Strives to portray the Iraq War with unparalleled authenticity
In the heart-pounding new film, "Warfare," directed by Alex Garland ("Civil War," "Ex Machina") and Navy SEAL alum Ray Mendoza, audiences are in for an adrenaline-fueled ride. To kick things off, the iconic beats of Eric Prydz's 2004 hit "Call on Me" play as the infamous music video - a risqué take on John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis's dance-off in "Perfect" - flickers across the screen. The soldiers, fresh-faced and rugged, laugh and cheer as they're just a few clicks away from amemorable moment in 2006 Iraq War lore.
Crafted from Mendoza's memories and his former unit's experiences, "Warfare" delivers a gripping retelling of a mission gone off-course during the Iraq War. Stationed in Ramadi, the team was in the thick of a surveillance operation when their home base came under attack, leaving them to fight for their lives without the usual support network.
This dynamic young Hollywood cast, featuring Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Noah Centineo, and others, embodies their characters as competent team members, with unity valued over individual heroism. Garland and Mendoza, who first connected when Mendoza consulted on "Civil War," collaborated on the script's framework before interviewing unit members to flesh out the finer details.
"Warfare" "[is] an exercise in trying to recreate a real sequence of events as accurately as possible," Garland shared with CNN. Truthful details and military lingo pepper the film, adding an extra layer of authenticity, even if it might seem puzzling or amusing to the uninitiated.
Mendoza views the film as a correction to previous war depictions that don't resonate with veterans. "Traditionally, the people who are making movies about war haven't experienced it," he said. Following this, Mendoza put his cast through a rigorous three-week bootcamp, teaching them everything from weapons training to radio communications, tactical maneuvers, and first aid.[2]
"Ray is a hell of a teacher," shared Cosmo Jarvis, who plays Elliot Miller, the film's dedicatee. "The bootcamp did two things for us," said Will Poulter, "it gave us a condensed technical skill set in order to play a Navy SEAL and it also bonded us all in an amazing way. So the emotional side of things naturally took care of itself."
Violence and Trauma
With a tight 95-minute runtime, "Warfare" doesn't waste a moment. To create a heightened sense of reality, the film takes its time to build suspense before the chaos ensues. As Joseph Quinn noted, "Hollywood portrayals of war often fall into a rhythm where nothing boring happens. In reality, there's so much downtime, and these men have to fill that downtime. The contrast between being idle and bored, and then being in a dangerous situation, is quite interesting."
Unlike other war films, "Warfare" showcases the grim reality that what the team experienced was likely commonplace. When the violence does erupt, it's brief but leaves a lasting impact as it explores the aftermath in graphic and emotional detail.
Mendoza found the filmmaking process therapeutic, using the recreation of events from two decades ago as a means to process his own trauma. "Once I got out of the military, a lot of these mechanisms that I used to function didn't necessarily serve me well when I got out. So there's a lot of work to do on oneself."
"Warfare" is a testament to the youth behind America's wars, exemplified by fresh-faced newcomers such as Kit Connor. The film resists any message-driven intentions, opting instead to share information truthfully.
[1]: "Warfare" features real military jargon, including "peeking" and "probing," that might leave some guessing about a combatant's movements.[2]: Mendoza believes that veterans have long felt misrepresented in Hollywood war films, and "Warfare" aims to bridge that gap by offering a more realistic portrayal.
Mendoza aims to remind viewers that war is fought by the young. "Warfare" is set to premiere in the US and UK on April 11.
- The dynamic cast of "Warfare," including Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Noah Centineo, and others, worked intensively for three weeks under the tutelage of director Ray Mendoza in a bootcamp, learning military tactics, weapons training, and radio communications, aiming to portray their characters with an authentic touch.
- In an interview with CNN, director Alex Garland shared that "Warfare" is an exercise in accurate recreation of real events, incorporating military jargon such as "peeking" and "probing" to add an extra layer of authenticity, although some might find it puzzling or amusing to the uninitiated.
- Travolta, despite his absence in "Warfare," holds a significant connection to the film as his dance-off scene in "Perfect" served as inspiration for the opening music video featuring Eric Prydz's "Call on Me," setting a tone of heightened anticipation and adrenaline for the audience.
