Review of A Private War (2018) by Markhreviews — 05 Dec 2018

Ultimately, “A Private War” is an homage to journalism, particularly the foreign correspondents who report on wars and disasters throughout the globe. This movie centers on Marie Colvin, an American journalist for UK’s The Sunday Times. Director Matthew Heineman, known primarily for his first-rate documentaries, uses the skills honed in that genre to navigate this fictionalized narrative of Colvin’s career.

The film begins with Colvin losing her eye during an explosion while interviewing the Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka. Later, Colvin chronicles the unearthing of mass graves in Iraq, the incessant insanity in Afghanistan and, ultimately, the systematic bombing of civilians by Assad’s military forces in Syria. The story proceeds with a sense of foreboding about how this will all end. Along the way, we learn the price paid by this particular correspondent – physical harm, PTSD, alcoholism, fractured relationships – which, for her, is offset by her compulsion to personally bear witness to critical world events.

There are a few missteps. Many of the voiceovers attributed to Colvin come across as a little pedantic. Her observation that there are two mutually exclusive categories – old journalists and bold journalists – seems to underline the obvious. We already know that journalism is the rough draft of history. And the scene of Colvin literally perched on a ledge after a particularly traumatic event contrasts oddly with the understatement that serves other scenes so well. Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Hostiles) and Jamie Dornan (so excellent in the BBC series The Fall) are well-cast and compelling. Pike is particularly effective in portraying Colvin as a haunted soul unsuited for the conventions of social interaction outside a war zone. As Colvin’s photographer/sidekick/confessor, Dornan serves as a necessary counterpoint and voice of reason when Colvin’s passion seems ready to take her off the rails.

Director Heineman is at his best with his jarring quick-cuts from the confusion, dust and depression of a war zone to a scene of domestic civility, if not tranquility, for Colvin. Heineman also uses this biography for larger purposes, making a compelling case for the importance of journalists’ documentation of inhumanity (a vanity card at the conclusion of the film reminds us that 500,000 people have died in Syria since 2012) and the essential role of journalism in speaking truth to power.

Some of the film, much like the ideas it develops, will require digesting over time. But this is a movie that merits thoughtful attention while viewing the film and reflection long after it is over.