“There’s no nobility with war. It’s tear-’em-up destruction that leaves you frustrated, bitter and angry... If you really knew what it was like for an hour, you wouldn’t want anyone to go through it.”Charles Durning, WWII Solider and American Actor
It is quite easy to forget Durning's saying about war given the scores of movies over the years that have only romanticised the virtue of war, portraying soldiers as larger-than-life-figures (almost superhero-like) with noble ideologies.
And it is exactly this notion that the 2020 film Mosul attempts to shatter in every minute of the otherwise 101-minute action movie, based on the 2017 New Yorker article about the Nineveh SWAT Team and their mission.
While Matthew Michael Carnahan, in his directorial debut, takes only a fraction of what is written in the aforementioned article, the film does the job of giving us a glimpse into their lives, ideologies and the mission of the self-directed team.
That said, beware of major spoilers ahead!
Mosul aims to show its audience the ground reality of war and the unending trail of destruction it leaves behind, which it establishes with its opening drone shots on the city of Mosul which is in the rubble. It also does not shy away from depicting the extent of damage caused by militants, both physically as well as psychologically.
Plot
The story follows the SWAT team led by Major Jasem (Suhail Dabbach), who recruits a young police officer Kawa (Adam Bessa) being ambushed by militants in Mosul. The film is set in a time when the ISIS forces were retreating from Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, as the Kurdish and American forces fought to throw them out of the territory that they had captured.
The SWAT team went around recruiting volunteers and killing as many militants as they could, as the militants, even while retreating would loot and kill citizens, torture and rape the women.
The Nineveh SWAT Team would only recruit members who have been physically harmed by the militants or harmed by killing their loved ones. The team had just one objective: Vengeance.
They were their own masters, following their original mission, despite them being reassigned after a leadership change, which meant that they could neither go back to their army base nor could they call for help.
Despite Mosul being an action movie, there are no long drawn, slo-mo action sequences or heroic stunt moves. Action sequences are short, quick and human-like, with no significant background score, except the constant firing of bullets and explosives going off at a distance. It is through Kawa himself figuring out what his new team is fighting for – which the audience also understands, although nothing is spelt out.
There are little glimpses into the lives of the remaining SWAT members that are usually seen when they would take their breaks or take refuge for the night, as they watch a Kuwaiti soap opera, chain-smoke cigarettes and drink water, only until the next bullet hits.
Mosul does not hesitate to kill its protagonists in non-climactic ways while the survivors would spend only a brief time in mourning, before carrying on with their mission. It is these moments which vividly add depth to these characters and humanise them.
Another standout moment of humanity shows Major Kasem trying to convince two little boys to come along with them so that he can take them to a safe place.
And it is through Kawa’s facial expressions (and the little he speaks) that we see him hardening through the course of action and finally holding the team together at a moment of severe loss (when Major Kasem dies in an explosion).
It is only at the end of the film that we learn about the actual mission of the Nineveh SWAT team – to rescue the remaining family members who were stuck in Mosul so that the militants can't kill them as they retreat. So, while the film can't do justice to the 2017 New Yorker story, which so vividly narrates their experience, it certainly does get the essence right. Because, there might be no nobility in war, but there's certainly some humanity left.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)