Watched The Outpost last night. One of the best movies I’ve seen in some time. It’s based on a true story about one of the fiercest battles of the U.S.-Taliban war in Afghanistan. Hats off to Jake Tapper of CNN for doing the research, interviews, and writing behind the book the movie is based on.
War movies aren’t my favorite genre of film, but this ensemble piece with no real lead character seems to give a sense of the teamwork, bravery, and sacrifice required of a small unit assigned to a nearly impossible mission and environment. It makes me glad I never joined the military; I took some initial steps to joining the DC National Guard when I was looking at ways to pay for grad school but suspended my application. Among other things, I don’t really like guns and was probably already too old at the time to do much more than transport or office work.
More importantly, the movie demonstrates the courage, coordination, and choreography needed in the heat of battle. My response to that situation would more likely be cowardice, confusion, and chaos. Well, there are other virtues than valor.
Some use the term “war stories” dismissively, but I heard a military vet say wisely a few years ago of a non-military situation in a metaphorical sense, “when you’re going to war, you should hear war stories.”
You might want to stick around for the credits. The movie includes clips of interviews with the real soldiers dramatized in it.