THE BEST AND WORST OF 2021

 

 

 

Well, it's that time of the new year again.  It's been a pretty bad year for outstanding war movies, but a great year for bad movies.  I had to beat the bushes so much to find ten good war movies to tout that I have decided to do something unusual (but I make the rules, right?) and put a series at the top of my list.  It's the best thing I saw this year, so it deserves the recognition.  The rest of the list is full of movies that are not well known and are worth a watch.  I'm talking about the Best of 2021 list.  The other list, avoid at all costs.  Or binge watch them and you will be assured nothing will be worse in 2022.  Things can only go up.

The Long Road Home  (2017) 

                    “The Long Road Home” is a miniseries that aired on National Geographic in 2017.  It was based on the nonfiction book The Long Road Home:  A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz.  She chronicles the 1^st Air Cavalry’s involvement in the Siege of Sadr City in 2004.  Specifically, it covers an event known as “Black Sunday” (known as Palm Sunday back in the States).  The eight 42-minute episodes were directed by either Phil Abraham or Mikael Salomon (who won an Emmy for two episodes of “Band of Brothers”).  The series was filmed with military cooperation at Ft. Hood in Texas.  Cooperation allowed for the use of the bases urban warfare site designed to prepare troops for combat in Iraqi cities. The production added buildings to conform to the alley and building where the platoon was pinned down.  Ft. Hood provided extras and several of the series characters were on set as technical advisers.

                    The series begins with a reminder that we invaded Iraq in 2003.  42 days after the invasion, Pres. Bush gave his famous “mission accomplished” speech.  The series will make it clear that that claim was premature.  On March 31, 2004, the 1^st Air Cav was deployed to keep the peace in a section of Baghdad known as Sadr City.  They and their families were told it was “the safest place in Iraq”.  They were on a peace-keeping and reconstruction mission.  At first, this seemed accurate, but if it had held true, we wouldn’t have this miniseries.

                    The opening scene (as in the book) features a military hospital with graphic wounds.  This is not going to be a tame TV production.  Now that it has been established that Sadr City was not very safe, we flash back to the going away scene which establishes the format of intercutting from Iraq to the home front.  Each episode revolves around a member of the unit.  For example, the first episode is centered on Lt. Aguero (E.J. Bonilla).  His son is upset with his father going away because he feels his father’s primary loyalty is to his unit instead of his family.  The series will examine the family dynamic for several of the men.  The wives and kids had been assured the tour would be uneventful, but within four days of arrival in Baghdad, a sanitation support detail led by Aguero goes horribly wrong.  His platoon gets caught in the rebellion by a militia led by a religious leader named Al Sadr.  It’s a scenario similar to that of “Black Hawk Down” except that Aguero’s commanding officer Lt. Col. Volesky (Michael Kelly) had been optimistic about the future of the mission and thought “hearts and minds” was working.  Aguero’s Humvees are ambushed traveling through the streets and they have to take refuge in a house.  The rest of the series will concentrate on efforts to rescue them.  We will intercut between Aguero and those efforts.  Aguero’s situation acts as a microcosm of the Iraq situation.  He has an interpreter/collaborator named Jassim (Darius Homayoun) who gets his own episode which highlights the two sides of the Iraqi factionalism.  In the house that Aguero’s squad occupies, there is an Iraqi family that gives us the perspective of civilians in Sadr City. 

                    The second episode concentrates on Volesky, so the series spends time on command decisions.  Each episode begins with a flashback to the men and their families before they left Ft. Hood.  And then, as events transpire, the series intercuts back to the families as they deal with first the rumors and then the reality of what they’re soldiers are going through.  Episode three is about Capt. Denomy (Jason Ritter), who led the first attempt to reach Aguero.   His wife Gina (Kate Bosworth) and Volesky’s wife (Sarah Wayne Callies) are going to play roles similar to Julie Moore (Madeleine Stowe) and Barbara Geoghegan (Keri Russell) in “We Were Soldiers”.  Episode four is a showcase for Jeremy Sisto as Sgt. Miltenberger.  Miltenberger is suffering from PTSD from an incident in Kosovo a few years earlier.  He has to mother hen a platoon that goes into Sadr City in the back of a truck, which makes them armed sitting ducks.  Episode 5 is the Jassim episode.  We learn how he went from a Sadr disciple to working with the foreigners.  Episode 6 is the outlier as it tells the story of PFC. Young (Noel Fisher).  This episode is a flash-forward that explains how Young became a famous peace activist.  It includes his relationship with the most famous peace activist (and thorn in Pres. Bush’s side) Casey Sheehan.  Her son was killed in one of the rescue units.  Episode 7 features Sgt. Bourquin (Jon Beavers) who is Aguero’s second in command and offers a different perspective to Aguero’s “enlightened” approach to dealing with Iraqis.  The series closes with the rescue of Aguero’s men and the aftermath represented by SFC. Garza (Jorge Diaz). 

                    When I first learned that National Geographic was taking the plunge into a scripted war miniseries similar to HBO’s “Band of Brothers” and “Generation Kill”, I was skeptical.  I did not even know National Geographic showed anything beside documentaries.  It is not a network I watch.  (I love history, not geography.)  I made an exception for this series, partly to confirm my suspicion that it would be a low budget fiasco.  I was totally wrong.  This series holds it’s own with the best war miniseries.  It also does not embarrass itself when it dares to conjure memories of “Black Hawk Down” and “We Were Soldiers”.  It is closest to “Generation Kill”.  Both are set in Iraq.  GK follows a company during the invasion all the way to Baghdad and “The Long Walk Home” picks up about a year later.  While it has some combat scenes in it, GK is more about the interaction of the unit members.  TLWH focuses on one day of intense combat while blending in character studies and a look at the home front.  They make for excellent companions and the pairing would go a long way in educating one about the war in Iraq.

                    For a TV production which I assume did not have the funding of an HBO series, TLWH does not come off as shoddy in comparison to the far more costly “Band of Brothers”.  Use of Fort Hood has a lot to do with the verisimilitude.  The sets are great with the real-life base being used for the families and the Iraqi city mock-up standing in for Sadr City.  Veterans watching the series would probably remark on the lack of sewage in the streets, but otherwise it looks like the environment they fought in.  The screenwriters managed to set the series apart from the other war series I mentioned above by altering the format.  Basing each episode on a particular participant and starting with a flashback to give that person a back-story was an excellent decision.  The blending in of the family stories gives a depth you don’t get with “Generation Kill”, for instance.  The series is more heart-tugging because of this.  You get, not only some tragic deaths of men you get to know, but you see the reactions of their families.  The dual theme of these men have two families is fleshed out since the running time allows for it, moreso than in a movie.

                    The biggest surprise was the excellent combat.  And there is a lot of it.  The series is not combat porn, but it can be graphic and intense.  It is realistic, although the Americans tend to kill a lot more jihadists who are firing at them from buildings than they actually did that day.  The “fog of war” and FUBAR are readily apparent to the viewer.  And the credo “leave no man behind.”  In that respect, the series is closest to “Black Hawk Down” and sadly, it makes the case for the Army not having learned all the lessons from the Battle of Mogadishu.  It is mind-boggling to watch green troops riding into a hornet’s nest in the back of a truck with no protection, not even a canvas top.  The series does not take a stand on the justification for the war or the way the Pentagon fought it, but you can’t watch without thinking these men were put in an untenable position without proper resources.  The series does not demonize the insurrectionists.  Although there is no face given to the enemy, it is clear they are fighting against foreigners who they feel are trying to control them.  Jassim is a good representative of the tug of war that civilians were subjected to.  There is a powerful scene where innocent civilians are used as human shields by militants who are trying to wipe-out Aguero and his men.  He has to make the decision whether to open fire on the crowd.  It was that kind of war.

                    The acting is fine by a cast of mostly unknowns.  (Most of the cast do not have Wikipedia pages.)  The series did manage to get Michael Kelly, Jeremy Sisto, and Kate Bosworth for some caché.  It’s a big cast, but attention is taken to develop numerous characters.  Not just the eight that are featured in each episode.  Acting honors go to Bonilla, Fisher, and Homayoun, but the acting is solid across the board.

                    After I saw the series for the first time, I ordered the book by Raddatz.  I have to admit to a prejudice against women war historians, so I was just as skeptical about the book as I was about the series.  Especially since Raddatz is not an historian, but is a news correspondent.  I watched the series a second time to prepare this review and then read the book to see how much the series conforms to the book.  Raddatz’s book is excellent and an entertaining read.  The Siege of Sadr City was a significant event in Iraq, but sadly it occurred long after Americans stopped caring about the war.  I recommend the book to anyone who wants to be informed about the mess we got into over there and how it affected our servicemen and their families.  The series follows the book as closely as could be wanted.  Most of the incidents in the series are confirmed in the book, but there were some liberties taken.  I’ve already mentioned the higher than actual kill rate for the Americans.  The Miltenberger character was the exception to the effort to match the men with their actual person.  This was probably an effort to give Jeremy Sisto a more meaty role.  There are no huge tamperings with history.  The family in the Aguero house were made up, but this was to give Iraqi civilians generic representation.  The series has nothing as egregious as the final scene in “We Were Soldiers”.  There is no America kicks ass in the fourth quarter ending here.

                    Few people, even war movie fans, are aware of this excellent miniseries.  It was not widely viewed when it premiered, which is unfortunate because that will probably discourage other networks from attempting similar productions.  However, it is worth the search to view it now.  It is available on Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling, and Fubo.  You won’t regret watching it.

GRADE  =  A+

2.  The Breadwinner (2017) -  This animated feature is set in Afghanistan before the U.S. invasion.  The Taliban is making life medieval for women.  Parvana's goal it to get her father released from a prison he is sent to because he is a teacher.  She disguises herself as a boy to make money and move around freely.  Intercut in the story is the telling of a traditional Afghan folk tale about a heroic boy who must defeat the Elephant King (think "Jack and the Beanstalk").  It is in a different animation style.  It's one of the best animated war movies, and one of the best animated movies, period.

3.  The Painted Bird (2019) -  This is the odyssey of a young Jewish boy in Eastern Europe.  In a Holocaust subgenre that has little new to offer.  This is new.  It is a series of vignettes involving eccentric (mostly despicable) characters.  

4.  The Missiles of October (1974) -  This teleplay covers the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It bounces between Kennedy and his advisors and Khrushchev addressing the Politburo.  It has a docudrama feel to it, but with a strong cast.  It is as accurate as you could ask for and although the basics are well-known, it is still edge of your seat.

5.  Spectral (2016) -  This is an sci-fi action film that is set in the near future in a war-torn Eastern European nation.  A special ops team and a scientist are sent in to rescue a squad and they encounter a supernatural force that is resistant to normal weapons and kills with ease.  It is a wild ride.  

6.  Le Pantalon (1997) -  "The Pants" is a French movie that is their equivalent to "Paths of Glory".  A good soldier refuses to wear blood-stained uniform pants taken from a corpse.  He is then court-martialed for "disobedience in the face of the enemy"!  It's predictable, but powerful. 

7.  The Captain (2017) -  Set in the last days of WWII in Europe, a sad sack German soldier assumes the identity of a captain.  Power corrupts an already corrupt personality.  And if you had the balls, you could commit war crimes right up to the end.  It is a remarkably cynical movie that breaks the mold.

8.  At War as at War (1969) -  This Soviet film is set in 1943 and follows a tank destroyer crew as it battles German panzers.  It focuses on the young Lieutenant who is earning the respect of his men, but it is also a small unit movie.  It has some good tank combat in it.

9.  Mother Night (1996) -  Nick Nolte plays an American who is recruited as a spy in Nazi Germany.  His cover is as a Lord Haw Haw type radio personality who gives propaganda speeches.  He seemingly is not acting when he spouts anti-semitic bile.  After the war, he is relocated in NYC as a typical schlub.  This witness protection situation is going to end.  It's based on a Kurt Vonnegut story and he has a cameo.

10.  A Bright Shining Lie (1998) -  Bill Paxton plays John Vann.  This made-for-TV movie is based on Neil Sheehan's acclaimed nonfiction book.  Vann was a legendary figure from America's involvement in Vietnam.  He was a strong proponent of Vietnamization as he attempted to prove the South Vietnamese army could win the war.  Thus he was a tragic figure.

And now for the worst five movies I saw this past year.  

5.  Wheels of Terror (1987)  -  Also known as "The Misfits Brigade", this is based on Sven Hassel's penal battalion misfits.  It is treated as a comedy, or so it would seem.  A cast of dramatic actors play silly badly.  

4.  A Man Called Sarge (1990) -  This is a satire that ends up being a sadtire.  It stars Gary Krueger of Saturday Night Live "fame".  He and a group of stereotypes are  fighting Germans in North Africa.  Expect a lot of silly, but no laughs.

3.  Strike Commando (1987) -  This Macaroni Combat movie is a parody of Rambo.  A commando is betrayed by his boss, who sends him on a mission to find some POWs in Vietnam.  Our often shirtless hero has to deal with a Russian behemoth while expending a prodigious amount of ammo to kill a shit-load of bad guys.

2.  The Last Grenade (1970) -  This is a mercenary in Africa movie starring Stanley Baker.  He is out to eliminate his former mate Alex Cord.  Although the cast is a cut above a Macaroni Combat movie, that just makes the resulting fiasco that much sadder.

And snare drum roll please, here is the worst war movie that I watched this year.

1.  Fear and Desire (1953) -  This very low budget film was the debut for Stanley Kubrick.  He disowned it for good reason.  But unbelievably, some critics consider it a work of art.  It is more like a work of fart.  A big smelly one.