Films centered around the armed hostility between two nations are always centralized by the conflict between the nations and the goal they wish to impose on the opposed. But when it comes to the sequestered mentality behind captains, sergeants, and officers, while it does exist, it is rare for a film to capture the essentials of their character. In this case, it is a superficial account that appears to stem from the description of an onlooker.
Based on the book Horse Soldiers written by Doug Stanton, 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldier depicts the journey of U.S. Special Forces soldiers who are sent off to Afghanistan to combat the Taliban and seize the city of Mazar E Sharif. The Nicolai Fuglsig directed film takes place after the 2001 September 11 attacks, a time the United States was on a mission to dethrone the Taliban, the political organization who fosters al-Qaeda. The fight turns into a mass challenge after the weapons obtained by the U.S. Special Forces fail to oblige to their purpose forcing U.S. soldiers to be in cahoots with Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance. Played by Chris Hemsworth, Captain Mitch Nelson develops a brotherly bond with the leader of the alliance, General Abdul Rashid Dostum (played by Navid Negahban). The milestone act impersonates the film’s ability to plot the relationship between U.S. Special Forces soldiers and Afghanistan locals.
Trevante Rhodes, who broke out in the acting world for his role as Black in the Academy Awarding winning drama, Moonlight, plays Sergeant First Class Milo, a fighter on Captain Mitch’s team who develops a fatherlike relationship with a young Afghan local named Najeeb, who is played by child actor Arshia Mandavi. Through Sergeant First Class Milo, Rhodes exhibits the human nature of soldiers in the atmosphere of war, as he constantly tunes into his state of emotion, despite being the sole controller of weapons.
Riding horses with Captain Mitch and Sergeant Milo is Sergeant First Class Sam Diller, played by Michael Peña, who is on a specialized mission to renounce the supply line of the Taliban. While others are focused on demolishing the antagonist, Diller is focused on destroying the operations of the Taliban that allow them to flourish in combat. He has a rather, matured perspective on war, which is evident in his partially stern demeanor.
12 Strong is a Warner Bros. motion picture the confesses the personable unsung traits of the Green Berets, who take on more duds than defending the United States. The object of each captain, sergeant, and officer’s reality is painted into a crystal clear picture that is more suitable for general patrons, rather than military powerhouses, necessarily. 12 Strong is set to debut in theaters next year on January 19th. Until then, take a look at the film’s illustrious trailer, below.
