“The Covenant” (also known pretentiously as “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant) is a recently released war movie. Director Guy Ritchie also co-wrote and co-produced the film. It was filmed in Spain which fills in well for Afghanistan. The original title was “The Interpreter”.
The movie starts with a title card mentioning that during the War in Afghanistan, American forces were aided by Afghanis who risked their lives interpreting. There was a tacit agreement that those interpreters who wished to come to the U.S. would be given visas to do so. There is a foreboding aspect to this “covenant”. Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) heads a squad of men who are in the IED prevention business. It’s a dangerous job as evidenced by an incident at a checkpoint that leaves them needing a new interpreter. Kinley chooses Ahmed (Dar Salim) in spite of the warning that he is not a yes man. He has an attitude that comes with his experience and expertise. When asked why he risks being considered a traitor and being marked for death, he simply says he needs the money. But since that is not a good motivation for American audiences, it is later revealed that his son had been killed by the Taliban. Revenge instead of money makes for a better hero.
Ahmed is a good choice because he has a sixth sense about ambushes. It takes a while for Kinley to trust Ahmed. When told to keep his deductions to himself, Ahmed responds: “I am an interpreter, not just a translator.” The small unit gets permission to raid a possible bomb-making factory at an abandoned mine. They kick an ant hill and Kinley is left badly wounded with only Ahmed to save him. At this point the movie becomes a buddy movie with the duo on the run. Part 2 of the movie covers Kinley’s attempt to return the favor (and fulfill their personal covenant) by rescuing Ahmed from death for being an interpreter. And he for being infamous for saving that American.
“The Covenant” is a Guy Ritchie film so you can expect a lot of action and bloodshed. This is his first war movie and someone must have told him that a war movie is not a crime movie. The combat is borderline combat porn, but he actually restrains himself as there is no defiance of the laws of physics and the violence is not graphic. You do get the usual disregard for reloading and plenty of explosions. The battles are well choreographed and the two sites are different than you’re used to seeing. The two fire fights are exhilarating and won’t leave you shaking your head. The body count is very high. America, fuck yeah!
The movie is basically a two actor show and Gyllenhaal and Salim are excellent. Both are the strong silent type. In fact, the dialogue is sparse throughout (except when Kinley is cursing out the bureaucracy for not getting Ahmed a visa.) In some ways, the bureaucrats are the villain of the movie. It sucks to be married to these two. Kinley is the stereotyped American who leaves his family behind to serve his country and then when he is finally back after being assumed dead, he returns in a very risky move. His wife is understanding, of course. Ahmed also has a family which he risks by becoming an interpreter and then becoming the most wanted man in Afghanistan. Kinley does play the white savior, but unlike almost all of this trope, the man he is saving did more for him than he can ever repay. What Ahmed does for Kinley is incredible and is one of the times the movie stretches credulity. It is clearly not a true story. And as such, it is predictable. For those of you familiar with the Spectre gunship, when it is mentioned, you know what’s coming. America, fuck yeah!
While not based on an actual soldier – interpreter relationship, the movie is realistic in depicting the dilemma interpreters put themselves in. If you thing about it, they really are traitors for aiding an army that had invaded their country. That’s why we should have been committed to saving them when our involvement ended. The most important message of the movie is we should be ashamed of how we treated them. Hell, the only way Ahmed gets out is to have an unauthorized rescue mission save him and his family. Anyone knowing American history knows that it is a bad decision to collaborate with American forces. Ask the Indians who scouted for the cavalry, the South Vietnamese that accommodated the American military, and the Afghani interpreters.
“The Covenant” is an entertaining movie for war movie lovers and/or action movie fans. It’s message that you should pay your debt is done with verve and its lesson that we screwed our Afghani interpreters will make you feel ashamed. America, what the fuck!
GRADE = B
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