Real soldiers stationed in Iraq are the stars in Gunner Palace, an enlightening and disturbing documentary co-directed by Michael Tucker and Petra Eppertein. “It may be a show to y’all, but we live in this movie,” declares one member of the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, nicknamed "Gunners."

Four hundred of these gutsy U.S. soldiers reside temporarily in what’s left of Uday Hussein’s plush palace (which their commander calls “an adult’s paradise”) after being bombed during “shock and awe.” However, their day-to-day lives provide stark contrast to such palatial surroundings. Yes, on some days they take advantage of the huge pool and putting green on the palace grounds, but most of the time the soldiers are “under attack, dodging RPG’s, and fighting not for a better Iraq, but just to stay alive.”     

Tucker, who spent two months with the “Gunners” in 2003, claims he wasn’t “just filming these guys but was with them.” According to Tucker, most of the men are either teenagers or in their early twenties. Their most common response about the war is a satirical humor which shows itself in freestyle rap and mocking wordplay. In one sequence, a soldier pokes fun of his make-shift equipment while a buddy actually rolls around on the ground laughing.  

“This war is unlike any other,” Tucker points out. “Forget what you know, or what you think you know about war. This war is the ultimate culture clash. Take 130,000 soldiers with their technology and their pop culture and drop them into a country that has been largely isolated for more than ten years and you get something that even Hollywood couldn’t dream up.”

By focusing on how individual soldiers are reacting to their mission in Iraq, Gunner Palace offers a spellbinding view of the war not seen on regular U.S. news programs. It’s not something easy to watch -- especially when you realize everything depicted is happening to real people -- and the actual deaths that occur evoke feelings of intense sadness. Worry for the safety of brave Iraqi interpreters also heightens the film's emotional impact.

Gunner Palace should be required viewing for all politicians and for anyone who wants to know what’s really going on in Iraq -- which, as one soldier put it, has “very little to do with home.”

Although Tucker believes the Iraq war is “unlike any other,” I’m surprised how much his documentary reminded me of our involvement in Vietnam. Clearly, like soldiers in that war -- and in most wars, the Gunners just want to complete their mission for their country and return home safe and sound. Now that elections in Iraq have been held, here's hoping our soldiers stationed there will be reunited with their families as soon as possible.    

(Released by Palm Pictures and rated "PG-13" on appeal for strong language throughout, violent situations and some drug references. For more information, go to the Gunner Palace website.)