The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Who was Pat Tillman?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 21, 2011

He's not what these people wished he was.

After watching The Tillman Story, it seems even harder to get a firm grasp on who this man really was. It was so much more comfortable back when Pat Tillman was still alive and the feel-good story of the decade, a multi-million dollar professional football player who gave it up to enlist in the Army only months after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The news following his death only seemed to further the legend, solidify his status as a role model, and make him into one of the great American war heroes of all time, suitable of uttering his name in the same sentence as Nathan Hale, he who once famously declared, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Of course, the "true" circumstances of his death were weeks later revealed. Pat did not die courageously defending his country in a firefight against enemy combatants, but was instead a victim of an unfortunate friendly fire mishap. The army had sought to create a hero where one didn't fully exist, at least not to the extent that a glorious death in battle would engender. Wars of words and misinformation followed for the days, weeks, months, and even years after the shocking revelation. Now, Director Amir Bar-Lev's Documentary The Tillman Story attempts to piece together the true facts surrounding Pat Tillman's death. While the film covers all relevant ground and proves quite engaging from both thematic and emotional perspectives, it simply leaves too many questions unanswered, too many emotions still hurt, and builds a more complete but nevertheless still fuzzy picture of who Pat Tillman really was both in life and in death.

Off to war.

In April 2004, Pat Tillman's story was front-and-center on the 24-hour cable news services and on the tip of every American's tongue. He was a true American patriot, fallen on the fields of battle, his legend only growing, his stature only expanding, his heroism unparalleled, his sacrifice a true gift to liberty. As news broke of a cover-up and a different story emerged, people grew no less fond of Tillman but instead increasingly confused as to how the details of his death could be so drastically misrepresented. Confused initial reports are one thing, weeks-long reporting of the same blatantly false story another altogether. A nation wanted the truth. A grieving Tillman family wanted answers. The news channels wanted the story to continue on. The military now wanted it to go away. With the help of Vietnam Veteran and Internet blogger Stan Goff, the Tillman family slowly but surely pieced together the truth behind Pat's death through even the most heavily-redacted official documents and from admittedly varied first- and second-hand accounts of what happened on that April day in Afghanistan. Now the family is telling its own version in The Tillman Story, a Documentary that strives to assemble the truth behind the hero's death and place the blame on those who would withhold the facts and use an American's death for political and emotional leverage.

The Tillman Story is a picture that's difficult to watch; Pat's story is one that engenders quite a bit of raw emotion, whether that emotion is warranted by the circumstances or even wanted by the family. In a bubble, the story of an American sacrificing a dream lifestyle to defend his country is something usually reserved for fiction; there's nothing more noble than that. Viewing the movie, however, doesn't necessarily put a damper on Pat's story, but it does alter its shape and place it in a new, harsher, more critical light, critical not of the man but of the world that was created around him both before and after his death. The film puts Pat Tillman into focus, from his skills as an athlete to his dedication to duty, from his well-read intelligence that separated him from many of his contemporaries to his atheistic leanings. The family, too, and Pat's family background are revealed. His mother, father, and brother play a critical role in shaping the real story of Pat Tillman, from the rough-and-tumble boy to the honorable young man who married his lifelong sweetheart. Still, the movie proves to be a frustrating exercise in information overload and uncertainty. The film seems too compact, too quick to cover critical details, and while viewers will leave the movie knowing more about who Pat Tillman really was and the circumstances surrounding his death, the film still feels somewhat incomplete, unsatisfying, even. That might be a result of the burst bubble, the realization that the realities aren't as memorable as the fairy tale, and the disbelief that a hero's death could be used as a political pawn. It's hard to clear up years of mistruths, uncertainties, and rumors in 90 minutes; The Tillman Story does the best it can, but it just seems like there's even more to the story that hasn't been revealed.

Nevertheless, The Tillman Story is a necessary document of the life of one of the most noteworthy men to come out of the post-9/11 world. His is a story that needs to be told for both its boldness and tragic aftermath, to better understand the mindset of a man and the country he lost all for in a world shaped by violence and tragedy. Director Amir Bar-Lev does well in his handling of the material, even if the film does feel incomplete, a criticism that stems more from the general absence of information than Bar-Lev's negligence in not including whatever he had at hand. In fact, it would be safe to say that this is one of the quintessential documents of Pat Tillman's life and death; there's certainly more here than any news clip or even primetime special could possibly offer, particularly considering the lengthy and brutally honest interview pieces with Pat's closest relatives and fellow servicemen. Neither the film nor the Tillman family interviewees pull any punches; this is Pat Tillman's story -- or as much of it, it seems, as is known outside of Top Secret circles -- in the raw, spoken bluntly and passionately and without bias. Actor Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) narrates; he manages to melt into the story, disappearing into the film and never seeming like a detached, dispassionate voice. The Tillman Story does not depend on narration for the bulk of its material, and Brolin manages to slip in and out with whatever information he has to bridge the story or fill in gaps without coming off as an entity separate from the film.

The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Tillman Story's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer is of the patchwork variety, assembled from newly-minted interview clips, old television news footage, various stills of classified documents, and photographs. The result, as expected, is a mixed bag of quality, a hodgepodge of styles that see everything from crisp, clean, nicely detailed HD video footage to broken down, choppy, blocky, and fuzzy standard-definition material. It seems only fair to grade the transfer on the quality of its most recent footage assembled exclusively for the purpose of the documentary; low-def TV footage and the like will not factor into the final score awarded to Sony's transfer. The new footage of Tillman family and friends interviews is of a high quality; shadow detail proves strong and facial and clothes textures appear handsomely reproduced. Colors, too, are neutral and accurate. The HD video footage does contain some light banding and a sprinkling of noise here and there, and several lower-light shots appear a touch smeary and lacking the sharper details of the better-lit segments. Sony's transfer is nothing special, really, but The Tillman Story isn't a film made to offer rich, eye-catching visuals to begin with. In that regard, the transfer is more than satisfactory.

The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Tillman Story features a serviceably bland and front-heavy DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The surround channels are barely utilized and then, generally, offer nothing greater than a hint of sound here and there. The track remains firmly entrenched across the front three channels, and the subwoofer, too, gets a well-deserved afternoon off with this track. Dialogue, no surprise, is key to this track, and Sony's lossless presentation handles the spoken word crisply and accurately, whether Brolin's narration, newly-minted interview clips, or years-old television news pieces. The film's music is suitably clear and spacious across the front, with the right and left side speakers carrying the load. Ambience is minimal, whether a few outdoor atmospherics or the hum of a propellor as heard inside an aircraft. Even crowd ambience as heard at a memorial event held at a football game plays as limited in range and with a bit of a muffle; listeners will not feel like a part of the crowd. Overall, though, Sony's track efficiently handles the film's limited-by-nature material suitably well. It's a rather bland soundtrack for a rather bland sound design but that's efficient when and where it needs to be.

The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Tillman Story features only an engaging audio commentary track with Director Amir Bar-Lev, previews for additional Sony titles, and BD-Live functionality.

The Tillman Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Tillman Story is a solid Documentary, but like most good films of its kind, it ends, it seems, with as many questions as it had coming in. The film answers some and, by extension, posits others. It seems there are still uncertainties out there about what really happened to Pat Tillman. Who he really was comes a bit more into focus, but what he wanted out of life and where he may have gone at the cessation of his military service seems the greatest question of all, save for, of course, what he truly would have wanted in the event of his death. The Tillman Story is a must-see film for those looking for answers behind the man who has become something of an enigma in death. Director Amir Bar-Lev's film doesn't have all the answers, but it's an excellent jumping-in point. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Tillman Story features a suitable technical presentation but only one extra of note. The film doesn't seem to be one with much replay value, either, so most would probably best be served with a rental.