A Libyan Litmus Test

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2016)

The fact that 13,000+ users of a popular movie review site have given 13 Hours an 86% favorable rating while only 50% of the "Top Critic" reviews on the same site are positive highlights the fact that there is more to this film and viewer reaction to it than the objective merits of the screen writing, acting, directing, and cinematography that dramatize the events that occurred in Benghazi three years ago.
Depending on one's preconceived notions of what transpired in Libya (and in Washington) before, during, and after the attacks of September 11-12, 2012, the film is either a badly edited, misleading, jingoistic, paean to machismo, violence, and racism, with inadequate character development and misrepresentation of facts – or a moving and realistic docudrama, based on factual first person accounts by members of the unit who participated in the events - a heartfelt and well-crafted tribute to the courage and honor of a small group of skilled mercenaries whose heroic performance of duty in battle amid the fog of war was exemplary, despite ineffectual local CIA leadership and an off- site chain of command that was unresponsive to desperate requests for readily available special ops and tactical air support.
The film is ultimately a litmus test of one's political orientation. That orientation is unlikely to be changed by the film. Those who think that the Benghazi incident is settled or "at this point, what difference does it make?" will find much to criticize – and are probably unlikely to attend. Those who think that there are substantial and inexplicable differences between official accounts and what really happened on the night of 9/11/2012 in Libya and Washington may expect to find much to admire, just as did the 20,000+ spectators who attended the premier of the film in Dallas last week rather than stay home to watch the State of the Union address.