和Gone Baby Gone一樣，Sometimes finding the truth is easier than facing it. Tommy Lee Jones扮演一名退休老軍人Hank，同樣身為軍人的兒子Mike從伊拉克回來后便下落不明，于是Hank踏上了尋找兒子的旅途，結果令人心碎，他找到了兒子的連尸體都不算的殘骸，Hank繼續追查兒子的死因和兇手，當真相最終揭開，Hank了解到戰爭給兒子所帶來的影響和改變之后，他所承受的就不僅是心碎那么簡單了，是一種對信仰的摧毀... 兩次掛國旗的表現手法雖然顯得太過匠氣，但是就表現主題來說非常適合：第一次升國旗Hank不允許旗碰到地面，并且道出倒掛國旗的含義"It's an international distress signal. It means we're in a lot of trouble, so come save our ass because we don't have a prayer in hell of saving ourselves." 這次升旗是在尋找兒子之前。了解真相之后Hank再次親手升上國旗，是一面破舊不堪的老國旗，倒掛著升上，并且用膠布緊緊地將旗繩纏繞在旗桿上，這表示著什么大家心知肚明。
電影好當然還離不開主要演員的上乘表現，Tommy Lee Jones不用說了，從本片和No Country For Old Men的表現來看，這類老古董老傳統的老骨頭硬漢角色簡直是為他量身定做。Charlize Theron則讓人忽略了她本身的外形條件，專注于她所詮釋的干練女警探角色。Sarandon戲少但是很搶眼，光在電話那頭的悲痛一幕就令觀者十分信服。
從網上資料得知：本片片名“In the Valley of Elah”出自《圣经·撒母耳记上》的第17章。在3000多年前，少年英雄大卫身负艰巨使命，与巨人歌利亚在以色列的以拉谷激烈交战，最终击败了巨人。“以拉谷之战”不仅寓意着以弱胜强，还暗示着经历过不可能的胜利之后，所要面对的创伤后应激障碍/Posttraumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)和其他与应激有关的行为失常。一查才知道美國政府有專門的The National Center for PTSD 網站，目的是為了幫助美軍士兵預防和克服PTSD，看來這部電影所講述的還真不是一個特例。
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.
Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include:
Combat or military exposure
Child sexual or physical abuse
Terrorist attacks
Sexual or physical assault
Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.
Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake.
After the event, you may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities.
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