Shadow Company, documentary directed and written by Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque. Unrated, 86 minutes with over two hours of extras. A Purpose Built Film [c] 2006

It was a scene reminiscent of Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. Charred American bodies desecrated and dragged through the streets

Who were these poor souls grimly dangling from the trestles? Were they soldiers shipped to this theatre by higher powers? No, they were private military contractors who came to Iraq for a reason only known to them.

In Shadow Company, directors Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque investigate one of the more unknown entities of the modern battlefield--the role of private military contractors.

As the directors try to point out, mercenaries have played a role in conflict from the dawn of time. They were there at the time of the ancient Romans, and royalty and rulers used such guns for hire as a crutch ever since. However, it was not until the modern day that this has become such an extensive industry used by both despots in Africa and the world's largest superpower.

Whether they call themselves mercenaries, dogs of war, hired guns, private armies or private military companies, these commandoes have been used from such tasks as guarding VIPs, compounds, or convoys to carrying out military assaults. According to one academic in the documentary, government departments are constantly downgrading and cutting corners. As such, private interests are simply filling in the gaps, with the military being of no exception.

As the film explains, many of these individuals come from leading special forces units worldwide and are drawn to the mercenary lifestyle with promise of large paychecks and adventure. These soldiers can earn upwards of $200,000 a year for some contracts.

The crashing of two planes into the World Trade Centre echoed into a boom for security industries, says one analyst in the film. As the Americans become further embroiled in Iraq, private military companies are playing a growing role in this conflict. The war is so lucrative for mercenaries in this theatre, that if somebody wants to overthrow a despot-type government in Africa they would be hard-pressed right now because all of the guys are in Iraq, quips one contractor.

The directors do an excellent job of remaining focused on the subject at hand rather than drifting off into a criticism of the Iraq war as so many other films tend to do (step on down Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki). Instead they provide a well-balanced look at this subject, interviewing former mercenaries, owners of private military companies, academics and the wife of a slain Canadian contractor working in Iraq.

The film covers a wealth of information and yet is constructed in both style and content in a way that keeps the viewer engaged. As these mercenaries continue to operate unregulated and mainly beyond international reproach, hopefully this film will lead some to question what these companies are up to in theatres such as Afghanistan.

--review by Darcy Knoll