Generation Kill (DVD, 2009, 3-Disc Set)

This gritty, seven-part miniseries chronicles the befuddling first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines' First Recon Batallion. As the soldiers journey into Baghdad, they face unclear conditions and bear the often deadly brunt of misguided bureaucratic decisions. Based on Evan Wright's best-selling book, and brought to the screen by the creators of THE WIRE--David Simon and Ed Burns--GENERATION KILL's viewpoint remains firmly fixed on the ground level; rather than proselytize the show uses its large cast and broad canvas to show war in all its visceral chaos, allowing viewers the chance to take what they can from steeping themselves in the black humor and confused terror of the experience.