Severe Clear gave SFF audience a clear look at war

By Brian Lepire

There were moments when the entire audience cringed in unison during the Saturday night premiere of SEVERE CLEAR. The movie documents the U.S. military’s 2003 siege of Baghdad strictly using film shot by Marine Corps 1^st Lt. Mike Scotti and some of his fellow Marines on the ground and in the thick of battle. Shots were fired, blood was spilled and reality was on stark display.

“I originally was going to write a book, and was really using the video camera to document things,” Scotti said. “[If] I saw something interesting, I’d turn on the camera.”

Director Kristian Fraga, who Scotti enlisted to help make sense of the footage after he was honorably discharged in 2005, edited the film from Scotti’s perspective at the time of the 30 day attack on the Iraqi capital.

“My goal was to get his experience as close as we could,” Fraga said.

Technology has granted civilians the chance to see what war is like. There were no hand-held camcorders during World War II. Soldiers weren’t able to lug video cameras into Vietnam. But now, as technology surpasses military code, returning soldiers can use mini, hand-held digital devices to give an honest glimpse into their life walking the line between life and death. SEVERE CLEAR seems to be one of the first movies that does this in an honest way while providing a compelling narrative.

Scotti and Fraga cut approximately 60 hours of footage down to 93 minutes which gives a glimpse at the life of a modern Marine on the front lines. The movie is not about politics. Early in the film, Scotti explains the politicians had made their decisions and the Marines were sent out to do their job. The movie was meant to show what happens during a Marine’s 90-hour day at work.

There are scenes of Scotti and his comrades goofing off in camp, violent sandstorms halting an entire convoy and soldiers talking with the locals. Subtitles are not provided in accordance with Fraga’s theme of “you are seeing things as Mike saw them.”

BE WARNED: There are troubling scenes of war in this movie. A nearby couple said afterward the footage was shocking, but did not ruin the experience for them. In fact, in the anonymous duo’s opinion, the brutal honesty was refreshing.

Both Scotti and Fraga were on hand after the screening to answer questions from the audience. There was a feeling of reverence in the room, and the questions revolved more around Scotti’s experiences after coming home, how the film was being received and what the public can do to help veteran’s transitions back into civilian life.

When asked what he hopes people take away from the film, the young military veteran spoke plainly about his intent.

“[I hope]…people who know people get a shared experience and can help bridge a gap, and for people who don’t know [military personnel], I hope they learn what it is to be in a war.”