Harrelson on his 'respect' for soldiers

By Emma Jones Entertainment reporter, BBC News, in Berlin

Being the bearer of bad tidings in The Messenger may actually be good news for Woody Harrelson.

The film has been one of the most favourably received at the Berlin Film Festival and a frontrunner for the prestigious Golden Bear award.

Harrelson is Tony Stone, a soldier who is a Casualty Notification Officer.

He has the unenviable job of informing relatives when their loved ones have died in conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Emotionally, I've never been so fully absorbed in any character, or any film I've ever been part of," he says.

Blunt and opinionated

"I'm very proud of the film and director Oren Moverman. It's the first time out of the box for him with this feature."

Israeli-born Moverman was the co-writer of Bob Dylan biopic, I'm Not There and he also wrote The Messenger.

Audiences see scene-after-scene of the blunt, opinionated Stone, accompanied by a younger officer Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) breaking bad news to soldiers' relatives.

Some collapse, some scream with anger - and one wife, played by Samantha Morton, manages to remember to thank them, despite her grief.

They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met. They go through horrendous stuff, they put their lives on the line every day, they make no money and they do it for love of country Woody Harrelson on US soldiers

In return, Stone and Montgomery have to go by army rules - showing sympathy but not emotion.

It could be unbearable viewing - were it not for the dark humour that Harrelson injects at various points.

"I've seen a few movies which relate to the Iraq war, " Harrelson comments.

"And this one has a really interesting perspective. It's not an anti-war movie. During the course of it you go through a lot with these soldiers, but at the end of it I hope you come out with a lot of respect for these guys and what they're going through."

'Benefits and support'

Harrelson has been vocal in his opposition to the conflict in Iraq.

Spending time at US army bases during filming of The Messenger didn't change his opinion, but it did shift his perception of the military.

"The US government has behaved abominably on this," he says.

It is Oren Moverman's (centre) first movie as director

"Look at the way they've treated the troops coming home. They haven't taken care of them in terms of benefits and support.

"I've been pro-peace, and I think rightly so. But I had no sense of what these men are going through, and so it was great to meet them.

"They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met. They go through horrendous stuff, they put their lives on the line every day, they make no money and they do it for love of country. I'm telling you, I came out of this with a lot of respect for these guys."

Harrelson has called the conflict "a war for oil", and that brings him to his other passion, apart from acting - the environment.

He runs an organisation called Voice Yourself, which encourages consumers to go vegan and to recycle.

"There are all these various industries raping Mother Earth on a daily basis," he says.

"They call the shots, and they compose our economy worldwide. That's got to change. They key word is sustainability.

"Our very lives are at stake, but I'm hopeful that we finally have someone in the person of [Barack] Obama who is a visionary on this."

Harrelson's views and The Messenger have found a sympathetic reception at Berlin, with some critics praising it for bringing sensitivity and even humour to a distressing subject.

The winner of the Golden Bear will be announced on the evening of February 14th