BEHIND ENEMY LINES
US, 2001, 106 minutes, Colour.
Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, David Keith, Olek Krupa, Joaquim de Lameida.
Directed by John Moore.
The setting is Bosnia, 1995, and once again civil war in the Balkans. And again, there is an American presence as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force. When a crack aerial photographer and his pilot are shot down while photographing the mass burials at Srebrenica and the pilot killed, the lone aviator tries to make his way back to a rendezvous to be rescued.
This is familiar material from war movies. The Americans are always at great pains to rescue any of their men, making it a priority. Reviewers critical of pro-US morale-boosting movies are prone to condemn this kind of patriotism, pointing out that Americans should think of the wider and greater good. While they might have a strategic point - illustrated here by the refusal of a NATO admiral to authorise a rescue operation - it seems something of a petty criticism as if other nations, no matter what their politics or religion, would not act in a similar way.
The aviator played, surprisingly, by comedian and writer, Owen Wilson (Rushmore, Shanghai Noon, Zoolander, The Royal Tennenbaums), has some extraordinarily heroic feats to endure in the film, including hiding amongst the corpses in the mass grave, running something of a hurdling marathon over live wires and mines in an industrial compound and warding off relentless guerillas in the Balkan snows. Which makes for exciting viewing, especially since Irish director, John Moore, draws on his skills in advertising and an array of special effects that make some of the action, especially the hitting of the plane and the ejection, quite spectacular.
Of course, there is the point that the American admiral decides to sacrifice his career in order to complete the rescue of one of his men despite the NATO veto. As played by Gene Hackman (in a role similar to that in Crimson Tide), his is the voice of human heroic reason.
1. Patriotic American War film? Pro- American forces? The American military tradition? Involvement in Europe? As perceived by Europeans?
2. The 1990s, the wars in the Balkans, savagery, nation against nation from the united Yugoslavia, the uprisings, the role of Muslims, rebels, savage battles, massacres, ethnic cleansing? A film of 2001, close to the events? In further retrospect?
3. The title, straightforward, the particular enemies in this story? In relationship to the Balkan wars? To the Americans?
4. Chris Burnett’s story, Owen Wilson in a serious role? Action role? His background, the phone calls to his father, seven years in the military, wanting to get out? His personality, the touch of the reckless? With Stackhouse? The friendship? Work together, pilot and navigator? The opening, flying, technical detail, the landing, the football and the bet about its return? With the other men? Joking, talking personally? His being summoned to the Admiral? His apology about the football, the Admiral wanting to test his motivations, the letter of resignation? Two more weeks?
5. The NATO situation, the Admiral, the meeting with Admiral Piquet, peace treaties, the endangerment to the treaty, the complexities, the overall point of view? The two admirals and their authority?
6. Chris and Stackhouse, joyriding, the camera, flying over enemy territory, the response of the enemy, firing the rockets, the sequence showing the attack of the rocket, their eventually being hit, injecting, landing, the archangel on the cliff top, the bedding of the camera? Stackhouse and his being injured, Chris going to survey, the rebels coming, the interrogation, the military dress, the pursuer in ordinary clothes, shooting Stackhouse, Chris’s cry, their being alert to him?
7. The chase, Chris evading his pursuers, running through the forests, the mountains? His radio contact, not using names, the Admiral and his concern, exasperation? Arranging the helicopter pickup? Admiral Piquet and his forbidding it? Further contacts, different rendezvous points?
8. The picture of the Serbs, in Bosnia, the militias, those in charge, the footsoldiers, the pursuit? The camera? The bodies in the mass grave?
9. Chris, the pursuit, falling into the mass grave, covered with mud, his pursuers thinking he was one of the dead? Chris’s motivation for finding the camera?
10. The continued pursuit, through the bombed outbuildings, undercover, his pursuer, blowing up the mines? His pursuer and the soldier, his standing on the mine and the pursuer refusing to help him?
11. Chris on the road, his being picked up, the young people, the young man and his writing songs, going to the town, the crash, the two men escaping, Chris urging the young man to further escape?
12. The troops catching up, Chris running, the arrival of the helicopters, the shootings, the officer on the road, Chris running back, digging up the camera, making sure it was working, the Serbs and their finding the camera? The explosions, Chris on the machine. caught by the officer, lifted into the helicopter?
13. The Admiral, his congratulations? The significance of the photos in the mass grave, the naming of Srebrenica?
14. The letter, Chris throwing it away, staying with the military? The Admiral and his being transferred to a desk job?
15. This film in the tradition of American War films, with the 21st century touch – pre-Iraq?
