Northwest Film Forum

In California's Mojave Desert, the US Army has built a billion dollar, 100 square mile "virtual Iraq." The urban warfare simulation, populated with hundreds of Iraqi role-players, is the last stop for troops before deployment to the war. FULL BATTLE RATTLE follows one Army battalion through the simulation, as they attempt to quell an insurgency and prevent a village from slipping into civil war. Its realistic sets, role players with personas and motivations, laser systems for gun fire, and even a faux news network make the training center the most elaborate and surreal "virtual reality" ever. But the deadly “big game” that awaits these "players" gives it a grave seriousness. Though the movie could have easily became a rant against the U.S. military machine, the filmmakers have allowed their narrative to dictate the film's politics. Capturing the engrossing simulation as well as interviews with role players on all sides, FULL BATTLE RATTLE finds a potent, multi-layered allegory of the Iraq War and the cultural and religious differences that confound America's efforts.