April 11, film and television studio A24 released their latest war movie, “Warfare.” This film depicts the true events American soldiers faced during the Iraq War in 2006. For a mid-budget film with only $20 million in the budget, and a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film proves another success for the award-winning studio.
With a star-packed cast, including Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor and Cosmo Jarvis, “Warfare” impacted viewers by introducing a range of emotions from several of these actors. From fear and uncertainty to panic and pain, this cast displayed their incredible acting abilities and evoked an emotionally shocking feeling from movie watchers.
“I had obviously heard of the Iraq War before this movie, but I had never heard of this specific story. Watching the sequence of events unfold in this movie felt crazy. The opening scene, where all the soldiers were having fun dancing together, followed by an eerily silent scene of them all scouting for a place to set up, made me realize the movie was about to open my eyes,” senior David Achamaja said.
The film takes place in Ramadi, Iraq, during the Iraq War, where a group of U.S. Navy Sea Air and Land (SEAL) soldiers surveil an al-Qaeda controlled area to assist in a U.S. Marine operation. Written and adapted to the memory of the real-life soldiers, “Warfare” depicts the tragic events that occurred November 19, 2006. When threatening insurgents slipped an improvised explosive device (IED) into the sniper hole of the U.S.’s post, one particular SEAL faced a life-changing injury. Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL and writer and director of this film, focuses the movie on Elliott Miller, played by Jarvis, who suffered numerous life-threatening injuries and ultimately lost his legs in combat.
Diving into the world of teamwork between members of the military, this film impressively shows several aspects of loyalty and brotherhood. The opening scene of the movie depicts all the deployed soldiers in a room dancing to and cheering for the 2004 aerobatic music video “Call On Me” by Eric Prydz, the lyrics of which imply that the soldiers ultimately rely on each other. This realistic moment of excitement acts as the calm before the storm for this mission, as several members of the military tend to resonate with their deployment song, which offers them motivation before deployment. Amidst the chaos of the IED exploding, gunfire and several casualties, the characters showed camaraderie by taking actions in support of their fellow soldiers. For example, around halfway through the 95-minute movie, when al-Qaeda forces’ IED activates, the SEALS face numerous injuries and one casualty among the three out of the eight men stationed in their Iraq house, leading the uninjured soldiers to tend to their wounded.
Several sources, including IMDb, The Guardian and SlashFilm, applaud “Warfare” for its incredible sound design. Throughout the internet, viewers note that the sounds of the gunfire, IEDs and show of force felt as though the events occurred in the same room as them. Along with the muffled sound techniques used during loud explosions, viewers praise the acting from Quinn, portraying a SEAL named Sam, when his character faces extreme pain while his fellow SEALS attempt to tourniquet his broken legs.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really paid attention to sound and audio techniques in movies because I don’t think they’ve ever been noticeable. When watching this movie, I felt like I was a part of the cast. The IED scene sounded so real, I jumped in my seat. My favorite continuous part of the movie was when [the SEALS] requested a show of force. The airplane flying through the town sounded like it was right outside the movie theater. I really loved the sound of this movie, and I think it overall enhanced the watching experience,” Achamaja said.
“Warfare” acts as not only a superb war movie, but also a gut-wrenching human story. This film captures the essence of brotherhood created by deployed soldiers. By portraying fear, anxiety, strength and uncertainty amidst chaos, A24 outdid itself with this powerful masterpiece of a reenactment. Standing as a tribute and a cinematic achievement, this film opens the eyes of viewers who wonder about the horrors all soldiers face.
The Chant’s score: A+
