toby-brace

Holy crap. Michael Bay made a truly great movie. That alone ought to tell you something. There is no way you can deny the power of this film. Yes there were a little too many pyrotechnics for my liking, but hey, it's Michael Bay. The story is just so powerful. And raises so many emotions. Of course it is political dynamite. But it does not go there, explicitly. There is no overt statement of blame. But.... that makes it all the more powerful. Those in charge, who were certainly aware of what was happening, simply do not appear in the film. They just aren't there. As they just weren't there on that terrible night.

Very clever. That's not an accident.

The most poignant scene of the film for me, and the most damaging for you-know-who, is a simple still shot, of a squadron of F-16's sitting idle on the runway. Doing nothing.

Message received.

It's not often that a film induces a genuine change of heart in me, but this one did. I used to simply hate and despise the raggedy rebel armies of West Africa with their child soldiers, their cruel atrocities and apparent primitive mindless violence towards civilians in general. But this film showed me a side to them that I had never considered. I found myself feeling sorry for them, and the cynical way in which they were used. I realized that they must also have courage, and discipline, and belief in the cause. Like any fighters, they must advance into deadly danger. The lead actor is a child, yet more than holds his own with Idris Elba, a great actor by any measure. By the end I was shaken. I will not forget this film. And I will never think the same way again about the tragic and pointless wars of Africa.