact on many of its viewers. Some of its viewers, hopefully young women contemplating serving in a specific branch, may second-guess their decision to join. Statistics show that 20% of women in the military have been raped, the second they are part of the military, their chances of rape increases by two, and the most terrifying statistic of all; 15% of recruits entering the military have raped someone before.We meet several women raped under many different circumstances, who have served in the U.S. Coast Guard, the Navy, and even the Marines, yet can not escape the frighteningly real numbers. The main woman we follow throughout the film is Kori Cioca, a young member U.S. Coast Guard, who was brutally raped shortly after joining the military branch, and during the rape, she was slapped so hard on the left side of her face that it dislocated plates in her jaw, resulting in her only consuming soft foods and bearing only warm weather. Her struggle, now, is number one, receiving compensation and money from the VA, which is turning their back on her because her deployment was too brief to qualify for money or treatment, and number two, trusting males again (when we see her with her loving and devoted husband we see how nervous, unsettled, and provoked she feels with him in the room).Aside from hearing cases and a number of devastating rape stories from women, Dick interviews lawyers who have worked on military rape cases and talks to a number of authors on the subject. One even states how that the punishment for rape is so lenient and miniscule that a person who has done drugs and is caught can be suspended for years, but a person who has raped another individual can be suspended for just a few weeks.And if you believe this is a problem reserved for women then think again; 10% of men in the military are raped and we aren't deprived of hearing their shocking stories as well. One man who was a victim to the heinous crime states that it's a byproduct of the military's almost inherent homophobia, the outdated feeling of "the macho man," and the idea of power through narcissism. When will we, as a nation, overcome those three depressing qualities? It's hard to call The Invisible War "enjoyable" in the usual documentary-sense. It's one of the most impacting films of the year, and should be required classroom viewing at that. Director Kirby Dick is known for exploring institutions that are surrounded by grayness, such as the Catholic Church in Twist of Faith and the biased, inconsistent MPAA in This Film is Not Yet Rated. Unlike in those films, Dick remains silent, letting the larger stories speak first and him not giving his usual goofy spin on things. Considering how highly we praise and cherish our military, having this film come out, exposing the misogyny and disrespect to women in the male-dominated military, is a kick to the groin. Or possible a Miss Representation. As a viewer, you can decide.Directed by: Kirby Dick.