Based on a true story, "Lone Survivor" tells the story of a group of four Navy Seals who embark on an important mission in Afghanistan that ultimately fails. The film was adapted by director Peter Berg from the novel by survivor Markus Luttrell and features Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch and Taylor Kitsch.
The film starts off with a montage that showcases the real-life Navy Seals before depicting Luttrell (Wahlberg) being rescued by military forces and fighting to remain alive. After about five or so minutes the film jumps back to the official start of the mission. Reviewing some parts of "Lone Survivor" are tricky propositions. The main aim of the film is to honor the memory and heroism of the men lost to war and as such, the film undoubtedly succeeds. However, the means of achieving this goal often come off as exaggerated and less effective. This particular opening is one of those moments where the intent is duly noted, but the execution is not necessarily fitting for the context. The opening montage is potent and gives the viewer a strong sense of the world of the Navy Seal. The main issue with the opening is the choice to cut to the operation of a dying Luttrell. It creates tension and anticipation for what comes next, but ultimately feels unnecessary in the overall context. Berg ultimately bookends this opening structure at the end, but the acknowledgement of the structural unity of the film does not make up for its rather lengthy introduction.
Once the film gets off and running it transforms into a brutal experience for the viewer. Berg does not shy away from excessive violence and repeatedly jolts the viewer with gruesome images of men jumping down cliffs as well as piercing injuries. The visceral experience borders on unwatchable, but really gives the viewer a hint of the pain that the four Navy Seals had to endure in their journey. The pace is relenting throughout the middle portion of the film and the tension is ramped up to its highest.
Berg does indulge in some slow-motion throughout the sequence however in what are attempts to romanticize the material. The characters' first leap off a cliff feels like it came out of a mainstream action movie and not the gritty war film that "Lone Survivor" seemingly aims to be for most of its duration. The deaths of each of the three men are all portrayed artfully with the clear aim of honoring the memories of the soldiers. It is hard to criticize the choice of slowing down the action to give the characters a respectful death, considering who the characters are and what they mean to the American people. These are really the only instances in which the slow-motion is rationalized and accepted; however, the other slow-mo moments littered throughout the action feel unnecessary in the context and limit the overall effectiveness of the battle sequences.
The final montage of the film is quite lengthy but it is potent in its execution and will likely leave the viewer with a few tears in their eyes.
The third act of the film is perhaps the weakest link in the chain. Once Luttrell is saved by a group of Afghan locals he is cared for in the home of a man and his son. Berg seems intent on making the audience fall in love with the boy and imposes a number of close-ups throughout these scenes. The intent becomes so obvious that it is a distraction and takes away from the tension of the action. Berg's attempts to infuse humor into the situation but does not help and creates an imbalanced tone to the overall production. The language barrier is over-emphasized when Luttrell asks for a "knife" and the boy brings a duck. The scene is quite possibly the most awkward scene in the entire film as it feels like an over-indulgent attempt at humor in a movie filled with so much tension and pain. After enduring a potent action sequence that contained a tremendous amount of gritty realism, Berg opts for a rather Hollywood-esque climax that conveniently pits some major rivals against each other and even features one character saving another at the last second in the most unrealistic and cheesiest moment of the entire film.
The performances are strong throughout with Wahlberg giving arguably his best performance in years as Luttrell. He has a calm and collected demeanor throughout the film and seemingly grows stronger despite the pain and suffering that he must endure. The final scene, in which he is finally saved, features one of the most heart-felt moments from Wahlberg as his strength gives way to complete vulnerability. Kitsch gives his character Michael Murphy a tremendous amount of dignity amidst the chaos while Hirsch is pure vulnerability throughout as Danny Dietz. Foster may be the best of all as Matt Axelson. He has a strong sense of pride and control early on but slowly unhinges as the battle heats up; his eyes bulge with fury and intense passion that pierces the viewer in a tremendously visceral manner.
"Lone Survivor" succeeds in honoring its source material and the soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice to serve their country. While the film is ultimately uneven in its execution, it is bound to leave viewers emotionally drained and with a stronger appreciation of the men and women that risk their lives for the safety of their nation.