MOSUL

US, 2019, 101 minutes, Colour.
Suhail Dabach, Adam Bessa, Ishaq Elias.
Directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan.

The city of Mosul became well-known to the world at large with the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

A decade later, it became almost better-known when it was occupied by ISIS, DAESH, the would-be caliphate of jihadists, adherents to a strict interpretation of Islam, fierce warriors, enlisting women and children, cleverly using social media for propaganda (including the filming of atrocities and executions), encouraging a network of brainwashing throughout the world for recruits.

The action of this film takes place over one day, towards the end of the attempted caliphate. The city is divided, a free section, an occupied section, sometimes men, women and children trying to escape from the occupied section and being shot in the streets at the checkpoint by snipers.

The young policeman, Kawa (Adam Bessa) and a fellow policemen are under siege from ISIS, many of their fellow-police dead. A special squad arrives, a SWAT team, led by an intense, staring, Major (Suhail Dubach quite memorable). Kawa and his associate have to prove themselves as not being ISIS. The Major has a very loyal squad.

The action over the day highlights a number of episodes, a car exploding endangering the SWAT team, the decision to go back to the free part of the city, bribing an officer at the checkpoint so that there is no record of their moving backwards and forwards. There is a visit to another special squad, led by an Iranian, to get information, exchange cigarettes for weapons.

There are skirmishes, snipers on roofs, scouting out of buildings for infiltration and attack, members being wounded, killed.

Ultimately, Kawa, who has been asking, discovers that the mission was: to rescue families of members of the SWAT team. When the Major is out of action, Kawa, now roused, takes up the leadership, jingoistic, enthusiastic, violent.

Interestingly, the film was written and directed by an American, Matthew Michael Carnahan (whose credits include a number of action films), filmed in Arabic and some Iraqi dialects with an international cast, some of whom live in the United States. The locations for filming were in Morocco – with a devastating reconstruction of the bombed and bombarded Mosul.

Recommended viewing for those who want to remember and try to understand the impact of ISIS.

1. The title, the focus on the Iraqi city, its situation during the American invasion, subsequently, rebuilding, taken over as the base for ISIS? Siege, the ending of the siege? The significance for Iraq, the lessening of the American presence, for the links with Iran?

2. The true story, presented so vividly? The Moroccan locations? The visualising of the destruction of Mosul? The streets, the ruined buildings? The divided city, the checkpoint? The free site of the city, the occupied side? The interiors of ruined buildings, snipers on roofs, sieges and observations? The contrast with ordinary homes and apartments? The musical score?

3. Audience knowledge of ISIS, their philosophy, the caliphate, the ideology, the interpretation of Islam, violence, sexual abuse, commitment, to the death?

4. An American film, the writer and director, his previous films, perspectives on war and action films? His cast, Iraqis living in America, Middle East and actors in international films?

5. The dialogue in Arabic, in Iraqi dialects?

6. The action taking place over one day? The small squad? Audiences identifying with them – though wary? Trying to estimate who are the traitors? The special SWAT team, their mission?

7. The opening, Kawa and his associate, as police, the siege, the dead police, their defence, the weapons? The bond between the two? Kawa and his being police for only a few months, not having identification papers?

8. Major Jason, a strong personality, the intensity of his expressions, his ability to stare at people? His squad and their bonds? The SWAT team with a mission? Coming into the building, finding the two men, suspicious about them? The young man explaining himself, treatment by the Major? The other man, his leaving? The irony of his return, the vehicles, the smoke, the explosion? His being a traitor? His later being discovered as a prisoner of the special troops with the Iranians leader, his explanations of the pressure against his family in America? The leaders not wanting him dead? Kawa and his anger and killing him?

9. The activities of the day, Kawa becoming part of the group? The personalities of the other men? Waleed and his collaboration with the Major? The audience getting to know them but not knowing their background stories until the end?

10. The vehicles, travelling, crossing back into the free side, the Major and the money, the secrecy of their moving between zones?

11. The role of children, the two boys carrying the coffin, the one persuaded by the Major to get in, the Major giving money to a family to take the boy in? The shooting of innocent children in the streets by ISIS?

12. Kawa, his age, experience, proving his worth, observing, participating, the weapons, shooting? His injuries, treatment? The Major favouring him?

13. Returning to the occupied zone, observing the ISIS snipers shooting indiscriminately, shooting civilians, the civilians trying to escape the zone?

14. The group going further into the zone, the vehicles, the range of tactics, the weapons, the encounter with the special group, the barter with the cigarettes, the weapons, the discussions, the stances? The prisoners? Kawa and his killing his associate?

15. Going deeper into the city, the narrow streets, the buildings, the ruins, strategies and tactics? Leadership? Waleed and his hesitation? Following orders?

16. The snipers on the roof and their deaths? Deaths in the street? The Major and his being shot, dying? The effect of the men? Kawa stepping into the breach, urging them on?

17. In the apartment block, the strategies of stacking, opening doors, advancing, clearing? Going to the apartment, the instant death of the man, the mother and child? Waleed’s family, the reunion? The mother’s shame, her being pregnant? The reunion?

18. The revelation of the mission, the change of officials, working without command, to rescue the families of those of the SWAT team?

19. The overall impact of the day’s experiences, the audiences immersed in the action, empathising, understanding the situation in Iraq, ISIS?