O Cerco de Jadotville

I never heard of this battle before, and I'm a Belgian. Apparently this combat story has been held secret from us, or maybe I just skipped a lesson when they teached us that historical fact, that's also possible. Nevertheless, it doesn't really matter, as once again it's proven that war is fought by people that massacre each other but don't know each other, commanded and benefited by people that know each other but that don't fight each other. It's an interesting story, certainly entertaining, even for people that are not into war movies. A poignant story about courage, desperation and combat tactics. The cast was very good, with an excellent Jamie Dornan playing the main character Patrick Quinlan. Richie Smyth did a good job directing this hommage to those men that once came home as supposedly cowards only to be recognized as heroes fifty years later, typical again for the insanity of wars.

In 1961, the UN sends an Irish peacekeeper troop commanded by Commandant Pat Quilan (Jamie Dornan) to Katanga, in Congo, to protect the inhabitants of the mining town of Jadotville in the beginning of a civil war. Meanwhile the UN adviser Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien (Mark Strong) launches a military attack named Operation Morthor against the French and Belgian mercenaries. Soon there is a reprisal from the mercenaries and Quilana and his men are left under the siege of a huge Katangese and mercenary troops. Will the Irish soldiers resist to the attack?

"The Siege of Jadotville" is a great action film with a story based on a true unknown story of courage. The action scenes are spectacular but the political conspiracy could be better explained for viewers that do not have knowledge of this historical event. But "The Siege of Jadotville" is worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Based on true events, this film is a shock to the system because what it reveals had been meticulously covered up for over 40 years. The film highlights one of the most important roles ever played by the Irish Defence Forces as United Nations peace keepers. All the more astonishing given the "battle virginity" and inexperience of the Irish troops, and the menacing threat and overwhelming numbers of hardened ex-Foreign Legion French and African mercenaries there to defend the interests of the powerful international mining companies. Superbly acted by a mainly unknown cast, the tension mounts from the moment the troops find themselves billeted in the uranium rich mining outpost of Jadotville, Katanga in the province of Kinshasa at the southern rump of the fledgling Republic of The Congo.

In the background the Cold War is at its most dangerous as the Western, Eastern political blocs posture between the emerging United Nations trying to establish its credibility on the international stage. The civil war in this strategically important supplier to the nuclear armaments race is at its height, and an Irish diplomat, Conor Cruise O'Brien (Mark Strong) is sent to Katanga to handle the situation on behalf of the UN. It is impossible to fathom how the Irish commandant (Jamie Dornan) in charge on the ground can be expected to keep the peace and hold the area assigned to the poorly equipped Irish troops. While tension mounts locally, high stakes and political posturing take place on the world stage, stretching the ubiquitous tension even further. I'm still pinching myself with the realisation that all this happened within my lifetime and never I knew a thing about it until viewing this spell-binding, tension filled action drama. This massively impacting film would be well worth seeing again, if only to focus next time on the drama itself without the distraction or initial shock of the unfolding historical events so impressively portrayed.

I happened to be in Jadotville before the arrival of the Irish UN troops. The Katangese did not want the UN to be there at all and supported Moise Tshombe. Even the public aimed their hostility at the UN and praised Tsombe's mercenary forces. In Jadotville we knew that the Irish and trouble was coming, so some friends and I were evacuated to Elizabethville.

I lost touch with happenings at Jadotville and one never knew what really transpired there. It is only now by coming across this film that the truth comes out and why the secrecy was kept for 45 years.

I watched the film with anticipation, which also brought back many memories. I accept that the film was dramatized, but I can assure you it was no fun being there.

I was delighted to see the release of that genuine rarity - an Irish action/war film. And that its based on one of the great untold (or at least undersold) stories of valour makes it all the more intriguing. And its wonderful to see the 'Jadotville Jacks' finally having their story told.

I'm slightly reluctant to report that the film itself is something of a mixed bag. Its a particularly difficult story to tell because so many of the events are mired in historical controversy. Even a Graham Greene or John Le Carre would struggle to make sense of the conflicting real life plots of that period. Ultimately, nobody really knows why it was thought to make sense to isolate the soldiers in Jadotville and then fail so miserably to support them, or for that matter why the Katangans were so determined to dislodge them. We only know that the soldiers were victims of geopolitical plotting far from the battlefield. The films tortuous script tries hard to illuminate the multiple double dealings going on in the background, but ultimately this becomes tiresome and excessively literal.

The film tries very hard to be both a historical record, reasonably faithful to the events, and also a kick ass action film. Thats a very hard trick to pull off, and it doesn't quite manage it. Primarily, I think the problem is an excessively literal script - full of little walk in parts from historical figures making portentous and suitably ambiguous statements, with some clunky domestic scenes that try to illuminate the men behind the soldiers stranded in the town. Some of the dialogue is frankly a little painful. Thankfully, this is balanced by genuinely superb action scenes and a great narrative pace. I couldn't help thinking that this is a film that could have done with two different directors - the actual director who shows great talent and skill filming in Jadotville, and another who could handle the other parts of the film with a bit more subtlety and empathy.

It is a pity that it seems the film will not have a wide cinema release, because it deserves to be seen in the cinema. Certainly the audience in the cinema where I watched it were very enthusiastic about it (not least the ladies behind me who regularly expressed their appreciation of Jamie Doran quite loudly). But with luck it will be widely seen on Netflix.