THE OUTPOST

US, 2019, 123 minutes, Colour.

Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom.

Directed by Rod Lurie.

The outpost is in Afghanistan. This film is based on a book about the battle of Kamdesh, an attack on outpost in remote areas, at the foot of mountains. The Dir, Rodney Lori, graduated from in the 1980s and served for four years in a combat unit before moving onto journalism, film reviewing, film direction including the political drama, The Contender.

While the film is a drama, it also has many aspects of the on the spot documentary. It uses the device of putting the names of each character on screen as the screenplay focuses on them. This sometimes makes it difficult for audiences to identify and identify with the characters but serves as immersing the audience in the day by day living in the outpost. Initially, there is a commander played by Orlando Bloom but he moves back to headquarters. The two characters that audiences can identify with a played by Scott Eastwood (more than resembling his father) and Caleb Landry Jones (playing Tight Carter who served as one of the advisors for the film).

There is a great amount of detail of the routines of the day, camaraderie between the men, difficulties and conflicts, the range of personalities of the commanders. There are the technical communications. There are the guns and generators to Ward off attack. There are the translators, the meetings with the local men and the promise of finance for schools. And there is an attack and some men wounded. There is also an expedition across a bridge and the death of a commander.

The film builds up to a climax when a considerable number of Taleban appear on the mountain above the outpost, an attack, hardships in defence, men wounded, medics working, deaths. The situation is saved by the arrival of helicopters and the bombing of the attackers.

With all of this, this is possibly one of the most effective films about American presence in Afghanistan. There have been dramas, satires, explorations. The film takes on quite some significance with the 2021 withdrawal of American troops and the unexpectedly rapid success of the Taliban taking over the country.

1. American involvement if in Afghanistan? From 2001? This film set in 2009? The complete withdrawal in 2021? The consequences?
2. The range of films about American involvement in Afghanistan? Serious, the search for Bin Laden? The conflict with the Taliban? Particular provinces? Kandahar and Kabul? The outposts?
3. American troops, training, camaraderie, technical skills? Relationship with local people?
4. The film based on a report of the Battle of Kamdesh? Comments praising the accuracy and feel of this film? The emotion of the audience in the life of the outpost, the physical centre, the buildings, quarters? The men, their interactions, their lives? The technical equipment? The protection, generators, guns? The surrounding mountains?
5. The style of the film in naming the particular characters, the portraits of each character, the performances, communicating the experiences? Seeing the men at work, interacting, tensions and discipline, dangers and attack from the hills, courage under attack? Communications, phone calls, the background stories of the men?
6. Those in command, decisions, information, on the spot? Successes? Mistakes? The different personalities? Each coming, taking command, reaction of the men, loyalties, criticisms? The patrol, the death of the commander? The African- American commander, experience in Iraq, not going out, the issue of the urine? Criticisms, the defence? The final commander, closing down the outpost?
7. The film’s focus on the two characters, Romesha, played by Scott Eastwood (and the overtones of his father and screen presence and style), his role in the outpost, influence, leadership, decisions, heroism? Carter (in the actual Carter being a technical adviser to the film), appearance, interactions, conflicts, heroism?
8. The Taliban in the mountains, shooting, the men shooting back?
9. The final attack, the hundreds of men in the mountains, the bombardment, the response, the attack coming close, the helicopters, gunfire, halting the attack?
10. The purpose of the outpost, so remote, the difficult roads, the mission of transporting the machine, accompanying vehicle, the attack, destruction of the vehicle? Technical communications, with headquarters, decisions, experience and lack of experience? The relationship with the locals, promise of money for schools, the old men, their gatherings, the touch of blackmail in their demands? The translators and their fears? A glimpse of American activity in the middle of the 20 years’ war?
11. The importance of the final credits: tributes to those who died, naming the war honours, interviews with some of the veterans, including Ty Carter?