Lone Survivor

Student Name

ARTH 334 6210

June 8, 2014

Lone Survivor

The Lone Survivors opening scene is real life footage of the United States Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal training also known as BUDS. Berg began the film with these shots to inform or remind the audience of the hardship the men who become Seals face before they even step foot on a battlefield. This was very important because many people do not get to witness the training that Soldiers, Sailors, or Airmen endure to become Special Forces Operators. The brief scenes of the real life training drives home the importance of not just physical toughness but also the mental fortitude that these men must endure. Following the opening scene of the BUDS training the film shifts to the group of Navy Seals in Afghanistan enjoying their time off and reconnecting with family back in the United States. This was the calm before the storm but also depicts life as a deployed military personnel and the separation between family and love ones. Once the Seal team receives the mission there is a sense of excitement amongst the team and eagerness that contributes to the aspect that it takes special men to carry out jobs or missions of this natural, especially with them knowing that at any moment this could be their last breath. As the film moves into the battle scene in which the recon element of the Seal Team is out number against an army of Taliban fighters the film is creative in staying true to the events that transpired based on the actually survivor’s recount Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. It demonstrates that the relentless reality of war giving the film a true experience of modern warfare. Despite its many storytelling flaws the film demonstrates the intimacy of Soldiers bonding amidst the chaotic brutality of battle. Finally in the last act of the film Berg provides insight into the Afghan culture that kept Marcus Luttrell from coming home in a flag-draped coffin. Berg elaborates on the customs involved in the extended end-credits to validate actions of the Pashtun characters that could be as bewildering to audience as they were to Luttrell.

Lone Survivor. Dir. Peter Berg. Perf. Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana. Universal, 2013. Film.