War is hell. But we knew that right? We’ve all seen Saving Private Ryan or Apocalypse Now – films that portray the brutality of war, and the physical and emotional toll that takes on those involved. These are films that are ultimately narratively driven.
They tell a fictional story set within conflict, that aims to portray that conflict in an accurate and informed way. A24’s Warfare is different. Where films like Platoon or All Quiet on the Western Front focus on characters experiences or an engaging narrative, Warfare aims for the truth. A truth based on the memories of those who lived through hell.
A mission reconstructed: the real story behind Warfare
Co-directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War, Annihilation) and Ray Mendoza (Iraq war veteran), Warfare re-enacts a real-life mission experienced by a group of Navy SEALs during the Iraq War. Specifically focussing on one incident that took place in November 2006 following the Battle of Ramadi.
What starts as a procedural look at the activities of a Navy SEAL, quickly devolves into complete shock and terror. You can’t get much closer to an authentic combat experience than watching Warfare, and that’s predominantly due to the ear-rattling sound design. Gunfire explodes with blunt ferocity. Jets fly low to the ground creating an unholy chorus of deafening sound. Soldiers scream in eerily real agony. I came out of the cinema feeling like I’d been in a war zone, and that’s almost purely down to the impressive soundscape. You’ve seen and heard these sights and sounds before, but not like this.
The cast of fresh-faced young actors all do a great job of portraying their real-life counterparts, which I can only imagine was a nerve-wracking gig since many of those people were present when filming. The filmmaking almost takes a back seat here, with a larger focus on authenticity and detail. The film is packed full of small moments and interactions that only further adds to the genuine nature of the events being re-created.
The cost of conflict, unfiltered
However, what Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza do highlight with this film is the truth of conflict. Blunt, brutal and meaningless. That was clear in Garland’s previous directorial effort Civil War, which showed audiences the “truth” through the eyes of a war photographer. With Warfare, Garland and Mendoza double down on that idea creating a true testimony of combat.
Warfare shows the harsh realities of combat and violence by portraying it in its most authentic recreation. This is a tight and tense look at just a single encounter during large-scale war. There’s no winners and losers here. Just those left to pick up the pieces from the rubble. It doesn’t pick a side or pander to a political spectrum. Warfare simply presents these events as they were… truly horrifying.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Have you seen Warfare yet? Let us know in the comments what you made of the latest film from Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.
