\n<\/p>\n
Warfare<\/em>\u2019s conceit means that the audiences\u2019 viewpoint remains intentionally narrow from beginning to end. You\u2019ll hear references to \u201cjihadists\u201d and insurgents going after the main characters. You\u2019ll see only glimpses of the terrorized Iraqi family whose home has been taken over, left to hide as it faces total destruction. Past depictions of the Iraq War, even those pitched explicitly as anti-war, have been criticized<\/a> for their American-centric perspectives, and Warfare<\/em> only leans in more along those lines. Did the filmmakers consider this as they developed the movie?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a completely legitimate question, and the answer to it goes to the reliance on memory,\u201d Garland says. \u201cThe conclusion I would draw, having spoken to these people, is that the person you are talking to is someone who is remembering a moment where they had an intense tunnel vision\u2026. It would come down to our refusal to get into editorializing. If this film has power, that is where the power is derived from, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n When Poulter was first pitched Warfare<\/em>, he hesitated. \u201cThe only thing that dampened my excitement learning that it was a war film\u2014only because I didn\u2019t know what the agenda was, that it wouldn\u2019t necessarily follow suit as far as how war has been depicted previously. I should have known better,\u201d he says. \u201cAlex described an intention that was characterized by wanting to achieve absolute authenticity, create something that felt entirely objective\u2014a sort of unfictionalized, realistic recreation of what happened that day.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, if nothing else, Warfare<\/em> feels real. This was certainly the case for the young cast\u2014how the project required them to forge deep bonds that they hope carry them through the rest of their careers.<\/p>\n The film opens on a joyous note, of the SEALs watching the sexy music video for Eric Prydz<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cCall on Me.\u201d This, like everything else in Warfare<\/em>, was drawn from memory. As production approached its end, several of the actors got matching \u201cCall on Me\u201d tattoos to commemorate the experience\u2014and also make a promise to each other. \u201cSymbolizing that we can call on each other, really\u2014it sounds a little corny and cheesy, but it\u2019s referencing a few different things,\u201d Woon-A-Tai says. \u201cIt goes pretty deep. We can call on each other, no matter after this project, anytime. We\u2019re very close to each other and we\u2019ll be there for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n