Army Warns That HBO's Baghdad ER Is Really Graphic

Posted on May 16, 2006

The new HBO Iraq War documentary, Baghdad ER, has prompted the U.S. Army to issue a warning to military personnel and their families about the film. The Army noted that the series might cause mental problems because of its realistic and graphic portrayal of an ER hospital in Baghdad. Military personnel are warned that they could experience PTSD symptoms if they watch it.

It is probably best to take the Army at their word. The filmmaker Jon Alpert says the film is toned down from what he witnessed in Baghdad.

Alpert says, "Some of the real raw scenes were just a little bit too brutal. My first two days there, I witnessed four amputations."

The documentary film will be released on May 21, 2006.