Documentarian Kirby Dick has no fear when it comes to investigating and exposing horrible practices by shady institutions. One of is previous films was This Film is Not Yet Rated, which blew the doors off the Motion Picture Association of America and its farcical movie rating system, turning the tables on the association by outing its secret membership list. It was a bold move for someone within the movie industry, and a demonstration of the freedom some independent documentaries can utilize, though not without a cost.
In The Invisible War, Dick brings to light another taboo topic for American audiences: systemic sexual assault in the American military. It’s one of those movies that is incredibly hard to watch at times, but the things that make it difficult to stomach are precisely the things that make it so vitally important for people to know about.
One of doc’s great strengths is that while it induces the appropriate levels of horror and rage at the incidents chronicled by the subjects interviewed, it also features expert opinion from officials and advocates to improve the conditions for women (and men) seeking to serve their country without having to fear their colleagues in addition to the forces they’re trying to protect other folks against. Because of this, the film has actually had an influence on changes to the way sexual assault is handled in the Armed Forces, which is a hugely positive thing.
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