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Well researched and finely crafted, Standard Operating Procedure is another gem from master documentarian Errol Morris. Read critic reviews
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Standard Operating Procedure Photos
Movie Info
Investigating the infamous Abu Ghraib scandal, Errol Morris interviews American guards and Iraqi prisoners who were at the military jail before images of prisoner torture emerged in 2004. One female guard, who posed alongside fallen Iraqis in notorious images, tells Morris that her crimes were inspired by her love for another soldier, and another explains why she took photographs of her fellow troops. In the process, Morris suggests that the scandal resulted from systemic flaws in the military.
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Rating: R (Disturbing Images|Content Involving Torture|Graphic Nudity|Language)
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Genre: Documentary, Crime, Drama, War
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Original Language: English
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Director: Errol Morris
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Producer: Julie Ahlberg, Errol Morris, Amanda Branson Gill, Ann Petrone
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $228.8K
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
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Production Co: Participant Prods.
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Standard Operating Procedure
Critic Reviews for Standard Operating Procedure
Audience Reviews for Standard Operating Procedure
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The other side of the story
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"The fact that a person acted to pursuant to order of his government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him." - Nuremburg Principle IV "Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms." - Groucho Marx Errol Morris turns his eyes from the top of the military command with Robert McNamara(currently burning in hell) in "The Fog of War" to those at the bottom with the riveting documentary "Standard Operating Procedure" about the documented abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003. Per his usual style, he allows his subjects to tell their own story and possibly explain what they were thinking when they took the infamous photographs of abuses. My personal theory is that they were meant as souvenirs much in the same way that hunters would take photos of themselves with animals they killed. While expressing doubts in letters back home, Sabrina Harman said she took the photos as evidence while also appearing smiling in some of them. On one level, there was the standard operating procedure which consisted of bringing in Iraqi men of military age at random and softening them up for interrogation which included sleep deprivation.(The photograph of the prisoner standing on a box with his arms outstretched was part of procedure.) Even these procedures turned out to be useless in gathering useful intelligence. Then, there were actions which even the authorities thought went beyond this which included ritual sexual humiliation. A lot of this has to do with power, as the poorly trained and unsupervised soldiers as part of a herd mentality used it against those who could not defend themselves. The fact that they tried to hide what they did from their superiors proves that they thought they were doing something wrong. My only question: is how did the photographs get out? And one minor point: "Standard Operating Procedure" was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. At one point, in the documentary two of the cameras are identified as being Sony. Since this might not have been necessary, there is a hint of product placement.
walter m Super Reviewer -
Errol Morris tries a different style in this one. The interviewees don't look straight into the camera (his signature shot), but it's also not a film about backwoods hillbillies or pet cemeteries. The subject matter is intriguing, and it's cool to get testimonies of the prison guards in trouble. Yes, I believe they got set up for failure, and as brainwashed military they were just doing what they were told to do. However, could they be any more STUPID to take all those pictures? I think not. Hmmm...let's give a thumbs up and smile while standing over the dead body of a guy we killed. Real classy.
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The great thing about Errol Morris documentaries is the simplicity of them. He relies on the story to inform and entertain. Here he goes deep to find out the story behind the Abu Ghraib prison. I know this wasn't spose to be a comedy, but fuck I was laughing a lot. These fuck soldiers were just a bunch of fucking morons. Why would I feel sorry for them? These guys were like bad characters from a Happy Madison film. Rob Scheinder and Kevin James are "Soliders". It would make millions. Overall though it was great to know the whole story behind the photographs and how everything just got so fucked up there.
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