The Outpost (2020) ****

 

Mark Twain is usually credited with the line, “History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Whether Twain said it or not, it's an apt observation. Humanity seems truly resistant to learning lessons from the past. Nowhere is this more apparent than in America's ongoing adventure in Afghanistan, now the longest war in our country's history. Within just a few short years, we are looking at the very real possibility of babies born during the war getting the opportunity to serve in the same war. That's a grim national achievement if I've ever seen one. We've been at this war long enough now that we are ignoring the lessons of our own experience there, let alone the experiences of the Russians and the British before us.

“The Outpost” is the story of one of those experiences, the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, one of the bloodiest American engagements of the war. I won't give away much more about it, except that the military unit involved became the most decorated of the war (so far). If you are at all up for a violent war movie, then this is must-watch material. The acting is good, with a cast including Scott Eastwood (Clint's son) and Orlando Bloom. The fight scenes are fast-paced and realistic. “The Outpost” depicts real soldiers acting like real people; this movie doesn't manufacture drama.

If I have one criticism, it's that the story is told entirely from the point of view of the American soldiers. We don't get any insight into the motivations of the Taliban fighters or the Afghan villagers, some of whom are one and the same. Truth be told, the Afghans in “The Outpost”come off looking like a bunch of sneaky, lying savages. The Taliban fighters are obviously brave enough, but the Afghan military forces at the base look like cowards. In fairness to the movie, this story is MEANT to be told from a particular point of view. In a way, that's an essential element of this war, the inability of each side to understand the other. Clearly, the Afghans are complex human beings with honor and family and motivations of their own, but the language and culture gap between them and the American soldiers is too wide to bridge. I think that must be one of the worst things about this kind of war, being stationed among people who seem incomprehensible, and being hated by “friend” and foe alike.

If you only watch one movie about the war in Afghanistan, this should be it. “The Outpost” is a gripping war story and a fitting tribute to the men who fought.

4 stars out of 5