James Nachtwey credits the intimacy of his photography to his emphasis on establishing a rapport with his subjects, often despite a significant language barrier.

[3] Edward Guthmann from the San Francisco Chronicle has emphasized that the film appeals to the spectators’ sense for compassion: War correspondents, at least the ones that appear in movies, are rancid, crusty creatures -- emotionally numb, frequently drunk.

James Nachtwey, the subject of the extraordinary "War Photographer," not only belies that image but also stands so far apart from it that his idealism and monklike commitment are inspiring.

[5]Similar Peter Rainer from New York: Nachtwey, in his mid-fifties and lanky, with a full shock of hair, has a cool, almost Zen-like deliberateness.

He has been photographing the globe's worst hot spots for 25 years and has probably seen up close more grief and ruination than anybody should have to see in a dozen lifetimes, and yet he still believes he's making a difference.