12 Strong film review, conflict in Afghanistan
The conflict in Afghanistan involving the Taliban and foreign troops from the United States has been going on for almost 20 years. The involvement of the United States in the conflict in Afghanistan was caused by the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2011.
At that time, President George W Bush ordered US troops to launch attacks against the Taliban, because it was believed that the Taliban were involved in the September 11, 2011 attacks that killed many people.
After nearly 20 years of US troops in Afghanistan, until finally on May 1, 2021, the US government will officially withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in stages after a prolonged conflict that has claimed many lives.
The conflict that occurred in Afghanistan has also been made into a Hollywood film, you know, which is taken from a true story from a book entitled Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton, the film is entitled 12 Strong.
12 Strong is directed by Nicolai Fuglsig and Jerry Bruckheimar is a producer, and Peter Craig is writing a script. Fuglsig as the director managed to make anyone who watched this film feel the tension, Fuglsig specifically displays the war timeline and the strategies used by US troops in 12 Strong's film.
12 Strong presents various nuances that can be felt during a war, starting from the nuances of tension, sadness, and hope, all of which you can see in this film.
This Warner Bros. film is worth watching if you really like war films. 12 Strong is not only a war film that shows a lot of war action, but 12 Strong is also seasoned with a drama of inner war between the characters.
Interestingly, this film stars Chris Hemsworth, of course you don't have to doubt the quality of Chris Hemsworth's acting. Chris who has starred in many action films, in this film his acting looks so natural and classy.
Besides Chris Hemsworth there are also several actors who are also involved in starring in this film such as Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Navid Negahban, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, Thad Luckinbill, William Fichtner, and Rob Riggle.
12 Strong tells the story of 12 United States special forces who were sent to Afghanistan a few days after the terror incident that destroyed the World Trade Center building on September 11, 2001.
This film attempts to present a strong drama story by starting the story from inside the house, when Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) is on leave and playing with his wife and children. Adding to the dramatic side, even Mitch's daughter was the first to see the terror incident that occurred on television.
This incident prompted Mitch to go to war, even though he had previously asked to change divisions because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Mitch and the team head to Afghanistan on a mission to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. He was determined to return home because of the promise he had made to his wife.
This film also tells the family of several troops who are under Mitch's leadership. Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon) must leave with the sadness shown by his wife and children. While at the house of Sam Diller (Michael Pena), his wife tries to appear strong in front of her husband.
When they arrive at the US military base in Uzbekistan, the troops are asked to cooperate with General Dostum (Navid Negahban), one of the generals of the Northern Alliance. It is not easy, Mitch must get rid of the suspicion between them in order to work together. Especially because the number of troops they have is far less than the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
With their limitations, Mitch and Dostum must defeat Al-Qaeda and Taliban troops who are equipped with various advanced weapons of war, including large tanks and missiles. Initially Mitch's troops were assisted by air strikes from the US military, but at the crucial moment, air strikes could no longer be launched.
Finally, Mitch's troops, which only numbered 12 people and General Dostum's troops, who only had hundreds of cavalry and makeshift war equipment, relied on their courage to rush into the battlefield and kill their enemies directly.
It can be seen that this film prioritizes elements of drama to be explored more deeply. It's interesting to see the turmoil of a military captain who usually seems strong in all conditions. It is also interesting to see how heavy the hearts of the families left behind when the troops departed for the battlefield.
Even so, the action element in this film is also quite a portion. Tension after tension can be felt when several airstrikes miss, or when an enemy thought to have surrendered actually detonated a suicide bomber.