The Kill Team (2013)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2013
Running Time	76:00
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Dan Krauss Christopher Clements Linda Davis Julie Goldman
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

Dan Krauss is a documentary filmmaker with a grim fascination for the darker side of human nature. His 2004 documentary The Death of Kevin Carter which was nominated for a Academy Award for Best Documentary Short subject examined the suicide of photographer Carter, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his heartrending photo of an emaciated African child being watched by a vulture.

With The Kill Team he ventures back into the heart of darkness, this time examining the infamous platoon during the Afghanistan War that murdered Afghani citizens for sport. Rather than a clinical look at the crimes and the participants the film instead focuses on Specialist Adam Winfield and examines, from an intensely personal viewpoint, whether he was a whistleblower or a willing participant.

Private Winfield came from a family of military men and impressed his father greatly when he signed up for the forces. Though very young and scrawny he committed himself to training and went off, like so many others, to war in the belief that he would be making his country proud. He came back under arrest with the threat of life in prison.

Those who don't mind their documentaries on the dark side and appreciate the examination of the politics of war will get a good deal out of this film. The idea of rogue commanders engineering atrocities in war is nothing new but as each generation passes we like to see ourselves more and more disciplined and dignified in the way that we approach international combat.

This documentary presents the sobering thought that for some young men war is akin to a video game and that, when the action stops, there is a need to generate some fresh action.

Video

The Kill Team is presented at its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It is 16x9 enhanced.

The film was shot on high definition digital video and the image quality is commendable. The colours are bright and clear and the black levels are suitably deep. There are no defects in the image in the form of artefacts or noise. Flesh tones are accurate.

There is a marked contrast, of course, between the quality of the talking heads and that shot with helmet cams from Afghanistan. That footage has an immediacy which increases rather than diminishes the power of the film

There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

The sound for the film is English Dolby Digital 5.1 running at 448 Kb/s.

Truth be told this is something of overkill for this film which is really a series of interviews and conversations. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The only difficulties come when we are in the heat of battle. There are no problems with audio sync.

The music throughout by Justin Melland is subtle but effective.

Audio Ratings Summary

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Overall

There are no extras.

 The DVD release in this Region is identical to the digital download available in Region 1.

Another great documentary that casts an unblinking eye on the insanity of war. The DVD quality is good in sound and vision terms

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