The newest A24 war movie, “Warfare,” hit theaters, released April 11, leaving audiences more shocked than patriotic while watching the true horrors of conflict.
Written and directed by Alex Garland, who has directed movies like “Ex Machina” and “Civil War,” and Ray Mendoza, an Iraq War Veteran and now military advisor in Hollywood, the film follows a day in the lives of Navy Seals during a surveillance mission in insurgent territory in Iraq.
The entire film shows events based on memory from the team that survived this mission, including Mendoza. It was made with the intention to bring the memory of that experience back for one of the survivors, Elliot Miller, who sustained traumatizing injuries that resulted in the loss of his leg and brain damage that effected his memory. The directors hesitate to call this a true story since it’s a retelling of the events that transpired but were not recorded.
The story follows a small group of soldiers who take over a house for surveillance in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006 amidst the conflict. While the cast is star-studded and full of well-known young actors, the familiar faces are completely lost on viewers as violence ensues, as they are suddenly attacked by Iraqi militia soldiers.
The film opens with a lighthearted scene of the soldiers from this team bonding with one another, gathered around a screen and watching the music video for the song “Call On Me” by Eric Prydz, which was released in 2004. This is one of the last times that these guys are all seen smiling and laughing together before they went out on their mission.
The brotherhood that is shown in this scene is one of the most truthful and beautiful parts of the film as Mendoza chose this song and video specifically because it is the video that this platoon would watch before every mission to bring spirits up and unite the group before being faced with their possible death.
While this is not told as a true story, it is fully based on memories from that day to honor the soldiers that were in that battle and suvived, only two of their real names are used for the actors. Mendoza and Miller are the only soldiers who are truthfully named while the rest of the soldiers were given alternative names to bring accuracy to the story while not revealing their true identities.
While this is a fictional retelling of the events, they took the time to film every scene with a purpose. It is important to note that these events are still a version of “story truth,” a fictional retelling of real events that occurred.
This movie was made for the big screen, with captivating audio, shocking visuals and intensely brutal scenes. There is not one point within the entire 95-minute movie that viewers will be able to peel their eyes from the screen.
One of the most notable parts that has drawn audiences to theaters has been the cast. With names like Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Charles Melton, D’pharoh Woon-A-Tai and Michael Gandolfini, fans of these actors were drawn to theaters even without knowing any context of the film. The power of this movie has been able to reach a whole new audience and bring the more raw perspective of the conflict to a generation that was barely alive when the events took place.
Poulter portrays one of the mission leaders, Erik, and this role is something fans have never seen from the experienced actor. Seeing this side of him was incredible and the transformation that he and the entire cast made on screen was chilling. The way he was able to show such a realistic portrayal of trauma in real time during the attack was award worthy, showing the true range and dedication from the actor.
Woon-A-Tai and Connor also brought such emotion to this movie that made viewers cry for them and brought the heart and soul back to the lives of these soldiers during war time. It was clear to see that behind the uniforms, they are still humans who are trying their hardest to push their emotions aside and continue on with their mission.
Jarvis and Quinn brought an earth shattering level to this as they portrayed the two characters who were injured and who the rest of the team risked their lives to save. The pain and suffering that they are feeling radiates off of the screen and breaks viewers hearts as you see them pleading with their brothers to make sure they are able to go home alive.
With high schools and colleges around the nation never talking about this war or being able to cover it within school’s curriculums, a movie with this impact is bound to lead many to do research and learn more about such a divisive time in American history.
This film does a beautiful job of not glamorizing the events of war, which is what sets it apart from other war films that have been made. Seeing the trauma unfolding in real time takes away all of the appeal of being a soldier and boils it down to the realities and dangers of being a soldier in a war zone.
The conflict in Iraq lasted about 8 years and while this only shows a what feels like a second in time, the realities of these events are what took place during almost the entire war. Peace was not something ever taken for granted by these veterans.
“Warfare” is one of the greatest depictions of war that has hit theaters and its importance will never waiver in the world of Hollywood retellings of war.
