Warfare review – Operation Immersion

Even if you thought last year’s dystopian action thriller Civil War, from Ex Machina and Annihilation filmmaker Alex Garland, was toothless in terms of its political commentary, there’s no denying that the film’s scenes of military combat were intense and utterly convincing. That probably had a lot to do with Garland’s advisor for that film, Iraqi War veteran Ray Mendoza. Now the pair have collaborated again on another taut military actioner for A24, Warfare, although it’s Mendoza taking point on the shared directing and writing front.

Based on Mendoza’s own experiences, and the memories of those involved, Warfare centres on a single 2006 operation during the Iraq War. A group of American Navy SEALS, two Iraqi scouts and two Marines set themselves up in a home in Ramadi Province to surveil a local market ahead of US ground troops entering the area. Except, the men are marked, and as the area erupts in violence, they find themselves under siege, with two critically wounded teammates.

That’s an interesting premise, but nothing new. However, Warfare has a good few flash bangs in its gear to engage audiences. The first is that the film largely takes place in real time, capturing 80 or so harrowing minutes (Warfare’s full runtime is a concise hour and a half) of bullets and explosions, broken comms, mental disorientation and agonised screams. Witnessing a skirmish moment by moment, exactly as it happened, with zero accompanying score, adds to the credibility, and novelty of the film.

Warfare’s second big draw card is its cast. In much the same way Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down was stuffed full of rising stars, Warfare loads up on familiar faces and up and comers. In the former camp you have established young performers like Will Poulter and Joseph Quinn, who already have big franchises under their belt, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Stranger Things. Meanwhile, Shogun’s Cosmo Jarvis, Heartstopper’s Kit Connor and Michael Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano (and his real-life father) on the small screen, all have key roles in Warfare. For the record, Reservation Dogs’ D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is filmmaker Mendoza’s on-screen stand-in.

For better, or worse, Warfare isn’t a Hollywood-ised war film. There’s a lot that is “arty” to its creative choices, particularly the lack of exposition, terminology explanations and character development, which may be jarring for some. There’s no pining over photos of loved ones back home, or dialogue exchanges about joining the army to fund future studies. The audience is dropped into the mission with these barely named men, and then they’re out again. The end.

More than anything, Warfare is about immersion, encouraging viewers to feel like they’re in the middle of the increasingly messy, chaotic action. The film has a documentary feel, without the voice overs, interview segments and over-filtered recreation scenes. It also doesn’t hold back on its depiction of battlefield injuries, and the difficulty in administering treatment, so people with sensitive stomachs should be aware of the disturbing gore heading their way.

That said, modern military enthusiasts will be in their element with Warfare, which feels about as authentic as you can get. It’s visceral and technically exceptional. At the same time, however, it’s also a bit emotionally aloof. It’s easy to become invested in the fate of characters like Jarvis’s cool-under-pressure sniper, and Poulter’s squad leader, who makes unconventionally courageous decisions to safeguard his men. But as characters become increasingly dirt and blood coated, and are joined by a new company of soldiers, screen time is further split, and it becomes even harder to keep track of who’s who – further diluting audience investment. This makes Warfare a very good film, but also a not particularly satisfying one.

Props to the filmmakers, though, for never assuming the feelings of the Iraqi people or singling out star villains. Warfare always shows, not tells, leaving the audience to make their own interpretation of a complicated, emotionally loaded conflict. It’s not entirely hands off, however, going further than Civil War did in having something to say about the situation making up its setting. The final moments of Warfare deliver a jab of political commentary after all, keeping with the film’s commitment to realism, as locals emerge to deal with the aftermath of the destruction on their used and abandoned own.

Warfare is in cinemas from Friday, 11 April.