RE: Behind Enemy Lines

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-07-02 AT 06:01 PM (GMT)]Hi Ink,
I seem to remember saying just after seeing it that people such as yourself might find justifiable cause to criticise some of the scenes.

I obviously know next to nothing about Bosnia particularly compared to people living there of having served/lived there. I liked the fact that they had actually taken the trouble of hiring what seemed like authentic local actors and not US thespians ordered to speak in heavy guttural accents. I have no idea whether the dialogues sounded good to someone who speaks the language.

WARNING. PLOT SPOILERS
I disliked some scenes which were stretching credibility somewhat (the one with the antipersonnel mines at the factory and the final scene).
I didn’t like the way an officer was portayed as blatantly lacking respect to a superior in the beginning of the film. I might be wrong but my limited experience of the military makes me think that such disrespectful behaviour would NOT be tolerated under any shape or form. Maybe it is different in the US Navy… Like I said, I am not familiar enough with it to tell.
I found the sniper stalking the main character very over the top. He was really too much of a caricature at times.
And I was a tad annoyed at the oversimplistic way the whole incident was reduced at times to a “Let’s get our boy out of here. I am a surrogate father.” I know these feelings can happen, but the way they were treated left me a bit disappointed.
Now for the positive.
I enjoyed the innovative and original use of camera work in certain scenes.
I absolutely jumped out of my seat when the bullets hit the concrete bridge (when the bloke is having a drink early on in his escape). And I nearly run for cover when the tank burst through and was about to fire. Believe me, thaat scene was astounding in the cinema.
I liked the fact the filmmakers at least touched upon some of the isues in the region’s history. Obviously, it was very superficial and not a perfect way to learn about the conflicts there, but it did make me want to try and find out more about it (and about ResCo ops incidentally).
I really liked the scene when the main character is dozing off and hears the voice of his dead pilot wisper his name to him as if to warn him of imminent danger. I have experienced this type of phemomenon and I thought it was a fantastic touch.
I liked some of the landscape because it looked quite authentic. Again, I speak as someone who has next to no knowledge of the area. I found it good that most of the crew seemed to have been hired at least from that region of the world.
And overall I found it an enjoyable experience and an entertaining film with a few remarkable ideas.

I was not too bothered by the inaccuracies on the military side of things because I probably didn’t spot many of them. Then again, there are so many in films these days. A large proportion of fight scenes in films or TV series make me wince, they’re so unrealistic. But then fiction is meant to require “willing suspension of disbelief” on our part in order to work.

One final point: I was surprised the film makers didn’t hire at least a couple of French actors to speak a few lines of the French personnel. It would have been consistent with their overall approach. Was the French bloke meant to be in the Army though (Armee de Terre)? Was it not the Infanterie de la Marine or something?