This war thriller with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes is a thrilling survival thriller

Films about war have been around for as long as cinema has existed. Unfortunately, as harrowing as real-life events can be, they fail to inspire filmmakers to create compelling dramatic stories. While there are a significant number of films focusing on the WWII era and the Vietnam conflict, there are several smaller theaters of war that have received significantly less attention. The reason for this is quite obvious: it is more difficult to create a clean-cut portrayal of a “black and white” story for a war in which both surviving parties still hold on to their hostilities. While producing a modern war film has its inherent risks, the underrated war thriller ’71took a differentiated approach to the “Troubles” conflict in Belfast in the early 1970s.

’71 director Yann Demange is perhaps not a well-known name in the sense of Christopher Nolan or Spike Leebut he is certainly a talented up-and-coming director who has shown no signs of compromising so far. Demange may have recently made headlines when it was reported that he had quit his role as director of Marvel Studios’ upcoming reboot bladebut that comes after he has proven himself with the underrated crime thriller White Boy Rick and several episodes of the Emmy-nominated drama series Lovecraft County. Nonetheless, ‘71 was the film that launched Demange’s career, and it’s easy to see why. By turning a controversial historical moment into a fear-inducing thriller, ’71 is a harrowing examination of the military’s relationship with the public that has a disturbing parallel to today.

’71 (2014)

In 1971, a young and disorientated British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot in the deadly streets of Belfast.

Release date

10 October 2014

director

Yann Demange

Duration

99 mins

Main genre

War

Authors

Gregory Burke

Studio

StudioCanal

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What is “71” about?

Although it is not directly based on real characters,71 based on the real “Troubles” in Northern Irelandin which Irish nationalists began to wage a small-scale conflict against the British occupying forces. Jack O’Connell plays Gary Hook, a new recruit to the British Army who is given an important post in Belfast. Gary understands that the conflict they are about to enter will not be easily resolved, but both he and his brothers in arms are shocked by the sheer sincerity of their opponents. After the Irish begin using “guerrilla warfare” techniques to divide the British troops, Gary and his team are forced to abandon their posts. As the Army attempts to quickly leave the situation without escalating the violence, they realize that Gary has been left behind in enemy territory.71 is no longer just a war film; it’s a survival thriller in which Gary must evade an entire city that sees him as the enemy.

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2014 was a big year for O’Connell as he brought a historical hero to life, Louis ZamperiniIn Angelina Jolie‘s groundbreaking biopic, Unbroken, and on par with Ben Mendelssohn in the underrated prison drama Marked with star. However, O’Connell provides an extremely sensitive portrayal in ‘71 this makes the film even more gripping than it would have otherwise been. It is never overlooked that Gary is a novice who still has a certain idealism about what he can achieve while carrying out his duties. While the film lends credibility to both sides of the conflict, with the Irish side enjoying slightly more credibility, Gary’s political views are never fully defined. In fact, the film uses this to its advantage as it explores how demonstrably irresponsible it was of the British Army to send a young man into a war zone without ever having any intention of providing him with adequate protection.

“71” is a gripping historical thriller

The first outbreak of chaos between the Irish protesters and the British army is undoubtedly the most striking scene in the film, but “71 turns into a psychological thriller as soon as Gary is forced to flee. Demange ensures that the audience never loses sight of what is at stake. If Gary’s identity is revealed, he would likely not survive the lynching. It’s a survival thriller at its most primal, as Gary simply fights for his life and is under no illusion that his efforts will end the conflict in any way. O’Connell’s charismatic portrayal may have been enough to hook viewers in hopes of Gary coming out alive, but early flashbacks to his family make the final stretch even more exciting.

’71 has a way to portray violence more realistically that makes it even more disturbing. This is not a superhero movie where the fights give the illusion that there is no collateral damage; over the course of the night, several innocent people are killed, including a young boy played by Barry Keoghan in one of the most heartbreaking moments of the film.’71 may not be meant to condemn either side, but it is a profound plea for nonviolence that is as relevant today as it was when it was in theaters. It is a stark reminder that when the banners are raised, it is often those who have the least who suffer the most.

“71” has parallels to many war classics

’71 interestingly has many parallels to classic films about the Vietnam War, including Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Hamburger Hill, And Born on July 4th. Both conflicts have been sharply criticized because they were ultimately unsuccessful attempts to suppress an ethnic-nationalist conflict that only caused deeper divisions. Gary is portrayed as a hero, but “71 It lacks the nationalistic jingoism that is all too common in war films.

Although it is not a film for the faint of heart, ’71 was a creative way to portray historical events in a way that captivated viewers. A more direct examination of the conflict might not have revealed how terrifying it was on the ground.’71 is a masterful action thriller in its own right, but its warnings of escalation make it particularly timely.

’71 is currently streaming in the US on Tubi

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