Movie Review - 12 Strong

This past Thursday evening I watched the movie "12 Strong" in the Cinema City theater in Jerusalem. Before I reflect on the movie, I highly recommend this theater. It is clean, big and well ventilated. They serve Delicious popcorn, ice cream, yogurt, waffles and other snacks at affordable prices. It is located inside a shopping mall with a fitness gym and several meat restaurants and dairy eateries. The location is fantastic: five minute walk from the Central Bus Station, the Jafo Street light rail, and in the opposite direction the Knesset, the Supreme Court and the Israel Museum  are approximately three, seven and ten minutes walking distance, respectively.

This movie was dramatic and heart wrenching. The theater screen definitely enhanced my experience because the combat scenes were more realistic and clear on the large screen. I usually prefer to watch TV and movies alone, but in this case, the laughter of the audience during the comedic moments was entertaining; it was like watching a second show simultaneously, especially as I was engrossed in the war and danger element, their attention helped me notice and focus on the more human element of the story.

I have a theory that most people enjoy a nice adrenaline rush, and so war and combat movies definitely fill this role. The accurate portrayal of the danger and close calls helps me realize the risk and skill these soldiers take on and how much appreciation and gratitude I owe them. War is an inevitable part of life and the select few go out there and face this danger to protect the rest of us, and it makes me realize that sending soldiers to war should be a last resort decision,  not to be taken lightly.

What I most appreciated in this movie was the human element. The friendship and connection, not just between the SEALS, who share a culture and a country, but the unexpected feelings that develop between the Americans and the Afghans who join them in fight. A touching moment was when the Afghan teenager became buried from a bomb and the fear and sadness of the soldier who rescued him, the soldier he had been guarding and had saved his life just moments before. This scene hit a nerve because it followed the plot-line and slow-developing arch of their bond. At first the big, broad American soldier was annoyed with his shadow, frustrated with the lack of privacy from being tailed by this young boy with whom he could not even speak. When he came to understand the achingly painful circumstances that led to this assignment, he began to reach out and overcome the cultural and language barriers to demonstrate care and empathy, and maybe even just to pass time and break the ice.

However, the focus on the Afghan leader was the most poignant peace. At first he seemed like a bloodthirsty warlord who didnt care about the men he sacrificed, and even trained them to rejoice in death and destruction. Every time a bomb dropped on his Taliban enemies he taunted the leader via a walkie talkie and his fellow tribesmen cheered as if the quarterback just hit the yardline, or whatever sports reference makes sense. (I am not a sports person, maybe I can say, as if the figure skater just landed a triple axle.) He even abandons ship before rejoining just before the final hurdle because he didnt like the diplomatic condition that he would have to cooperate with another warring tribe. He eventually returns and helps save the day. Along the way he loses many of his men, learn to trust his American comrades and he shares his true motivation in the fight. He had been the leader of a thriving city filled with people he loved and felt responsible for who were leading fullfilled and joyous lives. The Taliban killed many of the people he loved and destroyed his city, and what was so emotional, is that this hardened killer could not bring himself to walk into the city when he retook it, it was too painful and said. He seemed dejected; although in the heat of the battle he demonstrated passion for the fight, when he truly shared his thoughts, he did not see the point to carrying on. Yet carry on he did, and he not only became the Vice President of a reclaimed Afghanistan, he developed an unlikely lifelong friendship with an American soldier. His last sentence captured it all, though I might be musquoting him: "Many people tried to conquer Afghanistan, they all failed, this is where their Empires faced defeat...If you leave you are cowards, if you stay you will be our enemy. The only thing I know is you will always be my brother."

What I took away from this movie is a reminder that there are real people in these war-torn countries, who are suffering under Islamic Fascism. Their culture is so different than ours and they have no reason to trust us, but that is not a reason to give up on them. No situation is beyond hope and no human being, and definitely no society, is beyond redemption. Empathy, connection, education and communication can build not just bridges, but allies, partners and friends.

The following video is a reflection of the main actor on what being in this movie meant to him. For him it was meaningful to portray a true story of heroism and to reenact a form of warfare; on horseback, that it would seem hadn't taken place since World War II, yet these fighters had archaic transport and cavalry and won against tanks and heavy artillery. It truly is a unique film.