Culture
11 Feb 14

Lone Survivor

True story of a US SEALS mission becomes a bracing if machismo-laden action film

Well, that’s one spoilerific title.

But then, Lone Survivor hardly aims for subtlety. Opening with training footage of US SEALS, director Peter Berg makes his, err, patriotism clear from the start.

This true account of a 2005 mission that claimed the lives of 19 US soldiers in Afghanistan’s Kunar province is a scorchingly-directed war film, in spite of its overbearing lack of nuance. Mark Wahlberg stars as Hospital Corpsman Marcus Luttrell, one of the SEALS sent on a mission targeting Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. When the SEALS’ location is revealed, Luttrell and his comrades (Hirsch, Kitsch, Ben Foster) fall, duck, roll and bleed through scenes of non-stop carnage.

In the end, this is a movie about sheer survival and a testament to those putting their lives on the line for America and, y’know, freedom and stuff. There’s lots of machismo, sure, but there’s some compelling action too. The fact the film is based in a true story adds to its appeal.