The Invisible War Film Analysis

Twenty percent of women are sexually assaulted while serving in the United States Armed Forces (Citation). The Invisible War, a hard-hitting investigative documentary, exposes one of the United States’ best-kept secrets: the rape epidemic within the military. The film puts forth an idea of how big this problem actually is in American society – today, that a woman is more likely to be sexually assaulted or rape while serving than to be injured or killed by the enemy’s hand (Citation). Focusing on victims’ stories and accounts of their attacks, The Invisible War exposes the corruption and secrecy of our government in regards to one of the most under-reported social issues in history. Produced in 2012, the director, Kirby Dick, wished to put
The film begins with a brief overview of several women’s stories, all speaking about the reasons behind their decision to enroll in the armed forces. Typically due to familial history, or wanting to honor their believed duty as a citizen of this country, most of the women joined with a craving for the camaraderie and discipline that comes with being a member of the military. The film then shifts to in-depth analyses of two women’s stories, Kori Cioca and Hannah Sewell, and their experiences with both assault in the armed forces and the lack of victim assistance that they encountered. Lack of access to an impartial justice system, victim blaming, absence of health care for victims, unhindered advancement of their assailant’s careers, and forced expulsion from the armed forces are just some of the issues that these women faced following their attack. The film switched to focus on the institutions that essentially promote the abuse of women in the armed forces, such as the Air Force Academy, Marine Barracks, and the United States government as a whole. The U.S. government oftentimes fails to impartially prosecute and effectively address the issue of sexual assault in the military, therefore violating a woman’s rights to serve freely, and safely, for the country. The Invisible War focuses specifically on how policies regarding sexual assault within the military are dated, and tend to protect the assailants from being punished for their actions. With the level of injustice surrounding such an ignored topic, The Invisible War calls for discussion and changes regarding the way the military, and the government, responds to the sexual assault epidemic within the Armed Forces, and has had a profound effect in the call to