Soundtrack to War
Encyclopedia
Soundtrack to War is a 90 minute documentary
by Australia
n war artist
George Gittoes
. Filmed throughout 2003-2004, Gittoes bypassed the U.S.
military's media
lockdown on the war in Iraq
to capture an authentic account of the human experience of the war. Gittoes interviewed American soldiers deployed in Iraq to create an account of the role of music in the contemporary battlefield. The film is the first in a trilogy
.
Songs featured in the movie include Slayer
's "Angel of Death
" and Drowning Pool
's "Bodies
", as well as freestyle
rap and gospel
choirs. Seventeen of the early-filmed scenes from the documentary were used in Michael Moore
's Fahrenheit 9/11
.
The subject was also later addressed in the 2009 book by Jonathan Pieslak called Sound Targets: American Soldiers and Music in the Iraq War, published by Indiana University Press.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n war artist
War artist
A war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how "war shapes lives." War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war which is often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.- Definition and context:A...
George Gittoes
George Gittoes
- Subject matter :With global vision, George Gittoes has set up mobile studios for three decades, creating works in regions of conflict and upheaval around the world...
. Filmed throughout 2003-2004, Gittoes bypassed the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military's media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
lockdown on the war in Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
to capture an authentic account of the human experience of the war. Gittoes interviewed American soldiers deployed in Iraq to create an account of the role of music in the contemporary battlefield. The film is the first in a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
.
Songs featured in the movie include Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
's "Angel of Death
Angel of Death (song)
"Angel of Death" is the opening track on the American thrash metal band Slayer's 1986 album Reign in Blood. The lyrics and music were written by Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and are based on Nazi ″physician″ Josef Mengele, who conducted human experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp during...
" and Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
's "Bodies
Bodies (Drowning Pool song)
"Bodies" is a song by American alternative metal band Drowning Pool and the lead single from their debut album Sinner. Released in May 2001, the song is Drowning Pool's most popular single and has been featured in various films, TV programs, and advertising since its release.The song remained...
", as well as freestyle
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
rap and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
choirs. Seventeen of the early-filmed scenes from the documentary were used in Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
.
The subject was also later addressed in the 2009 book by Jonathan Pieslak called Sound Targets: American Soldiers and Music in the Iraq War, published by Indiana University Press.