BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALF-TIME WALK

Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, Chris Tucker, Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Leigh, Ben Platt.
Directed by Ang Lee.

The title is rather long and may take a moment to grasp, but it is worth the effort.

But this was apparently not the case in the United States where, within a week or more, the film was described as a flop. It has been pointed out that American audiences have not responded particularly well to the films made about the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent war, even the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, and not being a financial success. It is the action films which draw to the box office, like American Sniper.

This is definitely a film about Iraq with some close-ups of a particular action which involved Billy Flynn, the young recruit from Texas who had a rowdy adolescence with his father forcing him to enlist. Billy has shown some heroism in trying to rescue his wounded sergeant, which was filmed and has become a sensation in the media, leading to an entrepreneur bringing back the Bravo troop to do a morale-boosting tour which is to culminate at the half time interval in the arena at a Dallas football match.

This means that the film is definitely a piece of Americana, a glimpse of the war and battle and its effect, post-traumatic syndrome and the military wanting to deny this. It is a piece of Americana in the focus on the football match, all the hoopla, the cheerleaders, the dancing girls, including Destiny’s Child and (Kristen Stewart) who has facial and other scars from an accident he caused but who still supports him, wanting him to come home and not go back to Iraq. There are several flashback to the action, quiet bonding with the sergeant, a replay of the episode, especially at the end when it is seen in close-up, what Billy did and the combat with the Iraqi insurgent who attacked the sergeant.

So, while we see the men and their life in Iraq, Billy finding his place in the world as a soldier (and a fine performance from British Joe Alwyn as Billy), with the sergeant (a good role for Vin Diesel neither being fast nor furious), for the leader of the troop (Garrett Hedlund very serious about the war and the spirit of soldiers and rather resenting the carnival atmosphere of the show and the half-time walk), we see the producer (Chris Tucker also in a better role than his usual comic patter) and the businessmen sponsoring the show, the team as well as plans to make a movie of the episode – played by Steve Martin.

The romantic episode with a Christian cheerleader is less persuasive.

Audiences outside the United States will probably respond better to the film. The screenplay, and its presentation of a variety of characters, shift perspective pro and con the war, the criticism of the war, the celebration of military action.

And all this is the work of director Ang Lee who has had an extraordinary career for over 30 years, winning an Oscar for Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger, filming Jane Austen in England with Sense and Sensibility, winning directing Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and for Life of Pi, and showing insights into the United States with films ranging from Ice Storm, the Civil War drama, Ride with the Devil, and Taking Woodstock.

Lee used an experimental technique, 120 frames per second, which led to clearer content in each frame – but this was used only in two cinemas in the United States and, with the failure at the box office of the film, it has been screened in standard style both in the US and outside the US.

A film worth reflecting on and discussing, testing attitudes towards the upheavals in the Middle East.

1. The title, the tone, its meaning? A film about Iraq and the Middle East? About the United States? War, morale, the consequences?

2. The director, his perspective on American society? The range and variety of his films?

3. The locations, the settings in Iraq, in Texas, homes, the football stadium, offices, the field? The pageantry? The musical score, the range of songs, Destiny’s Child, the Star Spangled Banner?

4. The experiment in the film making, 120 frames per second, the content of scenes – but this format finding very limited exhibition?

5. The film as a piece of Americana, of the 21st century? The background of the invasion of Iraq? Weapons of mass destruction? Toppling Saddam Hussein? President Bush and American involvement, allies? The effect on Americans? For and against the invasion? The effect on patriotism? The effect on the military personnel, stress and strain, involvement, post-traumatic stress? The effect on the Iraqis themselves? Seeing the soldiers in action – the raid into the home, the behaviour of the American soldiers, the family inside, suspects, guns, arrests, disappearances? The Iraqi fighters and insurgents?

6. The structure of the film, the focus on the event, the day, the football match, the half-time? Introduction to Billy, Dime and the men? Albert as the agent with his patter? Norm, the businessman, his wealth, plans? The effect on the men, the banter? Billy as the focus? The audience sharing his point of view? The progress of the day, the flashbacks, Billy and his home, Kathryn, the past and the accident, her scars, Billy’s reputation, his father enlisting him, going to Iraq, the squad, the sergeant, Dime? The situations in Iraq – the cumulative effect of the flashbacks?

7. The day in Iraq, his saying it was his worst day and yet honoured for it? The situation, the attack, the sergeant, the shooting, the snipers? The sergeant advancing, being shot, Billy advancing, listening to him, dragging him into the drain, the attack by the insurgent, Billy killing him? The build-up to the final visualising of the sequence?

8. The men as celebrities, American razzmatazz? Billy being filmed, audiences seeing the visuals of his heroism? Albert, the agent, on the phone, the deals, wanting to make the movie, his being with the men, the discussion about payment? The group going into Dallas, the limousine, Billy late? The camaraderie, the banter, the range of personalities, the ethnic differences? Dime and his command?

9. Going to the performance, their seats, the banter, movement, the clash with security? People greeting them, changing into fatigues, the explanation of positions on stage, the screens, the fireworks, the cheerleaders, the marching girls, Beyonce and Destiny’s Child? The applause?

10. For Americans, to what purpose this kind of spectacle?

11. The flashbacks to Iraq, the men, the sergeant, early talking personally with him, the good example, the effect, Billy and his stand alone on stage, Kathryn wanting him to stay home, Dime wanting him to return to Iraq?

12. The family, the father in his wheelchair, Kathryn, the past, Billy as rowdy, the accident, her scars, his father enlisting him? Kathryn phoning him, at the end, her meeting him, his leaving?

13. The cheerleaders, the girl, looking at Billy, the attraction, his smile, his nervousness, meeting behind the curtain, the talk, she being both sexy and devout Christian, Texan? The encounter? Later, his wondering about her, she coming to see him – and future contact?

14. The making of the movie, Albert and the deals, promises of cash, Norm, his wanting to make the film, the big man, in control? The meetings, Dime and his resistance, tough talk? Billy agreeing? Going back to the men, explaining the situation?

15. The day and its effect on Billy, on him and his family, on Kathryn, his decision to go back, finding his right place in soldiering?

16. The effect of the day on the other men? The end of the day, no movie? But the future?

17. The response of audiences, pro-war, anti-war? In the effect on soldiering and returning veterans?