Lone Survivor

Blood, Brotherhood, and Based on a True Story

            Left. Left. Left Right. Right Left....is usually what comes to mind when you think of training for the military. Marching in a perfectly straight line, wearing perfectly shined shoes, and being yelled at by a perfectly relentless drill sergeant. All this stuff is great to use in teaching discipline but it is only the very basic part of what goes into that kind of preparation. Every branch of the United States military has its own way of pushing its future best and brightest. This time, we're dealing with the Navy. Navy SEALS to be exact.

            Based off of the real life accounts in the book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, we are now given a grand tribute and intensely realistic film about those who put themselves second to others.

L to R: Kitsch, Wahlberg, Foster, Hirsch

            June 2005, Afghan mountainside. "Frog Men" of the United States Navy have pointed out a probably location of a highly dangerous and wanted Taliban leader. Waiting for orders to go ahead with the next step in Operation Redwing, the men encounter a speed bump in the form of random shepherds wandering the same mountainside. If you've read the book then you know what comes next but, if you have not, just brace yourselves.

            They are unshaven, dirty, thirsty, and strong. They have loved ones waiting for their return home, they have fellow SEALS back at the base hoping everything goes to plan, and above all else, they have each other. They are: Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch, John Carter), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch, Into The Wild), and Matt "Axe" Axelson (Ben Foster, Alpha Dogs). Luttrell is the head of this pack and the author of the book previously mentioned. In the film's opening scene, there is a first-hand look into the early mornings, all-nighters, and freezing salt water that went into SEAL training. This is a great way to keep the audience's attention and it does so effectively.

            The situation these brave men find themselves in will have you asking, "how could this get any worse?" It's hard to fathom, but, it can. Who is there to trust?

            The action and combat portrayal is so gripping and extreme that it is hard not to feel the anguish and frustration that is being dealt with. Lone Survivor may jump around a lot at certain points but the profound love that these men hold for each other is expressed in every second and leaves no doubt in my mind how dedicated they were to their country. When there are shots flying in every direction and the end seems like it's a second away, it is very easy to forget that these men are just actors. The authenticity is through the roof and for that I commend director Peter Berg and his own team in a well-researched and heartbreaking story of conflict and remembrance. With all-around compelling performances from the four focal men as well as supporting actors Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down) and Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games), a new age Saving Private Ryan is the result. This is the blood, sweat, and tears of true American heroes. GRADE: 8.1/10