Humanitarian Decisions In War With Huge Costs

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2014)

Based on the ill fated operation code named "Red Wings" Lone Survivor immediately rates as a classic American war movie. Starting out somewhat by rote by mixing real training footage with segments filmed expressly for the movie it gets the point across that only the creme De la creme of our fine forces make the grade for Special Ops/Seals. The movie quickly gets to business after what seems perfunctory in retrospect. No harm, however, because what these men go through is truly extraordinary and it should be reinforced. The business is of the deadly kind with a multi-pronged battle plan. The four brave men who must be dropped in to do the recon do so with tremendous precision and achieve all initial objectives only to be hampered by poor radio communications and intel that underestimated the manpower surrounding their target. Trained to adapt they move stealthily in order to hide overnight and re-establish communications at the earliest safe opportunity. That opportunity becomes complicated and decisions based on moral high ground quickly play into not a retreat, but survival itself This is the powerful crux of Lone Survivor. How four soldiers fight so bravely, and effectively up to a point, against overwhelming numbers of Taliban is beyond amazing. The most remarkable thing is without doubt how Marcus Luttrell survived. It's a story that deserves to be told time and time again, not only for the one man who survived, but for those who gave their lives in that outcome. It's hard to fault this film in getting this story to the screen. It's both excruciatingly painful and gloriously uplifting to watch. As the credits rolled and the men who actually gave all were shown it is more than clear war is the greatest price so many pay for the freedom we as Americans tend to take for granted. This is a powerful film that deserves to be seen by all who wake up everyday enjoying the spoils. Highly recommended.