PURPLE HEART tells of a clean-up effort after a covert mission gone wrong. It is the story of Colonel Allen, the leader of a new, elite military unit designed for covert operations. His first mission: assassinate Saddam Hussein prior to the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War. Sgt. Oscar Padilla is the sniper chosen for the mission targeting Hussein. Unfortunately the mission is compromised; Padilla is captured and tortured by the Iraqis. Later, Padilla is rescued, but is severely damaged by his ordeal. Back in the States, he escapes from the lock down ward of the military hospital where he is being treated. Given what he knows about our illegal attempt at political assassination, he is considered dangerous. As the leader of the unit that trained Padilla and executed the mission, Colonel Allen is sent with specific orders to go find Padilla and "solve the problem" permanently. Allen intends to convince Padilla to come back. The film raises questions about the moral obligations of the use of military power, the methods that we use to train our own soldiers, and the choices we wish to make as a society about political assassination.—Bill Birrell