6 Films With Powerful Depictions Of True Heroism

Lone Survivor (2013)

This Peter Berg film depicts the ill-fated Operation Red Wings – a 2005 U.S military operation, the objective of which was to disrupt anti-coalition militia activity in the Pech District of Afghanistan, and create regional stability ahead of Afghan Parliamentary elections. The central target of the operation was Taliban leader Ahmad Shah, who was responsible for the murders of both U.S Marines, and local residents that helped the coalition forces. The initial four-man Navy SEAL team undertaking the operation came under attack, however, resulting in a prolonged combat situation.

The first two acts of the film focus almost exclusively on the four-man team – Lt Michael P Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), Matthew Axelson (Ben Foster) and Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg). Dropped into a mountainous region above an area of hostile activity, the group encounters communication problems almost immediately. They are then stumbled upon by an elderly shepherd and two teenagers, and are concerned at the likelihood of these individuals alerting the Taliban to their presence.

Releasing the three, the team decide to abort their mission – but are set upon by Taliban forces before they can communicate their situation to their base. A vicious firefight ensues, during which each SEAL is gravely wounded, and forced to jump from cliff-tops to escape. Eventually, Lt Murphy sacrifices himself by climbing to high, exposed ground for a satellite phone signal and contacting reinforcements before being executed. However, the two-helicopter rescue is itself attacked, and one is shot down. With all his team-mates dead, and the remaining helicopter having retreated, Luttrell is found and aided by local villager Mohammad Gulab – who enlists the help of fellow villagers to protect the SEAL, and sends someone to the nearest U.S airbase with a note from Luttrell.

While the first two acts are brutal to watch, it is the third act that makes this film truly powerful. We have by this point endured a relentless cinematic experience, during which the impressive performances of Mark Wahlberg, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster and Taylor Kitsch have us deeply immersed in every bleak moment of their situation. Because of that, though, we are inside the perspective of those Navy SEALs, which means we are inside a tight-knit unit, and feel that everyone else they encounter on that mountainside is a potential threat to their lives.

But then, the third act flips that perspective entirely, and we are suddenly given the perspective of others in the area – people who are often brutalised and murdered for helping people like the characters we have become so invested in, but are determined to help regardless. It is a reality-check that has a shattering impact, and yet provides a sense of hope amid the carnage.