A War (2015)

It is a film that makes us reflect on the situation that a soldier is mentally faced in battle. When Søren says Claus "It's alright to be sad. We're all sad. It's completely alright" explicit the image they have and which ourselves help to build of soldiers as heroes, inhuman deprived of the right to sentimentalize. The oppression and hierarchy is very large in the military field and in many cases leads to suicide (the statistics are large but unknown). I recommend the film to all who are interested in discovering another face of a soldier, who is faced with issues such as the distance from family, loss and guilt. A human look underexplored so intensely in many war movies.

Fmovies: It's easy as an American, with our American-centric media, to think of military conflicts like those taking place in Afghanistan as essentially American conflicts. It's interesting, therefore, to see films that explore those conflicts through the perspectives of other countries fighting the same fight we are.

Documentaries and fictional films I've seen that have the war on terror as their subject, "A War" included, remind me of the films I've seen about Vietnam. A bunch of soldiers wandering around, not sure of what their assignments are or who's giving the orders, living in a constant high-key state of extreme anxiety that any moment might be the moment where they or a friend die. Whatever the conflict's origin, the purpose seems to gradually be obscured by the sheer monotony and bureaucratic confusion of the whole thing, important decisions being made by men in offices miles away from where the actual fighting is taking place.

"A War" establishes this environment, and then asks us as viewers how well we would do at making critical decisions if we were in the same situation. The commander at the film's focus is put on trial, and from a purely legal standpoint should probably have been found guilty. He certainly lies in an attempt to gain an acquittal. But I for one didn't want him to be found guilty and didn't blame him for lying or a member of his unit for lying for him. The film asks of us what wars since the beginning of time have been asking of those who are forced to fight them: measure the value of one human life against that of another. It's an impossible position to be put in, one that has no good outcome, and one that is destined to haunt the person who has to make the decision for the rest of his life, no matter what he ultimately decides.

"A War" brought Denmark an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Oscars.

Grade: A-

Modern local conflicts and crisis areas have brought along a different approach in depicting military activities - confrontations without clear battle fronts, with a foreign military mission in assisting role. But as, in essence, there is a war going on, one is unable to predict every next move and incorporate all situations/events into specific legal framework; in the event of military events, there are always casualties.

Such is the background and essential point in Krigen, where the Danish Company commander Claus M. Pedersen (solidly performed by Pilou Asbæk) has to equally deal with both a severe accusation against him and his family (the characters of his spouse and three children seem to be more dynamic and interesting than those of officers and soldiers). I know that legal proceedings are not snappy, particularly among the Danes who are curbed and reticent, but still - the plot is a bit slow and arid, often uncovering the documentary aspect rather than that of a feature film, and the solution and the final scene are too plain. All this is just a narration running its course, and most of otherwise good and distinct actors have nothing profound to perform.

Krigen is not a bad film, but not at the level of e.g. Tobias Lindholm's Jagten or Submarino. For me, Krigen is a less intensive and less diverse than some related films, e.g. Stop-Loss or Brothers. Despite having an Oscar nomination, I would be surprised if it gets this award.

A War fmovies. It's another movie that exploits Soldiers, that may sound harsh, but it's true. A War tugs at our sympathy for those who give their lives to fight for our freedom.

The movie is about Claus, a commander of a danish army unit in Afghanistan. He's a man who has to make tough command calls, calls that alter the faith of the men who are under his command and the people he came to protect. At the same time, his wife is at home trying to keep the fort held down taking care of their three children while he's on tour.

A War does have it's unique quality when Claus is put on trail for his command choices. This part slightly makes it a different story from all the rest of the support our troops messages I've seen in other recent pictures.

Otherwise, it reminds me of Hurt Locker, as the quality of production was superb, over a well orchestrated narrative.

But the movie does have the advantage of being about a hot topic, our troops.

I would definitely recommend for everyone to see A War, it is a good story about the family one leaves behind for the family he received when in the military and how though that can be on someone, and it's well done.

Pilou Asbæk of 'A Hijacking' fame plays Claus Michael Pedersen a Commander of the Danish forces in Afghanistan. The men have to do the usual patrols and face constant threats from Afghan rebels and IED's. Then on another patrol he and his men come under heavy and sustained fire and in the fog of battle he makes a fateful decision that will have huge future ramifications.

We also have the story of his wife back home and the daily trials of trying to bring up three kids and hold a normal life together with their father away for months overseas and only having a satellite phone to stay connected.

This is a very intense film that captures the utter fear of war and the awful situations that modern warfare can land people up in. It shows this from all sides. The acting is just superb and the direction from Tobias Lindholm ('The Hunt') is very accomplished. They do have wobbly cam a few time but not the full on shaky cam that so many people dislike, but I can live with that. The translation of the sub titles is wrong in a couple of places but generally quite good. This is a film that had me on the edge of my seat, the time flew by and as such I can agree with all the plaudits and easily recommend this as a great one to see.

Greetings again from the darkness. Distinguishing between right and wrong has always been pretty easy for me, which probably explains my fascination when a good book or movie presents a decision weighted by moral ambiguity Â… especially one involving life and death. Such is the case with writer/director Tobias Lindholm's (A Hijacking, 2012) latest, which has been Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (Denmark). It's tension-filled and overflowing with moments that will make you question yourself and your beliefs.

Three parts make up the whole, and each segment brings its own pressures and is presented with its own camera technique. We see Commander Claus Pederson (Pilou Asbaek) leading his squad of Danish soldiers in their Afghan peace-keeping missions. The film bounces between these boots on the ground and Pederson's wife (Tuva Novotny) back at home in Denmark trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their three kids. The final act is a tense courtroom drama that will undoubtedly mess with your head.

Mr. Asbaek ("Game of Thrones" and the upcoming Ben-Hur remake) is spell-binding as Commander Pederson. When a land mine causes the loss of one of his men, Pederson proves that he is no desk-jockey, but rather a leader by example. He has a calm presence that inspires his men, though his fearless approach is quietly questioned by some. His in-the-heat-of-the-moment decision with his squad under fire saves the life of an injured soldier, while also resulting in a tragedy that could affect his military career, his family life, and his freedom.

It's interesting to see how director Lindholm parallels the struggles of Mr. and Mrs. Pederson Â… albeit in different worlds. The personal and emotional challenges are everywhere and affect everyone. The 3 kids miss their father and struggle in their own ways with their new world. The wife misses her husband and battles to keep the kids in line. The husband misses his wife and their closeness. He also misses the little joys that come with being a (present) father. The soldiers struggle with their orders to patrol a community that doesn't seem to want them. Even the community struggles with the constant threat of danger.

Commander Pederson's fateful decision is the focus of the courtroom drama. The dilemma faced by him and his men is truly a no-win situation. His job was to protect his men while also protecting the citizens of the community. It's a judgment call in the heat of the moment. Either decision would be right and either decision would be wrong. The issue on trial is so complex that it's very likely the desired verdict would be split among those in the theatre. When Pederson's wife tells him "It's not what you did that matters. It's what you do now." We certainly understand her, but do we agree? Is it possible to judge a war crime when lives are in immediate danger? What would you do? Unless you've been in those boots, it's impossible to know. The best intentions can be eclipsed by a will to live and quest to save those for whom you are responsible. Is lying ever OK, and if so, what is the fallout? How does it impact you, those you love, and those whose respect you have earned?

This is an exceptionally well made movie with a script that constantly has us questioning our morals. while providing no easy answers.