the audience applauded

Such a frustrating disappointment

Best movie ever!

Blistering performances.

This documentary was a big surprise for me. Essentially I just stumbled upon it. I'm fairly familiar with the world of war documentaries and related names/titles in journalism, research, film and publications (e.g.: Michael C. Ruppert, Jeremy Scahill, Paul W. Singer, Chris Kyle; Dirty Wars, First Kill, A Long Way Gone, old school Vice reports like Liberia etc.), but I've never seen this gem before. It's a typical example of quality film making: in the first minute of the documentary I was already riveted into my seat. The intro, the editing, the content and the way this all added up was just a really powerful mixture. This is a straight-talking, no-nonsense documentary about the world of PMCs, and with almost no bias, partly because at least half of the people interviewed in this title come from a PMC background, so you get first hand reports about what this is all about, not unfounded speculations. Some of the most well known figures in this world appear on the screen through the ca. 90 minutes, all edited cleverly, stories sometimes with the aid of funny illustrations and Gerard Butler's great voice narrating as James Ashcroft, a former PMC worker, others with gruesome real life outtakes and news segments, so beware, you'll see some grizzly things. As they say, war is hell. The story definitely makes a full circle in the end, I think it is well worth your time and attention. All in all, if you are interested in an honest documentary on what war is like and what PMCs are about, this is one you should watch. It had such an impact after its release it was even used as a source for blockbuster movies like Blood Diamond, whose main character is loosely based upon Cobus Claassens, one of the most well known figures amongst South African private military contractors, also appearing in Shadow Company.Highly recommended title!

The title was a misnomer. I expected this documentary to be a politically charged picture with an anti-PMC slant -- on the contrary, it is a well-balanced documentary which is very informative. It is an introduction to the PMC world and explains the beginnings of it in Africa, and the current explosion of contracting in Iraq.It has no political slant to the left or the right, it does not make any assumptions, nor does it try to tie anything up to some large plot like many of the other post-911 political documentaries. It just states facts and interviews people who know what they are talking about.Very much recommended to anyone who remotely cares about what goes on around them, regardless of political affiliation.

I saw this documentary thinking that it would be biased one way or the other. I was pleasantly surprised to see it be neither a Michael Moore hack job or a Fox News fluff piece.For the most part it lets present and former mercenaries talk for themselves. The "experts" that are interviewed are not trying to comment on the subject but rather to explain it. Very refreshing indeed. In todays world of highly polarized politics it was great to see a film on this subject, which is for the most part about Iraq, be so even handed.The extras on the DVD are also well worth a look through. It's well worth the purchase.

After Fahrenheit 9/11 and "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" I feared the political documentary genre was forever lost in liberal bias. Shadow Company restores this genre to its rightful place of respectability.Far too often documentary film makers shape their films to fit their predetermined conclusions and present only the footage that backs up their premise. Shadow Company takes a fair and balanced approach that few filmmakers, or news outlets for that matter, have the courage and integrity to take.Shadow Company is an extremely insightful, educational, and entertaining look at a remarkable and very controversial event in contemporary politics and modern warfare. Anyone hoping to have a well informed conversation about the war in Iraq needs to see this film. Conservatives and liberals alike will call it one of their favorite films of the year.