Warfareco-directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland explain the personal inspiration for making the Iraq War film. Serving as Garland’s follow-up toCivil War(2024),Warfarechronicles the experiences of one Navy SEAL platoon in Ramada, Iraq, with memory serving as the basis of the story. For Mendoza, who is a former Navy SEAL, the upcoming movie marks his feature film debut as a director after serving as a military or technical advisor on projects likeCivil War,The Terminal List(2022),The Outpost(2019), andLone Survivor(2013).
In a recent interview withEmpiremagazine, Garland and Mendoza talk aboutWarfare’s origins, with the co-directors revealing that the movie stems from a fortuitous aligning of creative goals. While Garland was interested in recreating a real event as accurately as possible on film, Mendoza’s motivation was far more personal. For the former SEAL,making the movie was a way of conveying what happened to a friend who participated in the real event but has no memory of itdue to a brain injury. Check out the explanation from Garland and Mendoza below:
Alex Garland: I had an idea, and it didn’t have to be a war film. I was interested in recreating something real as forensically as possible, and doing it in real-time. I said to Ray, “Do you have an example of combat where we could take an hour-and-a-half and try to represent it accurately and faithfully on film?” Ray actually had a story he’d wanted to do for a long time, so the two interests dovetailed.
Ray Mendoza: My initial motivator was [fellow Navy SEAL] Elliot. He suffered a traumatic brain injury in this incident, and flatlined a few times, and he just has no recollection [of the event]. It’s frustrating for him. For all the guys who were there, this is a gift we’ve wanted to give him for a very long time.
Garland: As soon as Ray told me the story, I realised this wasn’t something that would make sense for me to conventionally direct. What would be the point of actors coming up to me asking about motivation, when the guy who could answer was standing four feet away?
Empirethen asks Mendoza how Elliot reacted to learning ofWarfare, and it sounds like the film will accomplish an important feat for the former SEAL, and for all veterans:
He was super-excited. Just the fact that a movie was being made about what happened was exciting, and it also acts as a voice for him. It can be hard for veterans to talk about an experience. Now he can show this to his kids, who have questions all the time. If you don’t remember, it’s hard to explain.
What Warfare’s Inspiration Means For The Film
The War Movie’s Emotional Element Explained
Thoughreviews forCivil Warwere generally positive, the film had elements that proved frustrating for some audiences, particularly the ambiguousbackstory of the Civil Waritself. If there’s one aspect of the movie that has been well-received, however, it’s the third act, which features an action-packed and harrowing assault on the White House. Mendoza was likely crucial to bringing this entire sequence to life, andhis pairing with Garland forWarfareis an indication of the kind of hard-hitting combat audiences can expectfrom the film.
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The latest comments from Garland and Mendoza, however, suggestthere could also be an important emotional undercurrent toWarfare’s firefights. The sense of brotherhood between the SEALs involved will seemingly be a major part of the film. This is further enhanced by the movie’s actors playing real people with real names. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai will be playing Ray, for example, and Cosmo Jarvis will be playing Elliot, the soldier Mendoza mentions above. Other characters include Will Poulter’s Erik, Joseph Quinn’s Sam, Aaron Mackenzie’s Kelly, Alex Brockdorff’s Mikey, Finn Bennett’s John, Charles Melton’s Jake, and Noah Centineo’s Brian, among others.
Our Take On Warfare’s Real-Life Inspiration
Will The Movie Repeat A Civil War Complaint?
The touching real-life inspiration behindWarfarecould go some ways to dampening the controversy that could end up affecting the film. Unlike the War in Afghanistan, which was waged in response to the September 11 attacks,the Iraq War remains very divisive, in part because of the motivations behind the conflict. By focusing in on one platoon’s experiences without waging into the politics of the experience,Warfarewill seemingly accomplish exactly what Garland and Mendoza are setting out to do.
At the same time, one majorcriticism ofCivil Waris the film’s vague politics.It’s possible that similar complaints will be levied againstWarfare, regardless of the directors' intentions. Purely on an experiential level, though,Warfarecertainly looks like it will deliver quite the theatrical experience, and Mendoza’s recent comments suggest the film is far more than just a standard war movie.
