Review of Lone Survivor (2013) by Heather M — 13 Jul 2014

It is a true story that remains as highly charged off the screen as it is on the screen. It tells the story of four Navy SEALS who find themselves trapped in the mountains during a mission to address an al-Qaeda base. As their mission unravels, it turns in to a fight for survival.

For as much as this is a film about a degree of patriotism (and steeped in a one sided view of the war in Afghanistan, once we are stranded on the mountain with the four individuals, notions of right and wrong, bad guys and good guys is set aside for the sake of their survival. Regardless of the politics and the war, the film centers on their capacity to keep going against all odds. The story itself is based off of a moral decision to save the life of the enemy that ends up backfiring and placing them at the mercy of the full force of an al-Qaeda army. The realism of the situation is captured with some intimate film work. It is tough to watch at many points, even as it makes for a powerful movie. And in the end I suppose any film about war should leave us slightly uncomfortable, even if this same film manages to leave us on the edge of our seat.