52 Films by Women Vol 3. 34. LEAVE NO TRACE (Director: Debra Granik)
For many cinemagoers, the defining portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by a veteran of military combat features in First Blood , a 1982 film starring Sylvester Stallone that introduced us to John Rambo. In a movie franchise of dubious quality, Rambo subsequently fought the wars that America never got right: Vietnam, Afghanistan and Burma. We rejoiced in the comic book violence that resulted as Stallone’s ridiculously pumped body participated in a series of over-the-top action sequences. It was no surprise that Stallone himself was prompted to write a screenplay, fittingly entitled Over the Top - this also referred to his salary. Post traumatic stress disorder is very real and very serious. In the United States, the Veterans Association and the US Department of Veteran Affairs struggle to administer to the needs of thousands of combat veterans and their families as former soldiers, marines and air force personnel transition to civilian life. The Veterans ‘market’ ...