A compelling documentary about Abu Ghraib

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Cameras don't lie, but they can certainly point you in the wrong direction, forcing a tunnel vision that obscures the bigger picture.In "Standard Operating Procedure," documentarian Errol Morris argues that was the case with the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, in which photos exposed American torture of Iraqis. His revelation that underlings took the fall for inhumane policies pushed by superiors is nothing new, but it's how Morris makes his points that really drives the message home.Sticking to his distinctive method of mixing close-up interviews in which subjects address the camera along with gritty re-enactments, Morris continues his reign as one of the most influential investigative journalists. Just as he did in "The Thin Blue Line" (1988) and "The Fog of War" (2003), Morris gets his interviewees to tell their stories with trembling passion, then lets us peek inside detailed estimations of their memories.Morris' film blows past drier entries with similar subject matter, including the Best Documentary Oscar winner, "Taxi to the Dark Side."A general fatigue about Iraq-war-themed films, especially documentaries, seems to have set in, but I'd bet "Standard Operating Procedure" will gain more respect as the years pass. Morris certainly isn't the first one to tell the Abu Ghraib torture story, but with his trademark artistry and thorough research he gives an authoritative, possibly definitive word on the subject.Morris rehashes the news reports and talking heads into a compelling narrative. He finds proof that some pictures were cropped to edit soldiers from implication and probes those who were imprisoned in the fallout, tracing their evolving mentalities by having them read letters they wrote to loved ones during the events.Throughout the film, Morris wants to get you to consider what was going on outside the frames of the stills, especially in offices going up the chain of command, which apparently approved of torture and humiliation. Morris lets the abusers, such as Lynndie England, who was pictured apparently rejoicing as Iraqi prisoners were posed naked with bags over their heads, explain the context of the shots that were splashed across the news media.Some of the captors thought they were doing something to protect their brothers in arms and friends and family back home. Others were blindly following orders, disgusting themselves as they went along.Most important, one of those convicted insists that the pictures captured only a fraction of the indecencies at Abu Ghraib. Prisoners who were pictured being waterboarded and draped in women's panties got off easily compared to those who were beaten to death when no cameras were around.The often cringe-inducing documentary is thought-provoking and captivating, which is standard operating procedure for Morris.3.5 stars out of 4Rated: R for disturbing images and content involving torture and graphic nudity.Family call: Intended for adults.Running time: 118 minutes.(Contact Phil Villarreal at Pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)