The long awaited film about Operation Red Wing, a covert mission by Seal Team 10 in 2007   has been the #1 film in the country for several weeks.  We saw it yesterday. The ending is no surprise as it is clear from the title.  The story, though, is full of suspense, and  emotional connection with the characters deep in Afghanistan.  The seals are on a mission to capture or kill a high level al-Qaeda operative  when they  are ambushed by the enemy in the mountains  high above the village where their target is located. Faced with an unexpected moral dilemma, the band of brothers is isolated  from  the help of  their comrades and surrounded by a large band of Taliban ready to kill them.  The Seals dig deep for strength, from the experience of their incredible training. . . . .  and they fight valiantly to the finish.

The beginning and the end of the film show actual photos of the training and casualties of real seals.  The film is splendidly directed, produced and acted. It is a docudrama and the reality  jumps out at you, especially the love they feel for each other and the  ferocious fire fight.  This Band of Brothers were  husbands, brothers, and  lovers who fought and died gallantly doing a job they truly loved and believed in .

This is not just a war movie but also a morality play as “the brothers” are faced with a moral dilemma on the mountain top.  Is there right and wrong in this situation? Is there a higher power and level of ethics other than survival?  They were faced with choices, they discussed their options, they knew the consequences, and they made their choice.  Later the audience is hit with the surprise  love and mercy of some of the people of Afghanistan who lived by their faith and  true principles of Islam. They , too, made hard choices, knowing their consequences.

“Love is tangible not abstract.”  Michael Swantek from the trailer of “Hard Places”

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=trailer+of+lone+survivor&sm=3          (Please copy and paste to see trailer of Lone Survivor)

Experiencing this time and place, my husband and I wept unashamedly throughout this powerful film.