I rented this movie only because of Tommy Lee Jones, to see his Oscar nomination, but I also must say that this movie is amazing. With so many space left to talk about it, with such a brilliant acting from Jones and Theron, with brilliant script and direction from Haggis and so on and on.
Main protagonist of this story is Hank Deerfield, former Sergeant, who receives a call from army base that his son Mike is missing after he just got back from long time period fighting in Iraq. Soon the carved body of his son is found on outskirts of town. The case is first taken by the army but after young Det. Emily Sanders's intervention, she takes over the case. Hank makes investigation of his own but soon he receives help from Emily. Director and script writer Paul Haggis (with help of story writer Mark Boal) made a very powerful but also provocative movie where he puts father-son relationship in center through the army. We've got old soldier Hank Deerfield, who is distant from his wife Joan. Their relationship is not elaborated more but we can assume that things started to freeze when their first son died (also in the army) or that Hank is pretty cold person. Hank is personification of a real soldier - he gets up early, his clothes is always neat, his bed always made and his highest values is living by the book. Very important thing is army in lives of Deerfield family. His son Mike would feel less important in his father's eyes if he choose not to join the army and although Hank never forced his son to join the army directly, inadvertently he did that. Great line comes from Susan Sarandon's character (Sarandon really has very little material to work with but she's always good) when she says: 'You could leave me at least one son.' With that she said everything. And also the story about David and Goliath (Elah from the title is valley where they fought) is very important. At the end when Emily son asks her: 'Why did he (the king) let David to go?' It's a clear parallel to Hank and his son. Really, why did he let him go or why did he stay numb after his son desperate call? But to move from this topic, I would also say something about the army and war. Haggis presents war as something terrible and actions of soldiers (what happened to Mike) are justified by the fact that war makes animals out of them, with universal message that you must help those soldiers after the war by providing them medical and psychological help and not by putting a flag in front of your house.
I really liked the whole movie and also the end which can be interpreted on many ways. Flag is turned upside down and that is international distress signal like it is said in the movie. It's very clear that America is in trouble. Maybe that trouble is in way Americans approach to they soldiers after their return home(and not only America but every country) or maybe that trouble is idiotic (sorry for expression) George Bush who led America to war. To a war because of oil; so many people died because of oil and Bush that I'm sick of even thinking about that man. Indeed very brave and provocative movie about America, war, soldiers, fathers and sons. Maybe truth sometimes hurts and maybe that's why only 4000 US voters voted for this title. But those who have seen it know or I hope that they know that this is an excellent movie.
Main protagonist of this story is Hank Deerfield, former Sergeant, who receives a call from army base that his son Mike is missing after he just got back from long time period fighting in Iraq. Soon the carved body of his son is found on outskirts of town. The case is first taken by the army but after young Det. Emily Sanders's intervention, she takes over the case. Hank makes investigation of his own but soon he receives help from Emily. Director and script writer Paul Haggis (with help of story writer Mark Boal) made a very powerful but also provocative movie where he puts father-son relationship in center through the army. We've got old soldier Hank Deerfield, who is distant from his wife Joan. Their relationship is not elaborated more but we can assume that things started to freeze when their first son died (also in the army) or that Hank is pretty cold person. Hank is personification of a real soldier - he gets up early, his clothes is always neat, his bed always made and his highest values is living by the book. Very important thing is army in lives of Deerfield family. His son Mike would feel less important in his father's eyes if he choose not to join the army and although Hank never forced his son to join the army directly, inadvertently he did that. Great line comes from Susan Sarandon's character (Sarandon really has very little material to work with but she's always good) when she says: 'You could leave me at least one son.' With that she said everything. And also the story about David and Goliath (Elah from the title is valley where they fought) is very important. At the end when Emily son asks her: 'Why did he (the king) let David to go?' It's a clear parallel to Hank and his son. Really, why did he let him go or why did he stay numb after his son desperate call? But to move from this topic, I would also say something about the army and war. Haggis presents war as something terrible and actions of soldiers (what happened to Mike) are justified by the fact that war makes animals out of them, with universal message that you must help those soldiers after the war by providing them medical and psychological help and not by putting a flag in front of your house.
I really liked the whole movie and also the end which can be interpreted on many ways. Flag is turned upside down and that is international distress signal like it is said in the movie. It's very clear that America is in trouble. Maybe that trouble is in way Americans approach to they soldiers after their return home(and not only America but every country) or maybe that trouble is idiotic (sorry for expression) George Bush who led America to war. To a war because of oil; so many people died because of oil and Bush that I'm sick of even thinking about that man. Indeed very brave and provocative movie about America, war, soldiers, fathers and sons. Maybe truth sometimes hurts and maybe that's why only 4000 US voters voted for this title. But those who have seen it know or I hope that they know that this is an excellent movie.