FIVE DAYS OF WAR

US/Georgia, 2011, 110 minutes. Colour.
Rupert Friend, Val Kilmer, Richard Coyle, Andy Garcia, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Heather Graham, Mikko Nousiainen, Dean Cain, Rade Serbedzija, Johnathon Schaech.
Directed by Renny Harlin.

Which five days of war, in which August? The answer is early August, 2008, when Russia and Georgia were involved in a short war over the region of Southern Ossetia and whether it belonged to Russia or to Georgia. The Russians invaded – and are still in occupation.

The treatment of war is much the same as in many similar films. The interest is in being offered a glimpse of the war, the people, the suffering, the political issues, the response of the Russian leadership of Medvedev and Putin, the decisions of the Georgian leadership. While there are scenes of battle, the focus, in fact, is on foreign journalists and their role in bringing images of atrocities to the world’s attention (even when the networks show no interest and are concentrating on the opening of the Beijing Olympics).

There is no doubt that the film is on the side of Georgia. The Russians are presented as barbaric invaders. Some commentators have felt that the film is propaganda. Others argue that it is not propaganda even though it firmly presents the views of Georgia. There is an underlying desire in the screenplay, despite the war and cruelty, for peace and freedom. And the film opens with the quotation about the first casualty of war being truth. There is also a statistic that in the past decade over 5000 journalists have been killed in war situations.

The film opens in Iraq 2007 where casual chat on the way to an interview is prelude to a deadly ambush. The central character, journalist Tom Anders (Rupert Friend) and his cameraman Sebastian Ganz (Richard Coyle) go to Georgia at the invitation of their journalist friend, Dutchman (Val Kilmer). As the war breaks out and there are uncertainties, they go up country and film a local wedding which, we know, is going to be bombed. What follows is a rescue of the bride, her sister who has been educated in the US, and their South Ossetian father. They are helped, and later rescued, by a Georgian fighter (Jonathan Schaech), but they also have to hide and witness atrocities carried out by a Cossack soldier. They are captured and interrogated to find the memory card with the incriminating footage, especially by a Russian commander (Rade Serbedzija) whose son was killed in Afghanistan and who has a world-weary view of war.

In the meantime, the president (Andy Garcia) and his cabinet are appealing for US help, not forthcoming, and for help from the European Union (eventually).

To a large extent, the material is familiar, characters and situations from other war films: the bawdy journalistic chat and drinking, the heroic rescues, the split second rescues, the rounding up of the innocent, the long marches of people displaced.

Director, Renny Harlin, is better known as a director of action films like Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Despite these limitations and the fact that the hero is not particularly likeable, we become involved in the crises, perhaps remembering this war vaguely, how it impinged (or did not) on our consciousness, and being reminded of so many similar (and worse) wars in our time.

1. The title, the war in 2008, five days of war between Russia and Georgia?

2. The Georgian background of the film, the bias, the feeling? Filming in Georgia? Tbilisi, the countryside? The atmosphere of the country? The musical score?

3. The action sequences, military, special effects?

4. The war genre and its conventions, familiar characters, journalists and soldiers, war situations?

5. Audience knowledge of this war, the countries and their history? South Ossetia and secession? Points of view?

6. The opening in Iraq, the introduction to the characters, to Anders and to Sebastian? The chat, the banter, the sudden ambush? The shooting, Miriam and her character, her death? Anders covering Miriam? The aftermath, Tom and Sebastian and the effect?

7. 2008, the Dutchman and his inviting them to Tbilisi? The gathering of the journalists, in the pub, their talk, the drinking, the sex banter? Anders and Sebastian? The character of the Dutchman, the discussions with the British journalist? With the woman journalist – amongst all the men? Reputations as journalists? War action?

8. The political background of the film? The presentation of the president, his assessing the situation, the Russian advance, the Georgian defence? Issues of who initiated the confrontation? Battles? The issue of South Ossetia? Recalling his cabinet? The role of his American adviser, continued liaison with Washington? The Americans not helping? Medvedev and Putin and their attitudes? The appeal to the European Union? The various strategies, the two fronts, Georgia not able to sustain them? The withdrawal? The EU leaders standing with the president?

9. Russian motivations, amassing the troops, the invasion, the occupation? The Georgian response?

10. Anders and Sebastian, their friendship, travelling together, the journalist and the cameraman? Going up-country? Seeking the war? The contact with Captain Avaliani? His guidance and help?

11. The Georgian wedding, the elaborate celebrations, the joy, singing and dancing, photographing the wedding?

12. Audiences anticipating the planes, their flying over, the attack, bombing and strafing, the deaths? The group escaping?

13. Tatia, her coming back from America, her estrangement from her father, the issue of South Ossetia? Her sister and the death of the husband? The back-story?

14. The group escaping, watching from behind the bridge? The Cossack, his appearance and tattoos, the ruthlessness? The killing of the old woman? Summoning the mayor and the leader? Their throats being cut?

15. Sebastian and his abilities, photographing the scenes, the issue of the memory card, burying it?

16. The capture and the interrogation? The Russian colonel and his interview with Anders, playing chess? His reminiscences about his son dying? Following orders? Sebastian and the threat of torture? Tatia’s father and his being tortured, his giving the information? Tatia’s response? Her rejecting her father? The bride, standing up in the jeep, her being killed?

17. The issue of finding the card, Anders going back, the search for the studio, the attempt to send the footage to the United States? The lack of interest? The opening of the Beijing Games? Anders and his contact and her inability to help?

18. Tatia, being taken hostage, the Cossack and his demanding the card? His being shot by the young soldier who had saved the group in the greenhouse?

19. The colonel, the advancing tanks, the sequences of the refugees along the roads? The group joining the refugees? Expecting to die? The colonel letting them live?

20. The ending of the war, the president with the EU leaders? The group regathering? The human rights organisations getting the footage? The possibility of influencing world opinion?

21. The portrait of 21st century wars? Their brevity? Media coverage? Mixed motivations, political and territorial, cultural?