This MTV Films picture is directed by Kimberly Peirce and is co-written by Mark Richard and Kimberly Peirce based on conversations with Peirce’s little brother who joined the military after 9/11. Starring Ryan Phillippe (Brandon King), Channing Tatum (Steve Shriver), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tommy Burgess), Victor Rasuk (Rico Rodriguez), Abbie Cornish (Michelle), Linda Emond (Ida King), Ciarán Hinds (Roy King), Timothy Olyphant (LT COL Boot Miller), Quay Terry (Al ‘Preacher’ Colson), Rob Brown (Isaac ‘Eyeball’ Butler), Josef Sommer (Senator Orton Worrell) and Matthew Scott Wilcox (Harvey).
In this film, director/writer Peirce and writer Richard, explore the phenomenon that swept through many military units from 2003-2009. That phenomenon was “stop-loss”. Brandon King (Phillippe) is a Staff Sergeant in the 110th Infantry and is on his last tour in Iraq with his best friend Sergeant Steve Shriver (Tatum). Both Non-Commissioned Officers are due to ETS (Expired Term of Service) upon return from their tour. But as they are turning in their gear and expecting separation orders they are instead handed transfer orders. Brandon wants to fight the stop-loss and goes AWOL (Absent Without Leave) to try to contact Senator Orton Worrell (Sommer). I loved how this film started out with the documentary style aspect all from the Soldier’s point of view. They were “in charge” of the camera and it delved into the real life of a deployed Solider. It also looked at the trouble that some Soldiers had readjusting to civilian life with the character of Tommy. If anyone wants to know what a majority of Soldiers felt like that got the “stop-loss” order than this is the movie. The fact that it was based on interviews with Soldiers gives it weight. It wasn’t written by someone unaffected by the Global War on Terror (GWOT), it was written by someone that had a vested interest in telling the story. Stop-Loss is a realist film. How can it not be? It did in fact happen to thousands of MOS critical Soldiers. The movie was filmed on location in Texas and in Morocco to give it the feel of being in Iraq. As much as they wanted to film in Iraq for obvious reasons they were unable to go on location there. It fits in to the Drama category, with some moments of funny, and handles heavy subject matter. Tommy’s suicide and the journey of SSG King in his search for answers, which he eventually finds in the sense of duty he feels to his troops. The dialogue is flowing and natural. This movie is as relevant today as it was when it was filmed. Continued engagement in prolonged conflicts stretches thin our forces, and the need to recycle them, ends with “stop-loss”. The whole filming style Peirce used was to give it documentary feel and put the viewer in the Soldier’s shoes, to feel the frustration at being done with your contract and then being told “no, you have to stay.” The special effects were appropriate to the realistic combat scenes. There is no question that this movie is full of realism. Hats off to Kimberly Peirce and Mark Richard for producing a fine film that feels real enough to this Soldier.
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AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
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