Lone Survivor

2014’s “Lone Survivor”, written and directed by Peter Berg.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Eric Bana.

Nominated for an Academy Award in Sound Mixing (Andy Koyama, Beau Borders, David Brownlow), and Sound Editing (Wylie Stateman).

What is it about?

“Lone Survivor” is about a 4 man US navy SEALs team in 2005 that went into Afghanistan to take out a Taliban insurgent leader. While in the Hindu Kush region, they accidentally run into a group of civilians, and have a dilemma. Should they kill them to accomplish their covert mission, or let them go and compromise their position to the heavily armed antagonists who outnumber them? Being compassionate, they let the locals go, and almost immediately have a wave of Taliban come after them. Their mission aborted and chances of survival slim, will our SEALs be able to be evacuated by their fellow countryman, or be buried forever in the forested mountains of Afghanistan?

Why is it worth seeing?

Loosely based off a true story by the SEAL survivor, Marcus Luttrell, writer/director Peter Berg adapted Luttrell’s story and threw a bunch of solid stars (and soon to be wounded stunt doubles) into army fatigues in Afghanistan New Mexico. It takes a while for things to get going, but once they do the film can be intense at times. Severely outnumbered and cornered, the grunts prove to be supreme bad asses, as obstacles such as bullets to the head and freshly shorn fingers prove to be mere irritants along the path to kicking ass in the name of freedom.

However, further introspection reveals a desire for more than just grunts talking about how they would die for their brothers/country (and then doing it). After a training montage of real life participants, which points out how much the stars don’t actually look like their characters, we see a widescreen horizon with atmospheric synthesizer, accompanied by Mark Wahlberg voice over about having a fire in your belly (etc…). I have to admit, that’s the first time I’ve seen Malickian devices to promote US Military propaganda. And that’s what we’re in for here- an excuse for our boys to get dirty, look down their scopes at scores of Taliban getting sniped, and die with our brothers. Freedom, or at least the never ending search for it, never felt so thrillingly hollow.

While it’s impossible to call our quartet of overqualified actors (Ben Foster is especially riveting) cowardly, the real bravery and chutzpah here is from the Afghans that end up standing up to the Taliban in aiding the Americans. How much easier would it have been to do nothing and put up no resistance against the monstrous terrorist insurgents? Instead, they prove the bulk of nuance and inspiration in the movie. At the end, after somberly playing Peter Gabriel’s “Heroes” cover, the real heroes are the Afghan villagers who give so much of themselves to these American soldiers. Risking their lives, they do so because of their code of Pashtunwali. Used by Eastern Afghans and NW Pakistanis since 1^st millennium BC, it is based around a code of living to keep their society honourable but intact. Without their inclusion to the story, “LS” becomes a sort of poor man’s 2007’s “The Kingdom”, in that neither side is prepared to yield in search of compromise or understanding. It’s not always possible, but that’s where real strength- and inspiration reside.

Rating:

3/5

Trailer: Click Here.