This is a brutal, powerful and hard-hitting war film told in real time and based on the memories and recollections of former Navy Seal and war veteran Ray Mendoza.
In fact, the film is directed and written by Ray and Alex Garland, who captivated us last year with the magnificent “Civil War”.
However, Alex and Ray have outdone themselves in every aspect with this disturbing and painful film showing us a different look at the war genre; taking it to a new dimension.
Historical context: Year 2006, battle of Ramadi (Iraq War). This is the true story of a platoon of Navy Seals who are conducting a surveillance mission in the home of an Iraqi family to support the Marines in the area.
Before long, enemy insurgents discover the location of the U.S. soldiers and a shocking and frightening ambush begins that turns from fierce combat to a fight for survival.
The film lasts 95 minutes and from the 25th minute the action begins (which is loaded with super unsettling tension and an eerie and appalling realism) that had my nerves on edge and gave me quite a hard time.
The cast is made up of young stars who will no doubt have very promising careers (Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Michael Gandolfini).
This film does not seek to glorify the U.S. military, but to show the audience a war episode with sincerity by pointing out the professionalism, the fraternity among soldiers, the serious responsibilities in the line of duty as well as the vulnerabilities, weaknesses and fears of the U.S. military in modern warfare.
In the political sense, the film reflects on the lies invented by the U.S. government to send troops to Iraq (because there were no weapons of mass destruction).
The sound design is impressive (I'm referring to the gunshots, explosions and especially the agonizing and heartbreaking screams of the wounded) that bombarded my ears. Future classic of modern war cinema.
An atypical film that may leave you cold after watching it, accustomed to other more common narratives; however, it has a new approach of real immersion that is original.
