A new short movie called “Warfare,” which we plan to release shortly. It transports viewers into the challenging reality faced by a Navy SEAL squad on a military sniper overwatch operation in Ramadi, Iraq. Former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza served as co-director on the feature with famed filmmaker Alex Garland. They take inspiration from the colorful stories of Mendoza’s fellow soldiers to create the truest, most emotional military depiction in the wake of the second Iraq War.
“Warfare” opens this Friday in theaters across the country. Though just recently launched, it’s already creating quite a buzz and rave reviews for its innovative storytelling approach. Mendoza served for decades as a military adviser on many big-screen sets. He stresses the importance of artifice and truth in depicting war stories and figured out how not to make a war film by watching others flounder.
Immersive Storytelling
Warrior As Battlefield Unlike other video games, Warfare distinguishes itself in that it doesn’t draw attention to a singular heroic act or dumb down the moral gray areas. The film zeroes in on the visceral experiences of combat, striving to convey what it truly felt like to be on the ground.
Mendoza explains his vision, saying, “I wanted to make it as accurate as possible, which is where all the other guys come in.” He implores us to understand the full nature of war by communicating the sensory experience that is so frequently ignored. He continued that their memories encompassed it all. They imagined what it felt like, what it all looked like, the colors, the smells, everything on an emotional level.
This experiential narrative colored experience both delights and challenges audiences to understand. It creates space for conversation and connection between veterans and civilians. Mendoza hopes that films such as “Warfare” can act as a starting point for conversations around combat experiences. “I think it’s a powerful thing to be able to use a movie as a conversation point or a conversation starter with a loved one,” he noted.
Honoring Comrades and Memories
In addition to exploring Mendoza’s experiences throughout his service, “Warfare” serves as an homage to Elliott Miller, a SEAL and close friend of Mendoza. Elliott valiantly suffered debilitating combat wounds from both a grenade and roadside bomb blast. Mendoza’s dedication to accurately portraying Miller’s experiences adds depth to the narrative and underscores the sacrifices made by those who served.
Mendoza mourns their connection, which is deeply felt. He shares, “Post-IED, he can’t actually talk any more. A lot of the things that tuned us in to each other are gone. Yet in the face of all these challenges, he maintains, “That bond is still there.” He’s intent on giving Miller’s memory a proper tribute through the documentary.
The resulting narrative structure anchors readers in brutally honest, sometimes joyful, evocative, poetic, and gritty firsthand accounts from comrades who served alongside Mendoza in Iraq. “We were going to just draw on the memories of my brothers and sisters that were in the room,” he said. And he thinks their views make for a better picture. This decision is more than just a creative choice to say the film is “based off real events.”
Preserving History for Future Generations
In particular, “Warfare” attempts to keep alive memories from the Iraq War, often considered a subject erased from the American popular culture. And as military historian David Silbey explains, that’s a pretty big problem. Thousands of veterans served three, four or more tours in Iraq, but their stories often aren’t told.
To show just how important it is to see this film’s messiness in person, Silbey focused on the messiness of that experience. As he wrote, the goal should be to move beyond the grandiose missions or moral good and evil, and instead convey the real, moment-to-moment realities of combat. Mendoza hopes to achieve a true representation of the experience within “Warfare.” Because of this, the DOD’s veteran-focused commitment hits home with many who have served.
Ultimately, the filmmakers want audiences to walk away with a deeper appreciation of what makes the experience of warfare so complicated and loaded with psychological intensity. Unlike dramatizations of war, “Warfare” centers personal stories and memories. The latter practice gives audiences of all ages a fresh new perspective through which to explore contemporary history.