Tobias Lindholm is a commendable Danish writer-director who proved his tremendous quality in intelligent, realistic dramas such as “R” and “A Highjacking”.
In his latest, entitled “A War”, he earnestly portrays a thorny occurrence that deeply affects the life of a soldier in two different fronts: the military and the civilian. Commander Claus Pedersen (compellingly played by Lindholm’s regular, Pilou Asbæk) leaves his wife and three little children in Denmark and sets foot in the Afghan Helmand province, where he orients a small squad whose purpose is to guarantee the safety of the population, often threatened by the vile Taliban. Their mission in the Middle East also includes locating potential suspects and exterminating them, in the case they’re confirmed as enemies.
The hardships of war are demonstrated in several ways by Mr. Lindholm, who starts his psychological assault to our minds when a young soldier dies ingloriously after stepping on a landmine. He was replacing another squad member who gets psychologically affected by the incident and, without trying to hide the tears in his eyes, begs his superior to return home. The request is denied by the considerate commander Claus, who can’t do much beyond …show more content…
In order to protect his men, the brave officer, who frequently participates in the peripheral guarding missions with his patrol unit, orders a deadly attack on a delicate area called Compound 6, which he considered a military target. Shockingly, 11 civilians died in the attack, including women and children. Promptly dismissed, he’s sent back to Denmark in order to be tried, and facing the possibility of being sentenced to four years in prison for crimes of war. The accusation relies on a video from a helmet cam, photographic material, and testimonies of some of his
In his latest, entitled “A War”, he earnestly portrays a thorny occurrence that deeply affects the life of a soldier in two different fronts: the military and the civilian. Commander Claus Pedersen (compellingly played by Lindholm’s regular, Pilou Asbæk) leaves his wife and three little children in Denmark and sets foot in the Afghan Helmand province, where he orients a small squad whose purpose is to guarantee the safety of the population, often threatened by the vile Taliban. Their mission in the Middle East also includes locating potential suspects and exterminating them, in the case they’re confirmed as enemies.
The hardships of war are demonstrated in several ways by Mr. Lindholm, who starts his psychological assault to our minds when a young soldier dies ingloriously after stepping on a landmine. He was replacing another squad member who gets psychologically affected by the incident and, without trying to hide the tears in his eyes, begs his superior to return home. The request is denied by the considerate commander Claus, who can’t do much beyond …show more content…
In order to protect his men, the brave officer, who frequently participates in the peripheral guarding missions with his patrol unit, orders a deadly attack on a delicate area called Compound 6, which he considered a military target. Shockingly, 11 civilians died in the attack, including women and children. Promptly dismissed, he’s sent back to Denmark in order to be tried, and facing the possibility of being sentenced to four years in prison for crimes of war. The accusation relies on a video from a helmet cam, photographic material, and testimonies of some of his