Reflections on a War Movie: Lone Survivor

I’ve seen most of the war movies made over the last seventy years (see “Ken’s Top 50 World War II Films”). I rank Band of Brothers, the 10-part miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks about the real-life heroism of Easy Company as the very best. The recent film Lone Survivor has elements that remind me of the things I appreciated about Band of Brothers. Without giving away the storyline of Lone Survivor, let me simply list some of the things I appreciated about the film.

1. While the actors do a fine job of playing Navy SEALs, the movie displays photographs of the real men and information about their lives.
2. The film captures well that unique relationship that combat soldiers (in this case Navy SEALs) share when fighting for their country and sacrificing for each other.
3. The cinematography of the film cultivates an appreciation for the challenges of fighting a determined enemy in a very difficult region of the world.
4. Part of the storyline helps to humanize some of the Afghan tribesmen, showing that there are noble people all over the globe who care deeply for others.

I give the movie a 10-out-of-10 and highly recommend people go see it. Though keep in mind, this is an intense film filled with realistic combat violence and blue language common among elite fighting men.

In closing, when I think of America’s noble warriors I’m reminded of Jesus’s words in John 15:13 (ESV), “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”