A Testament to Incredible Courage

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2014)

Two things stick with me in this movie: a moral dilemma and the courage of four men against all odds.
Four Navy SEALs sent to observe a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan are unluckily discovered by three goat shepherds. The commander decides to let them go since killing them, while ensuring the operation's secrecy, could have nasty PR repercussions. Besides, one is very young and another very old. As fate would have it, the shepherds alert the Taliban and the four men must fight for their lives after a vastly larger force engages them from higher ground. Nineteen Americans end up dying as a result. It reminds me of in "Saving Private Ryan" when the Americans let a German prisoner go who then later engages them and kills several in combat.
However, Marcus Luttrell, the one SEAL to survive depends on the good will of a village that gives him sanctuary from the murderous and brutal Taliban. If they had executed the shepherds, could he have counted on this good will? Maybe not. All actions in this war have unanticipated consequences.
As the four men fight the large Taliban force they must jump down the steep mountain slopes to find more cover. They maintain a cohesion and continuously engage the enemy in spite of being nearly surrounded. Their physical condition degrades as they suffer wounds, but they keep up the fight. I really like the close up shots on the men's faces as they look out for each other, patch their wounds, and resist to the bitter end. These are four tough hombres with a professional warrior tradition.
Matt Axelson's resistance with a pistol while wheezing his last breath with multiple wounds is a testament to these men and to the memoir. I think anyone who has served in combat would agree these men gave it all and then a lot more.
Lastly, this film makes me question how the Afghanistan conflict can continue year after year where villages in defiance of the Taliban are under assault yet keep their traditions of protecting a guest at all costs. How can these brutal tribesmen continue to fight and murder in the face of such overwhelming fire power? When caught in the open against the Apache helicopters or the AC-130 gunships these guys are toast, yet the struggle continues. Well worth seeing this film - please go if you are interested in this war and in the US military.