First of all, it was not "too early" to make this film. Alot of people are criticizing it for coming out too soon after the events, "it happened like, six months ago!" a friend of mine, who refused to watch it said. People should be reminded that war films to rally the homefront, released shortly after the real events took place are a tradition. During World War II, there were many such examples, such as "Wake Island," and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo." So this TV-movie is not only a product of the short-attention, mass-media cash-in-on-every- human interest story trend.
That's not to say that this is a "war-propaganda" film, even if it does have heroic and patriotic elements. The story itself isn't totally sensational, and it hasn't been spectacularly "spiced-up"; The original myth behind this story had Lynch claiming that she'd "rather die" than surrender, emptying her M-16 against her attackers. The un-sensational details of the event stay that way for the most part.
The truth is that there are many stories that could be told about what happened (and what is still happening of this writing) in Iraq, and I think we should appreciate a dramatized depiction of events there. Since the Jessica Lynch rescue received so much attention, this was not a bad choice for a story to tell.
The film is best in its opening 40 minutes. The atmosphere and situation are very convincing; driving Humvees through fog, crashing because of lack of sleep, and the fear of being left alone in the desert during the advance all contribute to the atmosphere of "being there." When the action moves to the ambush, it is shot with realism and depicts many of the things that have characterized this conflict; seeing armed Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint, not knowing whether or not they will fire upon the Americans; the stares and ambiguous nature of the Iraqis, whether they are soldiers or civilians. The nature of this war's conflict is presented well, with the Iraqis slowly setting up an ambush and then initiating the fight with a Molotov-cocktail thrown at a humvee. The combat that follows is shot realistically and is frightening and graphic. Honest respect is given to our enemies, who are much less-well equipped, as they take down an American convoy and, exhilarated, fire shots into the air.
The rest of the story is subjective, as conflicting views from analysts, the Iraqi lawyer, the hospital workers, and Lynch herself make it difficult to tell. But there is a myth behind this story that, although admittedly "dramatized," isn't really exploited.
There are some touching, genuine moments, including the rescue when the American troopers meet Jessica, and she says, "I'm an American soldier, too." It is understood that there was no resistance at the hospital, and that the hospital staff would have handed her over to the Americans. But the brave US troopers did not know this, and for all they knew they could have been walking into an ambush.
Where the story is flawed is when it depicts the interactions of the Iraqi lawyer who took part in Jessica Lynch's rescue. His vocal explanation of why he must help Lynch doesn't appear authentic nor does his logic seem genuine; he claims that he feels for her as he sees her being abused, "what if she were my daughter?" Wouldn't he have seen numerous similar crimes committed by the Fedayeen before? His encounter with those Hussein loyalists is suspenseful, but probably somewhat fictionalized. I also would have liked to have known more about the real Jessica Lynch, her background and desire to be a teacher serve more as typical backstory here than they do to flesh out her character.
Probably the most controversial moment of the film comes when we see Jessica's parents informed by the military that she is ok, by phone. I didn't know how to react to this, since many family members across the US are receiving the exact opposite message from military messengers. But I am grateful for a look inside this current conflict, and hope that more films about the Iraqi war are made in the future.
That's not to say that this is a "war-propaganda" film, even if it does have heroic and patriotic elements. The story itself isn't totally sensational, and it hasn't been spectacularly "spiced-up"; The original myth behind this story had Lynch claiming that she'd "rather die" than surrender, emptying her M-16 against her attackers. The un-sensational details of the event stay that way for the most part.
The truth is that there are many stories that could be told about what happened (and what is still happening of this writing) in Iraq, and I think we should appreciate a dramatized depiction of events there. Since the Jessica Lynch rescue received so much attention, this was not a bad choice for a story to tell.
The film is best in its opening 40 minutes. The atmosphere and situation are very convincing; driving Humvees through fog, crashing because of lack of sleep, and the fear of being left alone in the desert during the advance all contribute to the atmosphere of "being there." When the action moves to the ambush, it is shot with realism and depicts many of the things that have characterized this conflict; seeing armed Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint, not knowing whether or not they will fire upon the Americans; the stares and ambiguous nature of the Iraqis, whether they are soldiers or civilians. The nature of this war's conflict is presented well, with the Iraqis slowly setting up an ambush and then initiating the fight with a Molotov-cocktail thrown at a humvee. The combat that follows is shot realistically and is frightening and graphic. Honest respect is given to our enemies, who are much less-well equipped, as they take down an American convoy and, exhilarated, fire shots into the air.
The rest of the story is subjective, as conflicting views from analysts, the Iraqi lawyer, the hospital workers, and Lynch herself make it difficult to tell. But there is a myth behind this story that, although admittedly "dramatized," isn't really exploited.
There are some touching, genuine moments, including the rescue when the American troopers meet Jessica, and she says, "I'm an American soldier, too." It is understood that there was no resistance at the hospital, and that the hospital staff would have handed her over to the Americans. But the brave US troopers did not know this, and for all they knew they could have been walking into an ambush.
Where the story is flawed is when it depicts the interactions of the Iraqi lawyer who took part in Jessica Lynch's rescue. His vocal explanation of why he must help Lynch doesn't appear authentic nor does his logic seem genuine; he claims that he feels for her as he sees her being abused, "what if she were my daughter?" Wouldn't he have seen numerous similar crimes committed by the Fedayeen before? His encounter with those Hussein loyalists is suspenseful, but probably somewhat fictionalized. I also would have liked to have known more about the real Jessica Lynch, her background and desire to be a teacher serve more as typical backstory here than they do to flesh out her character.
Probably the most controversial moment of the film comes when we see Jessica's parents informed by the military that she is ok, by phone. I didn't know how to react to this, since many family members across the US are receiving the exact opposite message from military messengers. But I am grateful for a look inside this current conflict, and hope that more films about the Iraqi war are made in the future.