HYENA ROAD
Canada, 2015, 120 minutes, Colour.
Rossif Sutherland, Paul Gross, Christine Horne, Alan Hawko, David Richmond- Peck, Karl Campbell, Ibrahim Dweiken, Niamatullah Arghandabi.
Directed by Paul Gross.
Hyena Road is to be in made by Canadian forces in Afghanistan. However, with uprisings and the Taliban, it is proving a difficult venture.
This is a Canadian film about Canadian forces in the coalition in Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11. And, it is a tribute to the Canadian forces and their tasks and challenges, with members of the force, as well as the audience, realising that the complexities do not lead to easy solutions – or, sometimes, to any solutions.
The film is written and directed by actor, Paul Gross, from a military family, and himself having military experience. Which means that the atmosphere in the action sequences, back at the Canadian base at a Kandahar airport, the sequences of diplomacy dealings with the Afghans, seems authentic.
Rossi Sutherland portrays a top sniper who is introduced with his team, high in the mountains, in surveillance, mysterious objects on the Highway, shooting them and one exploding followed by a mass attack by insurgents. In their desperate flight and escape, they are helped by a mysterious leader in a small desert village. When they get back to headquarters, Peter Mitchell (Paul Gross) is anxious to learn more about this mysterious leader and identifies him with an Afghan who combated Russian troops earlier and wants to enlist his support.
Which means then that there are different focal points for audience attention, Ryan and his hands on mission, as well as his relationship with one of the expert at headquarter, Jennifer, Christine Horne. Mitchell himself, and Intelligence officer rather than fighting in the field, is dealing with the locals, one businessman helping the Canadians some days of the week, in league with Taliban on the other days of the week. With his translator (there are no subtitles so the audience has the same experience as the Canadians in learning what the Afghans are saying) he wants to set up a meeting between the dealer and the leader his reputation led to him being named as The Ghost.
There are some sequences with the dealer and his son and a raid on The Ghost’s village and abduct children for slave trafficking, the Canadians surveillance giving pictures, Ryan wanting to intervene with shooting, Pete Mitchell quoting the bigger picture. And this conflict of motivations will be important for the ultimate outcome of the confrontation between the deal and The ghost.
For audiences who have seen, by now, quite a number of films of Americans in Afghanistan, this is an alert to the presence and role of forces from other nations and their experience of the locals, Afghan tensions, the Taliban and insurgents.
1. A Canadian film? Canadian military presence in Afghanistan? A tribute? Yet the frustration of action and uncertainty? Canada as part of the coalition in Afghanistan?
2. The location photography, the vastness of the mountains, the desert, the desert villages, the Kandahar airport, the Kandahar base for the Canadian troops? The austerity of the locations? Vastness? The musical score?
3. The introduction to Ryan, his squad in the mountains, snipers, crack troops, observation and surveillance, the objects on the highway, the dangers to oncoming vehicles, the shooting of the objects, the explosion? The emergence of the Afghans, the numbers, the pursuit, firing on both sides, the Canadians and their escape, coming to the village, people fleeing, the encounter with the strange character, his sense of presence, inviting them in? The explosion and his going out? Their escape?
4. At the headquarters, the technical backup, phone connections, screens and images? Jennifer and her role? Peter Mitchell and his presence, Intelligence and information? Manoeuvres, indications for backup?
5. Ryan, his return, the discussions with Mitchell, Mitchell’s interest in the character, the story of The Ghost, his background and fight against the Russians? Mitchell wanting him on side? Going to meet him, the film not having subtitles but audiences listening to the translator as do the Canadians? The rituals of contact, the Afghan shrewdness?
6. The Afghan dealer and his son, collaboration with Canadians some days of the week, with the Taliban the other days, getting information, getting supplies? The revelation about his background, shaming the Afghans, the hostility of The Ghost?
7. The Canadian general, trying to build Hyena Road, the attacks by the Taliban? The general and his demands, rough, an opening ceremony – and the bet with his assistant about people not coming?
8. The human interlude, Jennifer and her relationship with Ryan, the ultrasound, her pregnancy, apprehension, telling Ryan, his happiness, his proposal? Her acceptance?
9. The Afghan dealer and his son, going into the village, guns, rounding up boys and girls, taking them away, trafficking? Mitchell and his decisions not to intervene? Ryan and his finger on the trigger, wanting to intervene? The issue of strategy and the bigger picture?
10. Mitchell, (played by Paul Gross and his writing and direction of the film)? His background, Intelligence, strategies, diplomatic dealing, his translator? Wanting to set up a confrontation between the dealer and The Ghost? Inviting them both to the opening ceremony of the road?
11. Ryan and the strategy, covering the safe house? His squad? The dealer turning up, the audience knowing that his son had been abducted? The confrontation between the dealer and The Ghost? The denunciations of the past? The Ghost having the head of the dealer’s son, throwing it to him? Ryan wanting to intervene to kill the dealer, Mitchell telling him not to? Ryan disobeying? The Ghost and his cutting off the head?
12. The attack of the Afghans, the squad retreating, heavy fire, getting to the safe house, The Ghost helping, shooting, is being wounded? Ryan wounded? Taking refuge in the house – but the vast number attacking?
13. The surveillance, Jennifer and her concern, Mitchell and his decisions? The exploding of the safe house? Ryan’s death?
14. A Canadian perspective on the complexities of war in Afghanistan, the heritage of the fight with the Russians, post 9/11, the American presence, the Allies, the Canadians? The Taliban, Afghans against the Taliban? The complexities of the American Western mentality compared with the traditions of the east?
15. The final remark that the West has the clocks but the Afghans have the time.
