Editor’s note: Veterans for Peace-Hawaii chapter was offered an opportunity to screen, “Thank You for Your Service,” the directorial debut of screenwriter Jason Hall, who penned Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper.” It is based on a book by David Finkel, a journalist who recounted their experiences upon their return home.
“Thank You for Your Service” is a graphic and disconcerting accounting of the emotional, psychological, physical and sociological effects that haunt service members upon their reintegration to society post-combat.
Jason Hall’s bold narrative first stuns, then proceeds to layer shockingly violent incidents over repeated experiences over ever- changing perceptions, ad infinitum, mimicking for the audience a gripping sensory overload. The soldiers’ story is made even more relatable due to scenes that depict their inner turmoil and familial conflicts.
Miles Teller as Adam Schumann shows both range and restraint portraying Schumann’s constant flux between helping and helplessness. In an equally incredible, and more politically significant performance, Beulah Koale plays Tausolo Aieti, a soldier from American Samoa who credits the Army with “saving his life.” It’s an ironic phrase to hear him speak, especially viewed in combination with its apathetic response to his plight. Aieti’s character exemplifies Hall’s willingness to expose institutional failures, and sets the film apart from other soldier dramas.
We see VA waiting rooms full of patients, callous bureaucratic administrators with a short appointment time and a bottomless prescription pad, and the paradox of loyalty to an institution that reneges on its promises. In the face of Hollywood scandals such as #OscarsSoWhite, the performance by Koale — who’s now a regular on “Hawaii Five-0” — is an example of why representation matters.
Still, the film is difficult to watch. There are several joltingly violent moments. It is riddled with depictions of triggering psychological despair. The audience audibly gasped several times, and the person sitting next to me jumped to attention in their seat. There are moments of the film I missed because I closed my eyes to catch my breath.
While the film barrages us with realism, there are certainly some missed opportunities. Hall’s effort to “humanize” the veterans is noble, though it still capitalizes on veteran pain while distracting from the root cause of their dysfunction — endless war. It still requires that we believe the notion, “support the troops, not the war” — yet the average person doesn’t even know what, where and who we are fighting.
Veterans don’t need humanizing — they need time to heal from deployments, access to health care, alternative medicine and empathetic administrators. So, though the film provides specific examples of issues that plague veterans, it neglects to offer any solutions, or differentiate how this generation of soldiers, after failing to heed the lessons of previous generations, can succeed in preventing future generations from succumbing to the next conflict.
After the movie, I talked story with Pete Doktor, co-coordinator for Veterans for Peace, Hawaii. We discussed some of the specific veterans’ issues addressed in the film as well as the role of a peace agenda in the midst of seemingly endless militarization. The conversation was necessary to offer different perspectives, to process the trauma of bearing witness, and to share appreciation for the ability to do so.
I offer further gratitude in the hopes that those who choose to watch the film do so with the added intention of discussing it afterward. In the end, “Thank You for Your Service” is not a film about war, but an invitation to embark on the journey to peace.
Elycia Fine is a member of Veterans for Peace, Hawaii.
