Review of Lone Survivor (2013) by Movie B — 28 Sep 2014

Review by Zanele Jiane.

With a truncated G.I. Jane opening sequence we are introduced into the ultra-tough regiments American Soldier endures in order to join the Army, soldiers are given the option to quit in order to retain only the ones with the highest threshold for pain and suffering, trembling bodies, broken spirits prepare us for some grim sequences later in the movie.

The film does not rush, even though the first act is over in a blink of an eye, it really lingers on the majority of the scene,.

An outfit on a reconnaissance phase soon gets compromised and soon they are out-numbered by opposition forces and are forced to engage. Based on a true story that is already known, the film focus on the physical toll the battle cost the quartet endured, the movie does so in a manner that gives many old war movie a backfill that is needed to understand warfare, there are many scenes here that explain other war movies.

Ben Foster is doing another biographical role the same with Emile Hirsch, who seems to be only specializing in biographical roles (Into the Darkness, Alpha Dog,). It seems that Hirsch is only keen on a certain breed of storytelling, a young actor of his looks should be doing any kind of film, but it seems there is more to this fellow than meets the eye.

Steve Yablowski score is not as boisterous as it was in The Island, his key score from the movie "My name is Lincoln) is making its way into many YouTube videos, just like Hans Zimmer's time. The score here is low key and on par with the story, indicating serious collaboration with Peter Berg.

The fight sequences have received tremendous attention from the cinematographer and the director, the several fall sequences will be forever be etched into the minds of the audience, this is where the opening sequence pays off, without the opening sequence we'd be lost here not understanding why this bunch is virtually unbreakable.

In his review of "The Kingdom" Peter Travers said that Peter Berg directed the movie as if his life depended on it, the same could be said of "Lone Survivor" and both movies are journeys into the wars between two delicate rivals and filmmaker needs to be very meticulous in dealing with this subject.