In the Valley of Elah DVD Review

The film is from writer/director Paul Haggis, whose writing and directing of the film Crash proves that he prefers socially conscious films over fluff. (He also co-wrote Flags of Our Fathers.)

There’s a saying among lawyers that goes something like “don’t ever ask a question that you don’t already know the answer to.” Such is the case in the film In the Valley of Elah, which is a “don’t ask, don’t tell” drama about the Iraq war.

In this film, Tommy Lee Jones plays ex-military policeman Hank Deerfield (in a role that earned him an Academy nomination for Best Actor), who is told that his son, Mike (played with remarkable skill by Jonathan Tucker), a Marine just back from Iraq, is AWOL. Hank’s wife, Joan (played by Susan Sarandon) is worried, but Hank seems to think Mike is just blowing off steam somewhere, although he is concerned given that his son hasn’t tried to call his family at all.

Hank decides to drive from Tennessee to the New Mexico base Mike was supposed to report to, in order to find out what happened. Hank enlists the help of a local detective, Emily Sanders (played by Charlize Theron), who is constantly harassed by her colleagues. As they try to find out what happened to Mike, his body is found dismembered and burned. In steps military investigator Lt. Kirklander (played by Jason Patric), who shuts down their investigation.

In the process of uncovering the truth, Hank realizes that the men in today’s military may have a different approach to dealing with traumatic events than he did in his Vietnam days, and he also realizes that his son wasn’t perfect, but human and, at times, very flawed. Through video clips recorded on Mike’s cell phone that were later recovered by Hank, there is even evidence that points to Mike having tortured a wounded prisoner while on patrol in Iraq.

Rounding out the cast are Josh Brolin as the detective’s boss, Victor Wolf as a member of Mike’s unit, and some ex-soldiers who play Mike’s Marine comrades.

The film is presented in 2.35: 1 aspect ratio, with sound in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, as well as 5.1 tracks in French and Spanish. Extras include a deleted scene, as well as two featurettes. The first is a behind-the-scenes on the filming (some of which occurred in Morocco). The second is the typical comments from cast and crew, as well as the couple whose experience inspired the film.

That In the Valley of Elah is based on a true story only serves to enhance its dramatic impact. Given that it’s not a puff piece about the military, as it serves to show a real-life incident, warts and all, it’s also an informative film.