In this highly personal account of his experiences as a Time magazine and CNN reporter during the Iraq war, Australian journalist Michael Ware walks an uneasy line between unflinching reportage and prurient exploitation. The story of how rookie war correspondent Ware found himself chosen by terrorist leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi to convey his message to the west is fascinating. And Ware’s Heart-of-Darkness journey deep into the war zone is depicted with horrifying clarity, through the rough camcorder footage he accumulated during his seven-year stint on the ground. Having witnessed – and been deeply affected by – scenes of unimaginable suffering and violence, Ware sees no reason why the audience shouldn’t share the nightmare. While you can see the point of his decision to include the shocking footage as a means of questioning the role of the correspondent in a war situation, there are scenes here that you can’t unsee, much as you might want to.
