Lonesome Soldier (2023)

 

            “Lonesome Soldier” is an independence film directed by Nino Aldi. It is the true story of Jackson Harlow. He volunteered for the Tennessee National Guard after high school because his life was going nowhere. He told his new wife that he would not volunteer to go overseas, but then the Army changed its policy and he is deployed to Iraq. To make matters worse for his marriage, his unit’s tour gets extended. While in Iraq, he witnesses his best friend getting killed trying to protect him when he tries to rescue a girl in a fire- fight.  When he returns to Tennessee, his wife has left him. His parents expect him to be the old Jackson and underestimate his mental scars from his military experience. How clueless are they? The day he returns home, his family celebrates with a fireworks display!  He has PTSD and has nightmares about the incident. The movie covers the incident in flashbacks similar to the wounding of Snowden in “Catch-22”.  He gets hooked on drugs. He ends up overdosing and goes into a coma. Although the doctors tell his mother that has only 1% chance of surviving, she does not give up.

            “Lonesome Soldier” is in the PTSD subgenre. Movies showing the mental effects of war became popular in the 21^st Century, partly because American serviceman and servicewomen were coming back from unpopular wars like the War in Iraq. Movies have done a good job showing the clueless public the reasons for and effects of PTSD. Harlow’s experiences break no new ground, but since it’s a true story, it separates itself from the majority of PTSD movies. And like most PTSD movies, it shares some cliches. Harlow is tortured by an incident involving the death of a civilian and/or a best buddie. When he returns, his friends and relatives do not understand that he is changed. His friends mock him partly because they think he was a chump to go fight in an unpopular war. He uses drugs to escape his trauma. There is a shortage of empathy. His world falls apart and he sinks to a low level before he gets his footing. One aspect that is not cliché is the movie does not criticize the Veteran’s Bureau. It is one of the counselors who helps him overcome his PTSD

            Since it is an indie, the movie had a low budget. This is clear as the flashbacks to the fire-fight are small scale. They just found an Iraq-looking street and staged it there. The cast is also low budget. The only face you will recognize is John Ashton (“Beverly Hills Cop”). The acting is better than what you would expect from a low-rent cast. Alexander Randazzo has a meaty role playing Harlow. His depiction of a drug addict with PTSD is realistic. His pathos does not slide into pity. The plot is predictable, especially if you have seen other PTSD movies like “Born on the Fourth of July”. The movie manages to stand with the minorityof PTSD movies because it also depicts the effects the trauma has on friends and family. Harlow is like the rock thrown into a pound. There are ripple effects.

            “Lonesome Soldier” is a decent addition to the 21^st Century PTSD movies. It is not as good as the best films in the subgenre, like “Waltz with Bashir” and “Birdy”. Don’t make it your first movie that highlights PTSD, but you should watch it if you want a movie that focuses on it, not just as an excuse for a character’s behavior.

GRADE =  B-