Posts
2011, 08-29:
Review of film: “5 DAYS OF WAR” (re Georgia & Russia; A/K/A “5 DAYS OF AUGUST”)
In ancient times, there were Caucasian people inhabiting areas on the east side of the Black Sea (& west of the Caspian Sea) called (at various times) “COLCHIS” & “IBERES” (Iberia), which were written about since at least the 12th Century BCE...
... The inhabitants there clearly had knowledge of advanced metallurgy & goldsmithing techniques since at least 600 BCE...
... A unified kingdom called GEORGIA was established in the area around the 4th Century BCE, &, in ancient Greek mythology, the Colchis region was the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason & the Argonauts...
... The area became a client state & allies of the ROMAN Empire for around 400 years. A king named Mirian III declared Christianity as the state religion in 337 AD, & the people eventually started revering St. George as a “patron”...
... After a lengthy independent period, the region was conquered by the MONGOLS & TAMERLANE, & then certain areas were taken over by the Ottoman (Turkish) & Persian (Iran) empires located to the south...
... Around 1750, the Kingdom reunited as an independent entity... RUSSIA (to the north) failed to follow its signed 1787 treaty obligations to Georgia, & expansionist Russia ANNEXED the eastern part of the nation in 1801, & soon took over the ENTIRE country...
... During the Russian Civil War (following Lenin’s 1917 Revolution), Georgia declared its INDEPENDENCE on May 26, 1918. From 1918-1920, it was under BRITISH protection...
... Starting in 1921, Russia’s Red ARMY attacked the area, and SOVIET control of the area took hold in 1924, &, in 1936, the country was called the Georgian SSR state in the Soviet Union...
... An ethnic Georgian named JOSEPH STALIN gained control of the Soviet Union in the late 1920’s... In the 1940’s, around 350,000 Georgians died at the Eastern front in fighting the NAZIS in World War II...
... After the Soviet Union suddenly COLLAPSED, Georgia declared INDEPENDENCE on April 9, 1991...
... As it did elsewhere in the region, RUSSIA kept trying to assert its dominance politically (backing “breakaway” Georgian areas of Abkhazia & South Ossetia), which was resisted by the Georgia government which fought wars with Russian-backed rebels in the area..
... In 2004, MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI was elected President of Georgia after a revolution...
... During a Treaty signed during a 1999 Istanbul summit, Russia had agreed to VACATE a base called Gudauta in the Abkhazia region of Georgia-- but (typically) it FAILED to do that & kept backing so-called “rebels” under its control...
... In 2008, armed CONFLICT erupted between Russia (plus its “client” areas of South Ossetia & Abkhazia) & independent Georgia-- & this new movie is “CENTERED” on that situation...
... Georgian towns around South Ossetia were shelled from what appeared to be Russian-supplied South Ossetia positions around early August of 2008 (which was “conveniently” started under “cover” of the world’s attention being focused on preparations for the August 8 start of the OLYMPICS in BEIJING, China)...
... In response to RUSSIAN interference, Georgian forces counter-attacked South Ossetia on August 7th, 2008, & that drew the Russians even more DIRECTLY into the fray from various northern areas including thru Abkhazia...
... As part of trying to get closer relations with the Western powers (as an attempted protection against the RUSSIANS), GEORGIA worked to join various European organizations (such as the Council of Europe)...
... Georgia also offered to help build a PIPELINE to carry oil from the large Azerbaijan fields southeast of Georgia to the Black Sea, for shipment to the West. That’d reduce Europe’s dependence on RUSSIAN pipelines-- which the Russians very much DIDN’T like happening...
... Also, as an effort to “cement” relations with the west, Georgia sent TROOPS to fight in various areas of Western influence, such as in IRAQ as part of Emperor George the Inept’s anti-Saddam “coalition” WAR efforts there (-- Bush’s “Black Hole” of wasted lives & efforts, which I’ve long called his “Mission PHONY BALONEY”)...
... As the film starts, there are various independent PRESS REPORTERS operating in IRAQ during the continuing Bushite struggles there... We meet one of them, named Thomas Anders (RUPERT FRIEND)...
... Rupert tends to do the “narration” for footage shot by his cameraman friend Sebastian Ganz (RICHARD COYLE), which they try to sell to “3rd party” outlets...
... At one point, they find themselves in a TRAP & besieged by insurgent terrorists...
... The only way they get out alive is because of an intervention by a group of the GEORGIAN contingent, headed by Captain Rezo Avaliani (JOHNATHON SCHAECH). Because of his help in saving them, Rupert becomes FRIENDS with him...
... The only way they get out alive is because of an intervention by a group of the GEORGIAN contingent, headed by Captain Rezo Avaliani (JOHNATHON SCHAECH). Because of his help in saving them, Rupert becomes FRIENDS with him...
... After recovering from injuries he suffered in the Iraqi attack (during which some reporter people were KILLED), Rupert is told the next “hot” spot he could report on is in GEORGIA where the Russians had been making continuing efforts to interfere with the Western-oriented government there...
... Tho Rupert isn’t super “eager” to go, knowing he needs money & wanting to do a good JOB at reporting on “undiscovered” facts, he GOES to Georgia & meets with OTHER reporters congregating there, including the “Dutchman” (VAL KILMER)...
... The reporters share information with each other, & Rupert sets off with cameraman Richard towards the conflict in the region near South OSSETIA (just south of the Russian border with Georgia)...
... Periodically, we see talks between the Georgia President (played by ANDY GARCIA) & his American advisor, Chris Bailot (DEAN CAIN)...
... At one point, Dean cautions Andy that Bush has made clear he WON’T intervene in Russia’s interference in Georgia’s sovereignty [despite Georgia’s joining HIS adventurist expedition in Iraq when asked to do so]...
... We see Rupert & Richard work to infiltrate into the South Ossetia BORDER regions where the Russians have massed...
... Since there isn’t much else to film right then, Rupert lets Richard film part of an ethnic WEDDING going on at a restaurant where they’re staying...
... They talk to the bride’s sister named Tatia (EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI), who’d had some prior involvement with Americans...
... As the wedding party was celebrating, there was an ATTACK by RUSSIAN-backed forces, & many of the innocents at the party were KILLED...
... Not only that, but the Russian commander in the area, Colonel Demidov (RADE SERBEDZIJA), lets his forces massacre some of the people in the area...
... Rupert & Richard have FILM of the atrocities, & keep working to HIDE the camera MEMORY card holding the footage & then later working to retrieve the card to try to get it BROADCAST to the West to present GEORGIA’S “case” to the world about the conflict...
... We then are put in the midst of “CAT & MOUSE” games where Rupert & Richard try to ESCAPE from the area & get to a broadcast location in Gori... At one point, they’re helped by their old friend JOHNATHON, who tries to better “warn” them about what is likely to “happen”...
... Rupert & Richard are helped to get around by Emmanuelle, & they try to assist her get in touch with her SISTER & their FATHER (shown below), who may have his own secret “agenda” politically...
... The group at one point is captured by the Russians (shown below), & have bad problems with the vicious “head” mercenary in the group...
... Every one of the “major” players understands the importance of PROPAGANDA in these geo-political times... As a “tagline” for the film accurately says, “The first casualty of WAR is the TRUTH...”
... Thus, Rupert keeps running into “roadblocks” as he tries hard to find a foreign OUTLET for his footage to try to tell the “GEORGIAN” side of the dispute...
... At one point, he tries to use the help of a satellite van broadcast technician named Jameson (LUKE ALBRIGHT)...
... At one point, he tries to use the help of a satellite van broadcast technician named Jameson (LUKE ALBRIGHT)...
... Meanwhile, the RUSSIANS work very hard to try to find & DESTROY his MASSACRE footage which they know will HURT THEIR highly-propagandized side of things...
... In the midst of all this, WAR keeps raging on, with Russian AIR attacks & the like...
... And, as USUAL in such clashes, it’s innocent CIVILIANS who are the major CASUALTIES in the war (since the main political “powers” often find them “EXPENDABLE” in their self-serving schemes)...
... The Georgia President (Andy) keeps trying to get foreign SUPPORT to help his country keep its independence... And he even makes major SPEECHES to the country, offering a unilateral withdrawal from certain areas & the like...
... Rupert keeps trying to find a way to send out his FOOTAGE from areas like war-torn Gori, where the RUSSIANS are increasing their attacks...
... Will Rupert be able to send OUT his vital footage?... And, if it gets out, will it make any real “DIFFERENCE” in the scheme of things?...
... Will Rupert & his fellow reporters (50 of whom have been KILLED in covering various recent conflicts in real life) get OUT of the area ALIVE?...
... WHAT will happen to the independence of Georgia & OTHERS trying to exist in the realm of the Russian political “Bear”?...
... This is a POWERFULLY-done film, very intensely and effectively covering the HORRORS of war...
... That’s not surprising, in that it was made by director RENNY HARLIN, who’s done a number of “action” films (like “DIE HARD II” in 1990, “CLIFFHANGER” in 1992, & “THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT” in 1996)...
... Renny seems to have an almost PERSONAL sort of “investment” in the “Georgia” story (which was based on true events), as shown by the “postscripts” he adds of Georgian people shown at the end around the CREDITS...
(... Possibly he was in part “thinking” of the way the Russians had often invaded his OWN homeland of Finland, such as in the “Winter War” of 1939-40 & subsequent actions wherein the Soviets stole around 10% of its land area & 20% of its industrial capacity & then tried to control its actions during the “COLD WAR”?...)
... The comparatively “big names” in the film are VAL KILMER & ANDY GARCIA. Some might be disappointed that they have fairly MINOR roles in it-- but, this is really not “THEIR” story (in that they’re “BIT” players to the overall “movement” of the story about the main reporters, outwardly-“dispassionate” Rupert & quiet Richard)...
... As you might be able to tell, I LIKE “historical” dramas in general...
... There are elements here which are a bit “excessive” (such as a sudden “change” in the approach of Russian commander Rade near the end)...
... But, overall, I found it an unusually WELL-DONE movie, with a bunch of GOOD acting & lots of excellent WARTIME action that gave you a real “FEEL” of the awfulness of war & the political “GAMES” that are so often played by those in “charge”...
... Accordingly, since it’s an EFFECTIVE handling of a complex subject, I’m rating this at 8.0 out of 10 stars...
[ NOTE: You can easily SHARE this Posting with your friends or family by sending them an e-mail LINK via clicking on the “M” button in the lower left-hand corner... ]
(o_
/\
/\
= = = [ 4 B&W I&D ] … ( <> ^ <> ) ...
* - - - - - - - - - *
FB: THE VOICE OF SILENCE
No comments:
Post a Comment