Warfare

co-directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland explain the personal inspiration for making the Iraq War film. Serving as Garland’s follow-up to Civil War (2024), Warfare chronicles the experiences of one Navy SEAL platoon in Ramada, Iraq, with memory serving as the basis of the story. For Mendoza, who is a former Navy SEAL, the upcoming movie marks his feature film debut as a director after serving as a military or technical advisor on projects like Civil War, The Terminal List (2022), The Outpost (2019), and Lone Survivor (2013).

In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Garland and Mendoza talk about Warfare‘s origins, with the co-directors revealing that the movie stems from a fortuitous aligning of creative goals. While Garland was interested in recreating a real event as accurately as possible on film, Mendoza’s motivation was far more personal. For the former SEAL, making the movie was a way of conveying what happened to a friend who participated in the real event but has no memory of it due to a brain injury. Check out the explanation from Garland and Mendoza below:

Alex Garland: I had an idea, and it didn’t have to be a war film. I was interested in recreating something real as forensically as possible, and doing it in real-time. I said to Ray, “Do you have an example of combat where we could take an hour-and-a-half and try to represent it accurately and faithfully on film?” Ray actually had a story he’d wanted to do for a long time, so the two interests dovetailed.

Ray Mendoza: My initial motivator was [fellow Navy SEAL] Elliot. He suffered a traumatic brain injury in this incident, and flatlined a few times, and he just has no recollection [of the event]. It’s frustrating for him. For all the guys who were there, this is a gift we’ve wanted to give him for a very long time.

Garland: As soon as Ray told me the story, I realised this wasn’t something that would make sense for me to conventionally direct. What would be the point of actors coming up to me asking about motivation, when the guy who could answer was standing four feet away?

Empire then asks Mendoza how Elliot reacted to learning of Warfare, and it sounds like the film will accomplish an important feat for the former SEAL, and for all veterans:

He was super-excited. Just the fact that a movie was being made about what happened was exciting, and it also acts as a voice for him. It can be hard for veterans to talk about an experience. Now he can show this to his kids, who have questions all the time. If you don’t remember, it’s hard to explain.

What Warfare’s Inspiration Means For The Film

The War Movie’s Emotional Element Explained

Though reviews for Civil War were generally positive, the film had elements that proved frustrating for some audiences, particularly the ambiguous backstory of the Civil War itself. If there’s one aspect of the movie that has been well-received, however, it’s the third act, which features an action-packed and harrowing ᴀssault on the White House. Mendoza was likely crucial to bringing this entire sequence to life, and his pairing with Garland for Warfare is an indication of the kind of hard-hitting combat audiences can expect from the film.

The latest comments from Garland and Mendoza, however, suggest there could also be an important emotional undercurrent to Warfare‘s firefights. The sense of brotherhood between the SEALs involved will seemingly be a major part of the film. This is further enhanced by the movie’s actors playing real people with real names. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai will be playing Ray, for example, and Cosmo Jarvis will be playing Elliot, the soldier Mendoza mentions above. Other characters include Will Poulter’s Erik, Joseph Quinn’s Sam, Aaron Mackenzie’s Kelly, Alex Brockdorff’s Mikey, Finn Bennett’s John, Charles Melton’s Jake, and Noah Centineo’s Brian, among others.

Our Take On Warfare’s Real-Life Inspiration

Will The Movie Repeat A Civil War Complaint?

The touching real-life inspiration behind Warfare could go some ways to dampening the controversy that could end up affecting the film. Unlike the War in Afghanistan, which was waged in response to the September 11 attacks, the Iraq War remains very divisive, in part because of the motivations behind the conflict. By focusing in on one platoon’s experiences without waging into the politics of the experience, Warfare will seemingly accomplish exactly what Garland and Mendoza are setting out to do.

At the same time, one major criticism of Civil War is the film’s vague politics. It’s possible that similar complaints will be levied against Warfare, regardless of the directors’ intentions. Purely on an experiential level, though, Warfare certainly looks like it will deliver quite the theatrical experience, and Mendoza’s recent comments suggest the film is far more than just a standard war movie.

Source: Empire