Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS

Greetings again from the darkness. Co-directors Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested previously collaborated on a trilogy focusing on the Afghanistan War, including the Oscar nominated Restrepo (2010). Mr. Junger is also a best-selling author and Mr. Quested (a producer) is an Emmy winner. This time out they focus on the Syrian War, the plight of refugees, and the role of West in creating ISIS.

This is a National Geographic sponsored documentary, and though it's a bit overly politicized, it's also an extremely well made, detailed, and informative overview for those looking to catch up on the past seven years in Syria. Some of the front line video is stunning and affecting in its clarity of atrocities. In addition to the clips, pointed interviews with a mixture of types provide information and insight that we might otherwise misinterpret or remain oblivious to. Activists, journalists, refugees, politicians (including the recently dismissed National Security Adviser Michael Flynn) and soldiers all offer perspective on a situation that is difficult for most of us to comprehend.

Understanding the political strategy of President Bashar Al-Assad clarifies what to outsiders made little sense. Rather than allow the reform movement to gain traction, he instigated and encouraged the Civil War within his country - with the plan to have the military crush the uprising and gain power. The decision is difficult to swallow … the leader of a country choosing to slaughter his own people. It also led to what's known as the Free Syrian Army – a confluence of various groups of citizen militias.

Ensuring this plays like a real life horror film, we see ISIS recruitment videos. These are brutally explicit propaganda with extraordinarily high production value. Beheadings, public hangings and other torture are presented in a manner designed to give hope and power to those who have little hope. It's terrifying.

We follow the story of brothers Radwan and Marwan and their families as they struggle to survive and escape. It seems to be a call to action for those opposed to accepting Syrian refugees, especially when combined with the filmmakers' finger-pointing at the U.S. for political decisions that (they argue) led to the strengthening of ISIS. There is also an emphasis on President Obama's infamous "red line" statement, on which he reneged on his promise to act if chemical weapons were used.

It is fascinating to hear a portion of an interview with Anna Erelle, author of "In the Skin of a Jihadist". She's a journalist who risked her life going undercover, and probably deserves her own documentary – though it's doubtful she wishes to lose what's left of her privacy. It's said that a radical movement is formed out of desperation, and with half of the Syrian population displaced, and more than 400,000 dead, desperation seems an understatement. The film is probably the best yet in its depiction of what has happened, but watch out for those puddles of finger-pointing.

Lets be clear, this is NOT a documentary!

This is a paid, promotional presentation designed to push the US narrative.

I don't know what to call this? An Infomercial?

This is bad, bad, BAD!!!!

While waiting for a documentary describing ISIS and its origin around Syrian Civil War, actually it focuses origin of evil(!) Assad regime and their peacefull(!) opponent Syrian jihadists. Haven't we seen enough of this Western propaganda about so called evil regime and its obligatory formed free(!) syrian army.

This documentary actually confess armed militia, jihadists and other factions, all funded and armed from abroad. Mostly gulf countries. Of course they don't want to say actual countries whom responsible about foreign funds and weapons sent to Syria. So you can guess who are the real responsibles of war on major Syrian cities and their destruction. But our NG documentary does not wanna say that. Western brothership right?!

You can hear Syrian goverment's killings or torture in this documentary, and its true, no question. But you can't hear regime's opponents war crimes, tortures, rapes, kidnapping, beheadings... For this documentary, they are just trying to survive from this regime. And ISIS is the answer and also the result of this survival(!) movement. Documentary also says Syrian regime released many jihadists, which is true. But they don't blame them or their sponsors for the war. Always Syrian regime responsible of everything.

Well guess what, the regime win the war and regain most of the territory. It seems, despite everything, Syrian people did not choose foreign funded armed jihadists over the evil(!) regime.

The docu makes no mention of the US role, including PNAC's decade-long goals, and such desires for regime-change, and arming and aiding al qaeda (al nusra, etc). And including even being there being an international crime attacking a sovereign state. And including the "White Hats" being US and UK paid propagandists who fake incidents. For just one example, it's funny how America is all upset about protecting and maybe losing al Tanf. In Syria. Which they have no legal right to be in. If the world were proper, there would be UN resolutions against the US.

Assad sucks. So too sucks US involvement in yet another regime-change attempt. Thank goodness for Iran and Russia, at least in this case. We really need another failed state in Syria, who if had fell would be a haven for ISIS and the like? Well, that's just my opinion, but this docu didn't go at all into any of that. So, biased.

This docu was very light (nonexistant) on all of this. Assad is terrible and has blood on his hands. So does ISIS. So did Obama and now Trump.

This docu explains only one side of this debacle. I suggest anyone who reads it should read alternative journalists and facts. And also how early the West was behind this civil war/regime-change.

My review is 3 out of 10 stars. The other 7 would be had if the docu had actually told how much the West and its allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel and Turkey were involved, including all their craven goals at the expense of innocent lives. The 3 is for good interviews and being well- crafted.

The docu is also badly titled. "Fall of Syria". I'm sure that's how the West would like it to be in the end--to fall into chaos and give more reason to keep hundreds of billions flowing to the MIC from a new terrible) this looks like it'll fail. And regardless of anything, I expect the US will once again screw over the Kurds.

10/10 of course if my review should comment on how great this was as biased propaganda. I'm very disappointed in Nat Geo.

If anyone only views this docu and thinks they now have a comprehensive understanding of the Syrian War and the various states (or from this docu, only ISIS and the Assad regime) actors behind it, they would be very, very, very wrong. This was light on context and specifics. Good on winning hearts and minds as if only either Assad or ISIS were the bad actors there. Poor showing. If not for the quality, it would warrant 1 or 0 stars.

In this "documentary" a girl talks about her friends killed by the Syrian army. Problem is, the brother of a victim (Amin Nakrour) wrote on his facebook page that this girl is a complete unknown in their circle of friends, who anyway were killed by terrorists and not by the army, and he also affirms that in any case the family never gave their permission to use name and photo of the deceased, which were used without their knowledge. Enough to disregard this video production as a bona fide documentary..