Celebrating Our American Heroes
This was by far the hardest movie for me to watch. I sat in a packed theater of grown men and women, and there was not a single dry eye in the house. Whether or not you agree with the war we are in, we have men and women on the ground in foreign countries doing extraordinary things to protect our freedom and this film brings that to our attention in a completely pure way. There are no political agendas, no propaganda being forced down our throats, just the story of one group of soldiers fighting for their country. While there are some frustrating circumstances (communication issues, air support issues) that could most likely be linked to a White House administration decision, I respect that the movie focused on the soldiers and not problems outside of their control. The movie is completely centered around telling the story of this one mission without forcing you to place the blame of its failure on any one political party, but instead celebrates the incredible acts of bravery of the Navy Seals.
The footage in the beginning depicting Navy Seal training really grounded the movie from the start. Everything about this film felt authentic. I really don’t think I’ve been so anxious watching a movie in a long time, especially one that wasn’t a horror movie. The camera shots and sound editing really made you feel like you were right there with them in the fight. Also, not having subtitles during almost all of the dialogue in Farsi really added to the stress felt by the audience. Then the personal photos of the fallen soldiers at the end really brought it all home.
I think everyone who can stomach it, should go see Lone Survivor. It is a movie about war, so yes, it is violent and bloody, but it is incredibly inspiring to see what our military goes through. The film glorifies our Navy Seals in the way that they should be glorified and admired. While it is a story about war, it is also a story of hope. It shows that even in the most dark and deadly circumstances, there is still good in the world, something that we need to remember in wartime. This has been called “the next Saving Private Ryan,” which I tend to agree with but I think this movie hits home a little more since it is about a war we are still fighting as opposed to a war the current generation only learned about in school.
I also think the movie was wonderfully cast. There was no over-acting and the writers didn’t add any cliché war slogans. Like I said before, they were all completely authentic performances. Mark Wahlberg never disappoints me, so I really have little to say about him. Ben Foster has some really random roles but I think this is definitely one of his best performances in which he didn’t rely on a “way out there” character (something like Hostage’s Mars). (But my favorite character of his will forever be Tucker James from Flash Forward. Disney Channel kids of the 90’s know what I’m talking about.)
I honestly don’t know what else I could say about this movie except to go see it now! My only complaint is that I wish someone had told me to bring some tissues (consider yourself warned).
Written January 12, 2013
The footage in the beginning depicting Navy Seal training really grounded the movie from the start. Everything about this film felt authentic. I really don’t think I’ve been so anxious watching a movie in a long time, especially one that wasn’t a horror movie. The camera shots and sound editing really made you feel like you were right there with them in the fight. Also, not having subtitles during almost all of the dialogue in Farsi really added to the stress felt by the audience. Then the personal photos of the fallen soldiers at the end really brought it all home.
I think everyone who can stomach it, should go see Lone Survivor. It is a movie about war, so yes, it is violent and bloody, but it is incredibly inspiring to see what our military goes through. The film glorifies our Navy Seals in the way that they should be glorified and admired. While it is a story about war, it is also a story of hope. It shows that even in the most dark and deadly circumstances, there is still good in the world, something that we need to remember in wartime. This has been called “the next Saving Private Ryan,” which I tend to agree with but I think this movie hits home a little more since it is about a war we are still fighting as opposed to a war the current generation only learned about in school.
I also think the movie was wonderfully cast. There was no over-acting and the writers didn’t add any cliché war slogans. Like I said before, they were all completely authentic performances. Mark Wahlberg never disappoints me, so I really have little to say about him. Ben Foster has some really random roles but I think this is definitely one of his best performances in which he didn’t rely on a “way out there” character (something like Hostage’s Mars). (But my favorite character of his will forever be Tucker James from Flash Forward. Disney Channel kids of the 90’s know what I’m talking about.)
I honestly don’t know what else I could say about this movie except to go see it now! My only complaint is that I wish someone had told me to bring some tissues (consider yourself warned).
Written January 12, 2013