Wounded - Documentary Review
The BBC's Wounded Tells The Story of Soldiers Injured In Afghanistan
Sep 24, 2009
All the viewer can see through a mud splattered camera lens are shaky images of an Afghan field, the lens blurs and whips upwards, down and across as the cameraman scampers hurriedly, heavy breathing and shouting dominate the audio. Then, as the camera lowers to the floor, army fatigues become visible and the panting of a medical officer trying frantically to treat an injured soldier takes over. “We’ve gotta get him out of here right now, sir!”, screams a Northern Irish voice. Eerily similar to the cinema verite utilised by modern day directors to capture the heat of battle, this could easily be the opening of any war film.
But fiction this is not. This is the BBC’s expository documentary, Wounded. It follows the story of two British soldiers who suffer severe injuries while serving in Afghanistan and charters their treatment and struggle to stay alive, as well as the mental and physical challenges of coming to terms with the extent of their injuries. It’s a harrowing journey, but one which is equally compelling and uplifting at the same time.
Wounded is Shocking but Poignant
Wounded begins at the point where 19-year-old Andy Allen, a Ranger with the Royal Irish Regiment, was blown up by a Taliban IED (Improvised Explosive Devise) in Afghanistan. He’s then airlifted back home to Birmingham Selly Oak Hospital where all seriously injured British soldiers are treated. In an unflinching account of his early days back on UK soil, Andy is seen going through emergency surgery to amputate both legs and save his eyesight, which had been damaged in the explosion.
Andy’s family are flown over from Belfast and we’re taken on a heart-wrenching journey as he gains consciousness and realises the extent of his injuries. Lieutenant Col. Steve Jeffrey of the burns and plastic surgery unit explains in the programme that coming to terms with their injuries is often the hardest task for an injured soldier, “One minute they're in Afghanistan in a fire fight, the next they're waking up and they haven't got legs, an arm or whatever."
Edited in parallel, Wounded simultaneously follows Tom Neathway, who was also the victim of an IED while on a patrol with his parachute regiment in Kajaki, Helmand Province. Tom suffered injuries that resulted in him losing both legs and his left arm. Over the course of seven months, cameras show Tom’s journey to Headley Court rehabilitation centre where he has to learn to walk again on prosthetic limbs, something he is determined to achieve in time for 2 PARA’s medal ceremony on December 2nd.
In the meantime, having awakened from two weeks of sedation, Andy faces an agonising few months without vision, which puts a tremendous strain on the pace of his rehabilitation and he has an agonising wait to do discover whether his eyes will respond to treatment and enable him to see the birth of his first child with girlfriend, Natalie, in just two months time.
Wounded is an Emotional Rollercoaster
Wounded is one of the most emotional documentaries that’s ever likely to be shown on television this or any other year. It’s an extraordinary testament to the strength of both Tom and Andy, who despite being well within their rights to feel sorry for themselves and want to give up, show a strength of character that goes well beyond their tender years.
The families of the two young men and the medical staff who help with their recoveries also deserve particular praise for the way in which they help, not only physically, but with the mental support that both men need. It’s impossible to watch this documentary without being uplifted and inspired in some way. Wounded gives a fly on the wall account of what goes into treating an amputee patient and puts new perspective on what British soldiers have to endure while serving in Afghanistan.
But don’t be mistaken, there isn’t a hidden anti-war agenda masked in the making of Wounded, or at least that isn’t the impression that's left in the mind afterwards anyway. The message is of courage, love and commitment, something everyone can learn from. There’s even very little resentment about the war from either Tom or Andy, who don’t regret their decision to join up and are both selflessly more concerned about their family and friends in the forces, as Andy comments when he makes a heroic appearance at his regiment’s medal ceremony – “it wasn’t about getting medal, it was being with my mates, to hear them talking to me and to know they’re alright.”
Triumph Over Adversity
Just weeks after returning to Britain, Tom, clearly a driven individual, has the ultimate goal of returning to action with the army. He’s not fazed by his accident, and the humour that keeps the wounded soldiers upbeat is apparent when cameras are party to the banter and camaraderie that occurs between patients at Headley Court. Tom’s goal to be walking at his medal ceremony doesn’t come without a struggle though, as he has to endure the rigours of learning to walk on stumps before progressing to full prosthetic legs. But every day is met with a smile and the young paratrooper is determined to overcome the odds, “I’ll be the one laughing at the end of the day because I will achieve everything that I want to achieve.”, he comments defiantly.
There’s quite a touching conclusion to the documentary with both Tom and Andy crossing paths at Headley Court during treatment, “it’s great to be here with people who are in the same shoes as you, they know what you’re going through and they can help you through it”, Andy states in the film, shortly before the two make a triumphant return back to their homes and family. Truly inspiring stuff.
Verdict: 5/5
Wounded is repeated on BBC3 on Friday 25th September at 9pm and is also available on the iPlayer.
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