Posted on 01/11/2014 7:16:50 AM PST by Kaslin
Editor's note: This review is cross-posted at JohnHanlonReviews.com
Director Peter Berg knows how to celebrate the fraternal affection that men oftentimes share with one another. On the show "Friday Night Lights"which he executive produced, wrote for and sometimes directed the male friendships on display were formed on the football field. In Bergs latest productionthe film "Lone Survivor" those relationships are borne and grown in the military quarters and on the battlefield.
Based on the nonfiction book by Marcus Luttrell, this new drama focuses on a team of Navy SEALsa band of brothers, if you willwho are sent into Afghanistan to kill a psychotic militant Taliban leader named Ahmad Shahd (Yousuf Azami).
The SEAL team is composed of four men who speak, compete and argue with one another like brothers. Taylor Kitsch, a "Friday Night Lights" alum, is the well-respected commander Michael Murphy who is leading the mission on the ground. Murphy is backed up by the strong-willed Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), the naive Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), and the fiercely-loyal Matt Axelson (Ben Foster). Their interactions at the beginning focused on highlighting their affection for one another feel very real and show how tight these individuals were.
The four men are eventually sent in for their mission, which quickly falls apart when they are accidentally spotted by some kids and an older man from the local Afghan village. The officers are forced to decide what to do kill the old man and the children or let them free and risk the Taliban wrath and their decision is a life-changing one. Because of it, the enlisted men eventually face a group of unrepentant Taliban warriors, who show them no mercy.
Its in the scenes of battle patriotic and well-filmed that we witness the carnage of this particular mission. Berg is unrelenting in showing the brutality of the Taliban warriors and the overwhelming insecurity these men faced when their mission failed. Not only were they being hunted by people who wanted them dead but they had no viable escape plan. Theres a sheer helplessness on full display here that is hard to forget.
Although some of the characters are underwritten, theres a humanity and sympathy that we feel for each of them. When the story opens, Murphy is looking for the perfect wedding present for his fiancé and idealistic enough to believe that buying her an Arabian horse is in his budget (its not). Another is worried about the color palette for his home and that sense of blatant household normalcy is what he holds onto, even when the enemy surrounds him and has nearly destroyed him.
Its hard not to appreciate the sacrifices our militaryand their families make after seeing this brutal and oftentimes realistic feature. The films impact might not be remembered as strongly ten years down the line but the immediacy of each mans love for his brothers and their patriotic fervor for this country will be hard to forget. Berg and his crew especially the multi-talented Wahlberg have done a fine job in bringing this heartbreaking and painful story to the big screen. Its hard to watch but worth it, if only to appreciate the love, humanity and the honor that exists in a world where there can be so much hatred.
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Thanks for posting this Kaslin.
I had the opportunity to see Marcus tell his story in person.... There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Awesome film, we were allowed to premier it Thursday night as a fund raiser for a local hero. The man was a Navy Seal who died in a black hawk that went down in 2012. We had 500 show up and raise money for his foundation. Great for the family to have so many with them as they watched. Very difficult for them while watching the helicopter crash in the movie.
The movie has Marcus’s personal stamp on it, you can see it in every frame. If you haven’t gone yet go see it. You won’t be disappointed.
Crosslink
Update from Hollywood reporter
Box Office: ‘Lone Survivor’ Takes No Prisoners, Headed for $34 Million Debut should win the weekend
Ping
“I had the opportunity to see Marcus tell his story in person.... There wasnt a dry eye in the house.”
I saw Jake Tapper interview him yesterday, and the guy ripped Tapper a new asshole for the questions he asked. Tapper looked like HE was going to cry.
Contrast these American heroes with the vermin in this Regime and in this Congress. Veterans and their families have got to get out the vote in November to send the Elitists in Congress back to whatever rock they crawled out from under.
I don’t do movies at the theater but have been waiting for this one for so long. The theater was sold out at the showing I attended. Same with the following showing at 9:30. The audience was totally silent during the entire movie. No wise cracks, talking or cell phones. Applause at the end. This is the most realistic movie I’ve ever seen. They did an outstanding job bringing Luttrell’s book to the screen. Very tough to watch though. Most of the women, including my wife, had the tissue thing going. IMHO, this is “Best Picture” material. What a great, great movie.
If Tapper only had to worry about getting a size larger asshole...That would have been the least of his worries...
Agreed, I wasn’t at the landing at Omaha beech but men that were said that Saving Private Ryan was the best movie to reenact it. This movie rivals that level of authenticity.
Yes it does. My wife was very affected by it. Since I had read the book, I knew what to expect. She had heard me talk about Luttrell’s book many times but seeing it on the screen really got to her. We, and the entire audience, were really blown away by it.
Rapper illustrates the common idea people in this country have
They put out of their minds that the election process has more to do with what is expected of our military than anything else
The role of government is not properly ordered to provide welfare, food stamps, programs for illegals or union members (in exchange for votes), it is to provide protection against enemies, foreign and domestic.
Tapper and the media have no regard for that, nor do Obama supporters, nor do people who don’t think about their country and how its supposed to operate
The flimsy Southern border situation adds to the hey we’re fine attitude
People think the military is like a mercenary outfit, that Obama approves or disapproves of what they do, but its really the military who decide where to go and what to do, and based on providing revenue to the military industry
When a republican is president the whole structure is different in their minds
But these guys work for us, the voting public, citizens, who choose whom to put in charge of them
When they go on a mission, it is at the request of the people who voted in the congress who send them, and when it is an executive order, it is still at congressional level, who allow it or not, even an abuse if executive power (wimpiness in not stopping the president is never an excuse)
Tapper illustrates that he and other journalists think they know more about what should happen. They need to go back and look at the basic structure
These guys don’t work for Obama nor any resident or any particular group, they work for the citizens, and to defend the constitution. And they don’t morph that. Politicians morph it and they shouldn’t. But the military individual does not morph that
Elections have consequences
Awesome movie. Go see it!
Read the book when it first came out.
Moving. Very moving.
From the article there is an error: “Because of it, the enlisted men eventually face a group of unrepentant Taliban warriors, who show them no mercy.”
Lt Murphy was an officer, not enlisted, and he sacrificed himself to make that call for help.
Otherwise, good article.
I happened to catch the show The Talk yesterday. It’s an awful show but they had the cast of the movie. I was shocked to see that not one of these foolish women was dry eyed.
“but its really the military who decide where to go and what to do, and based on providing revenue to the military industry”
Please explain.
‘...but THAT it is the military who decide’ is what I should’ve said
What I meant was that this is the misconception by the public.
As tapper states is that he thinks the military members make these decisions and he is wrong
Oh. Thanks. Was confused as it appeared you were saying the military and the defense industry decide when the military will be put in harms way.
Too many people feel that way, when in fact the military leadership is more reluctant than the (never-served) politicos, and the defense industry is reluctant as well (most people working in the defense industry are former serving and still have friends and family in service, so they have a lot at stake).
Politicos that never served. . .not so much.
Cheers.
swordandshieldhawaii.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/lone-survivor-a-review-and-commentary/
Honor and Courage Take Center Stage in the Patriotic 'Lone Survivor
Check out article, then # 11 , # 17.
Thanks, crosslink.
http://swordandshieldhawaii.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/lone-survivor-a-review-and-commentary
try this again....
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