The combination of stock war footage and newly shot footage to tell the story of fictional characters feels like an idea that should work, but it sounds a lot better on paper than in execution. Part of the issue is that the film is an extremely bare bones plot, including a completely unnecessary romance subplot that goes nowhere, and the pacing is kind of all over the place. This feels more like an excuse to attempt an experiment rather than tell a compelling narrative. Granted, it is an interesting experiment. There are some moments that work fantastically, and there is a deeply uneasy sense of foreboding throughout most of the film. It’s a decent war film worth watching once, but only once.
Rating: 3.5/5
