Inside the Wire: Guantanamo

A fairly accurate representation but a bit slow.
I ordered this movie to use in class. It is 90 minutes in length and it gives a general overview of the prison at Guantanamo Bay while following along a couple of US military members. The footage was all filmed during a 3 week period but is supplemented with shots of other periods. There are also some interviews with former detainees that have been released back to their homeland. The movie tries to give a fairly balanced view of what went on, but tends to dwell a bit on the question of whether or not improper treatment took place. The depiction of what the place is like is quite accurate. The viewer comes away seeing how the place represents something of a no-win situation for the US and situation of prolonged desperation for the detainees. The only issue with the documentary is that it bogs down from time to time. The story probably could have been told in an hour or so. If you are interested in Guantanamo, it's worth checking this film out because there isn't much out there and...

Heavily biased with a slant against the US Military...
I have an interest in both Cuba and the Middle East, and thought this documentary would be interesting. Like some of the other reviewers, I was extremely disappointed. Too much sympathy is given to the detainees, and their plight of being unfairly imprisoned. National Geographic has clearly taken the side of trying to "expose" improprieties and alleged human rights violations. I believe there are reasons for each of the detainees to be held, and what they do there is (and needs to be) classified for good reason. These are not thrillseeker liquor store hold-up robbers with "Born to Lose" tattoos on their chests...

And unfortunately there is almost no mention of how the base exits in Cuba with so much animosity between the two nations. Why does Cuba permit the base to operate there? That seems like pretty important information to be included in a documentary about Gitmo, but there is not a word about that.

So, yes, it is a glimpse into the life of a guard at...

Informative, but clearly biased.
Since the beginning I could notice bias in this documentary. However, I watched it entirely because it turns informative and interesting if you know how to balance the content by yourself. Some former detainees are presented as completely innocent or people turned into fanatics terrorists by the alleged cruelty faced during their detention in Guantanamo.

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