“Warfare” doesn’t tell a conventional story about war. It plops audiences in the heat of action and lets the unknown unfold.
It’s a remarkable feat that stands with the best contemporary cinema has to offer.
Soldiers move into place in "Warfare," a fact-based look at the war in Iraq.
Directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, “Warfare” shows what happened in a 2006 mission in Iraq. It’s not a look at the backgrounds of the Navy Seals, just an account of their time on the ground, trying to provide surveillance before ground troops arrive.
They slip into a house, break down a barrier between apartments and begin watching al-Qaeda jihadists across the street. Soon there’s movement and, before you know it, the soldiers are surrounded, trying to defend themselves before support arrives.
Harrowing is an understatement. Even though we don’t know the personalities (we’re more likely to identify the characters by the young actors who play them), we sense the need to work together and protect one another.
People are also reading…
Like life, nothing works out neatly. When soldiers are wounded, others spring into action to get them out of the line of fire and, hopefully, to safety. When one asks if he’s one of the ones who’s severely injured, another tries to calm his fears: “You’re not even the one we’re worried about.” Even though he is.
The screams, the moans, the gunfire emerge suddenly, and “Warfare” becomes as embedded as a movie-goer would want to be.
Joseph Quinn, left, and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai star in "Warfare."
Based on Mendoza’s own experiences in Iraq, the film doesn’t try to elevate the mission, just show what happened. D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai (from “Reservation Dogs”) plays Mendoza without the drama but all the intensity. He’s a communications officer who’s trying to connect with those who can help. While trying to calm the wounded, he impresses upon officials how serious the situation is. It’s a masterful way of serving two masters.
It's also part of the command chain that’s not breeched. When leaders can’t issue orders, others take over and the mission continues.
While the directors don’t reveal what happened to the family in the house they’ve commandeered, they do show how protective the men are. They warn them about incoming danger and aren’t afraid to shift focus when the time calls for it.
Kit Connor in "Warfare"
Underneath the helmets and vests, you’ll note a troop of young actors working today — Cosmo Jarvis (from “Shogun”), Charlie Melton (“May December”); Kit Connor (“Heartstopper”) and Will Poulter (“The Bear”). They don’t dine out on those credits, but they do prove there’s more here than casting directors may have thought.
“Warfare” moves and, yes, moves. When the well-paced film is over its impact doesn’t leave.
Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
