Movies like Titanic and Life is Beautiful make us realize just how terrible certain events in history were. We can marvel at them in our history books, but the medium of film reaches a level of reality that words can never seem to express. Today, we are faced with our own tragedy -- the war in Iraq. Director Kimberly Peirce's Stop-Loss, which premiered March 28, immerses its audience in the war's gritty reality in a way news headlines cannot.
The movie focuses on a small group of soldiers who have just finished their tour of duty in Iraq. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) and Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) return home to their small town in Texas expecting to seamlessly resume their former lives. They are, unfortunately, extremely mistaken. When Brandon goes to be released from duty, he discovers he has orders to be sent back to Iraq -- he's been "stop-lossed."
While Titanic and other historical films of its kind present an idealized form of disaster, there is nothing remotely glamorous about Stop-Loss. The movie's violence is not excessive to the point of glorified gore, but it shows the audience just enough to convey the horror of the "kill-or-be-killed" mentality.
Beyond physical violence, Stop-Loss is a film filled with tension, and it is unafraid to address all sides of the issue. While Shriver suggests we should drop bombs on Iraq every time opposing soldiers attack us, Brandon angrily tells Michelle (Abbie Cornish) that the war had nothing to do with what the government said it did. Shriver wraps up a speech with how they're killing people over in Iraq so they don't have to on U.S. soil, and Brandon quietly reminisces about just how difficult it is to recognize friend from foe in such a chaotic environment. In other words, the movie "goes there." It's unafraid to make its audience uncomfortable with the reality it faces today -- in fact, creating discomfort might well be the film's goal.
In addition to tackling the many nuances of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the acting and direction move the story forward powerfully. The director makes use of homemade movies courtesy of the soldiers in the film, and, paired with the raw cinematography, gives the film more of a documentary feel at times. The acting is dynamic and complex enough for the plot, direction and themes -- nothing is out of place.
I don't pretend to be an expert on the military system or the many facets of the conflict in Iraq five years after its beginning. This movie goes beyond facts and bipartisan politics, however; it goes straight to the heart of so many different opinions and feelings on this complicated issue. It gives faces to the lives claimed by the war (both Iraqi and American) and to those who are still fighting in it. It takes the private American citizen from in front of their TV right into the heart of the action and its repercussions.
Needless to say, if you're looking for a low-key movie, you won't find it in Stop-Loss. It's surprising, disturbing, confusing, complex and challenging. For that reason, it is precisely the movie today's audiences need to watch -- not just for its quality, but for its message as well.3
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