War is futile. Humanity does not need conflicts; we need peace to live fulfilling lives. Why can't we share this world with everyone around us? This is a question I have asked myself since childhood, when I was first exposed to India's Bollywood action films that often depicted violent clashes between heroes and villains.
Towards the end of the film, we see not only the Americans overwhelmed with deep emotions but also the loved ones of the Libyan militants expressing their grief.
The U.S. soldiers question whether they will be awarded medals for their bravery and courage. To this, John Krasinski’s character, Jack Silva, poignantly responds, “We get to go home.” Toward the end of the film, he even attributes his survival to “luck.”
Director Michael Bay has always been a hit or miss for me. In this case, it is undoubtedly the former. Few directors could expertly handle a breath-holding, action-packed, adrenaline-filled movie like this — especially one based on true events that is not without its tragedies.
The film also succeeds thanks to Chuck Hogan's taut screenplay. Credit is also due to the members of the Annex Security Team. Moreover, this is a technically brilliant movie in terms of cinematography, sound, editing (including the work of "Black Hawk Down" editor Pietro Scalia), production design, and more. These elements create an immersive experience, especially when enjoyed on a home theater system—in my case, a Chinese-branded Xemal speaker system.
This 2016 American biographical action-thriller is based on the true story of the 2012 Benghazi attack, during which militants assaulted a U.S. diplomatic compound and a CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya. The film portrays the attackers as members of Ansar al-Sharia, a Libyan militant group with ties to al-Qaeda.
The narrative focuses on six members of the Annex Security Team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound against waves of militant attacks on September 11, 2012. It depicts their harrowing battle to protect the Americans stationed there, while also emphasizing the difficulties they faced in securing adequate support and resources during the crisis.
Based on Mitchell Zuckoff's book, "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi", the film offers a detailed account of the events surrounding the attack.
The book and film center on the experiences of the security team but do not provide a definitive answer as to why the Americans were targeted. Instead, they suggest that multiple factors were at play.
One possible motivation explored is anti-American sentiment. It portrays a climate of hostility toward the United States in Libya following the Arab Spring. This sentiment may have been fueled by various factors, such as perceptions of U.S. involvement in the Libyan Civil War and the presence of American military bases in the region.
The attackers are shown to be affiliated with al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization with a long history of targeting American interests.
Revenge is another potential motive depicted in the film; the attack occurred just months after the U.S. killing of al-Qaeda's head, Osama bin Laden, and it has been suggested that the militants may have been seeking retaliation.
It is essential to note that the film is a dramatized account of the events of September 11, 2012, and may not fully capture the true motivations of the attackers. However, it provides a perspective on why the attack might have occurred and highlights the dangers Americans face while working abroad.
The anti-American sentiment depicted in the film has historical context. For instance, in 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered the bombing of Libya in retaliation for the bombing of a Berlin discotheque, which killed a U.S. soldier and injured several others. The U.S. government attributed the attack to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Known as Operation El Dorado Canyon, the bombing targeted military and intelligence facilities in Libya. While the U.S. government claimed the operation successfully deterred further Libyan aggression, it faced criticism for civilian casualties and the potential to escalate tensions in the region.
As the credits roll, we learn that Silva resigned from the CIA and now lives quietly with his wife and three children.
Interestingly, in what appears to be a demonstration, a Libyan holds a placard with a misspelled but meaningful message: "Sorry People of America this is not the Pehavior of our Eslam and Profit" (sic).
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