Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Throughout most of "Behind Enemy Lines," I thought
I was watching a film directed by Tony Scott. With beautiful
cinematography, MTV-style editing and action sequences,
special effects that evolve out of "Matrix" era filmmaking,
and a saturated color scheme that creates powerful visuals,
"Behind Enemy Lines" often overcomes the rather typical
and drab patriotic hoo-ha that often pops up in the
script.
Shot well before 9-11 but somewhat capitalizing
(unintentionally) on the tragic turns in America, the
film has the most typical Middle Eastern bad guys since
Bruce Willis' rather ill-fated "The Siege." Here, Navy
flyboy hotshot Owen Wilson, with verbose tenacity well
in hand, gets dropped somewhere in some Serb/Croation
place (I don't do geography or politics) and has numerous
olive skinned men after him. Since this was shot before
9/11, none really have turbans.
On the sidelines, tough but tender ship's Admiral
Gene Hackman works to get Wilson rescued and back home.
Sure, it was Wilson's hot-shot stupidity and defiance
of orders that lands him in trouble, but Daddy Gene
soon forgives and cries, "Let's bring our boy home."
While in enemy territory, Wilson also realizes he's
got photographic evidence of war crimes, so there's
an even greater good to be had by getting him out alive.
But for all its poor scripting and typicality,
I couldn't help but like the film. First and foremost,
it's simply beautiful to look at. The cinematography
and camera work is phenomenal. There's an effects shot,
a super-super-slo-mo shot of a man standing next to
an exploding land mine midway through the film that
is simply breathtaking. Often quick cutting, fast-speed-motion
shots and editing are employed as well. The whole damn
film, for the most part, looks pretty cool. The hand-held
camera work may be reminiscent of "Saving Private Ryan,"
but that's what one expects from an action sequence
in a war film. Again, these may be genre uses of effects
and camera work, but they are done wonderfully.
The next best selling points here are Wilson and
Hackman. Talk about a perfect pairing of actors. One
only wishes that the duo had more screen time together.
These guys, one old school, one new, may not be breaking
out of the box in their character here but that doesn't
make watching them any less delightful. Wilson's jabber-jaw,
which has recently aided him greatly in generic Hollywood
fare, never tires here and we grow to accept him as
a character based greatly on himself. Therefore, we
begin to care what happens to him. Hackman, meanwhile,
delivers up to his usual excellence. Together the two
create a father/son relationship that has some resonance
in the film.
One other amazing thing about "Behind Enemy Lines"
is its look at a country at wartime. As Americans, we
have learned more in the last few months about what
is happening in the world around us. This film echoes
what we have seen. A really beautiful moment in the
film, which is confusing in its political reality, has
Wilson meeting a young man on the road who likes American
rap and, in his deep foreign accent, recites a few lines
in English for Wilson. It's one of those sublime moments
where two characters of vastly different backgrounds
come together and we, as audience, see that in many
ways they are not that different. It doesn't hurt that
the guy is a cutie too.
Director John Moore, making a pretty decent debut
here, seems to understand action as well as character.
He works well in both domains and serves his actors
as well, letting them be themselves and appear pretty
natural. While at times seeming reminiscent of Scott,
his work also conjured images from "Apollo 13." In that
film, as in this, close-up shots of mechanical apparatus
helped to tell the story in creative and interesting
ways. Like Ron Howard in the former film, Moore takes
plot exposition that could be rather dry and makes it
interesting by explaining it to us using close-ups and
miniature shots of mechanical apparatus.
"Behind Enemy Lines" implodes at its ending. It
degenerates into typical war movie generics and ridiculous
and unbelievable heroism. It goes way, way over the
top. And it is a shame that this unnecessary and unrewarding
ending subjugates what, up to then, had been an at least
likable film.
Note:
Filmed in Slovakia as well as aboard the USS Carl
Vinson and the USS Constitution.
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