In the Valley of Elah

Review by Steve Rogers

Production Year: 2007
DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
Studio: Warner Home Video
Director: Paul Haggis
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R

The recent spate of films about the Iraq war have not struck a chord with the American moviegoing public. For whatever reason, be it fatigue from the 24/7 cable news coverage, disgust with the seemingly endless catastrophic conflict, or just plain poor quality films, the movies have been mostly critical and commercial failures. Paul Haggis’ follow-up effort to his 2004 Academy Award-winning Crash, may be the exception. In the Valley of Elah, based on the true story of Army soldier Richard Davis who disappeared after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, keeps the war in the background and uses the mystery of a soldier’s inexplicable disappearance as its central focus. The concept allows us to experience the frustration and anxiety of the soldier’s family and friends while glimpsing the incalculable damage done by the war away from the battlefield.

Tommy Lee Jones stars as Hank Deerfield, a former career soldier whose son has gone missing from his home base. When Hank is informed of this he sets out on an overnight trip intent on finding out just what’s happened. After getting the runaround from the local police department and military officials, he teams with a sympathetic female detective played by Charlize Theron to crack the case. Their resulting search for the truth and the twist and turns encountered on the way to solving the mystery stretch Hank’s rigid demeanor and unwavering patriotism to its limits and shed light on the grisly underbelly of the Iraq war.

The performances are uniformly good with Jones’ Oscar-nominated turn the standout. Jones perfectly encapsulates the spiritual weariness of his character with his weather-beaten face and stolid determination to carry on despite dwindling hope. Susan Sarandon is excellent as Hank’s wife, whose allegiance to military life and values has diminished as she copes with the emotional crisis engulfing her family. There are excellent supporting roles from Josh Brolin and Jason Patric, but I found Charlize Theron not quite believable in the role of the detective. Although dressed down for the part with dyed hair pulled back, I did have a Charlie’s Angels flashback as she raced toward a suspect’s house with gun in hand. Her emotional scenes in the film however rang true and showed her range.

Paul Haggis has created a powerful and thought-provoking film, with an intriguing AWOL mystery that’s complemented by the grim background of an unpopular war. While the carnage and horror is only hinted out throughout the movie, in grainy, static images recorded by a soldier’s camera phone, the sheer malevolence multiplies as the film moves toward its conclusion. In the Valley of Elah brings the war home with a devastation that’s subtle yet heart-wrenching. The final image of the film is one you will not soon forget.

Video Quality

Picture quality for this DVD release was impeccable as you would expect from a new Warner’s release. Colors were accurately rendered and the drab hues of the barren landscape and military fatigues appropriately muted. Nighttime scenes exhibited excellent clarity and detail and the framing in the anamorphic 2.35:1 image was superb. Even the grainy videophone images from Iraq were as crisp as they could be, adding a creepy sense of reality to the film.

Audio Quality

Surround sound was limited with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track confined mostly to front channel pans. Voice levels were spot on though in this primarily dialogue driven movie.

Special Features

The special features were limited, but satisfying nonetheless. A making of documentary divided into two parts called “After Iraq” and “Coming Home”, offered an intimate glimpse of the actors at work. I was surprised to see that a number of the actors with key roles as soldiers were actual veterans of the war. I also found the footage of the actors in preparation for certain emotional scenes fascinating, particularly Theron filmed before, during and after a draining emotional scene. The only other feature was an extended deleted scene featuring Hank’s encounter with his son’s former girlfriend, also a soldier, who’d been grievously wounded in battle. It added an extra emotional dimension to the father and son relationship that would not have been out of place in the movie.

Summary

In the Valley of Elah is one of the better movies produced about the Iraq conflict. With a commanding performance from Tommy Lee Jones and a gripping storyline the DVD is worth viewing for the film alone. The special features, though slight, contribute additional insight into the filmmaking process and the director’s vision. With exceptional picture and sound quality this is one of the better new DVD releases of the year.