Peter Berg unveils a brutal, uncompromising, but ultimately moving picture of the bravery and heroism of Navy Seals

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2015)

Peter Berg pulls no punches when showcasing the heroism of U.S soldiers and the tragedy of war that consumes the inner and outer soul of human beings in this gritty retelling of a Navy Seal mission gone terribly wrong. Based on the real-life story told by former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell who endured an unforgiving taste of active combat, this film sees Berg, director of military action flick 'The Kingdom', high school sports drama 'Friday Night Lights' followed by its television series of the same name, and science-fiction actioner 'Battleship', painting an uncompromising portrait of war in the Middle East laying the groundwork for a true story of a failed 2005 Navy Seal mission Operation Red Wings. It is violent, it is bloody, but most importantly, it is powerful in its testament about the moral complexities that put a group of soldiers' bravery and commitment to the test. And without glorifying war, this movie powerfully strikes at the heart with its mean portrayal of the harsh realities of active combat. The film follows Navy Seals Marcus Lutrell (played by Mark Wahlberg), Lieutenant Michael Murphy (played by Taylor Kitsch), Matthew Axelson (played by Ben Foster), and Danny Dietz (played by Emile Hirsch) who were sent by Commander Erik S. Kristensen (played by Eric Bana) into the mountains of Taliban to take out Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. Upon stumbling across three Taliban civilians, the squad has a heated debate of whether to execute them and risk being charged of a war crime, or letting them go. They choose the latter which leaves them with no choice but to compromise the mission. Unfortunately, before they are able to retreat, they are caught in the crossfires of the Taliban militia. Before they know, they are pitted in a brutal fight for survival.
As you can tell by the title, the result of the mission did not end very well. The mission as a whole was a major failure that left its sole survivor in shambles. Nonetheless, the greatest asset lying within Peter Berg's directorial muscle is his gritty demonstration of the soldiers' bravery and commitment to protecting each other in the midst of the chaos that reigned upon them. And he does so without breathing a jingoistic attitude into the mix. If there is a weakness peaking into his portrayal of the grisliness of war, it is his shortage of character development which is left heavily buried under his exhibition of active combat, which follows a turning point sequence where they are forced to make a thought-provoking decision to comply with smart, if questionable moral responsibility. Despite the glaring flaw, that does very little to diminish the brutality of active combat as these four Navy Seals are overwhelmed by a horde of Talibans unleashing their bullets on them, followed by not one but two nasty falls down a cliff that would leave more than a few broken bones. Shot effectively by Tobias Schliesler, these scenes of combat earnestly showcase not only the bravery of these soldiers but to emotional impact that rains on them as they are forced to endure the unforgiving chaos. As for Mark Wahlberg, it does a magnificent job at fueling his role with gripping humanity, as does Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Ben Foster working along his side. These four exhibit a palpable chemistry that plays a strong role in the emotional touch during their hour of chaos.
Lone Survivor is a brutal, violent, but ultimately moving retelling on a real-life Navy Seal story. It is a powerful picture that has more to say than just "war is hell", it offers a fair amount of food for thought that many are likely to admire in the midst of the heroism splashed onto nearly every frame. If there are a few tears, there is a good reason for them.