FILM REVIEW: 13 Hours - Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

I went into the theatre knowing absolutely nothing about the secret soldiers of Benghazi story or Mitchell Zuckoff 's book, "13 Hours"; I came out having a bit of an idea, but not really an entire understanding of what happened in Benghazi. The film sort of gives us an outline of what happened but doesn't really delve deep into the whole story of why certain things happened or why they happened the way they happened. Most great biographical movies will normally go beyond just narrating the story and give us an inside look into who the characters really were; their personalities, their thoughts and way of reasoning as well as their feelings and emotions. "13 Hours" totally missed the mark, so we never get to know who the secret soldiers of Benghazi were or who they are beyond their scope of work. So if you are looking for an honest look at the lives of these heroic men, this might not be the best place to turn to. However, if it is engrossing and gripping action thriller you want to see, then "13 Hours" is probably your best bet.

Jack Da Silva (John Krasinski), a former Navy SEAL, arrives in Benghazi to join the Global Response Staff as a private consultant on the security of a CIA outpost referred to as "The Annex". He is picked up by his personal friend Tyrone "Rone" Woods (James Badge Dale), who is also a member of the team. Arriving at the Annex, Jack is introduced to the rest of the team, including chief Bob (David

Costabile). Benghazi, Lybia has been named one of the most dangerous places in the world and most countries have pulled their embassies out of the country but the US keeps a diplomatic compound in the city.

When the US ambassador to Lybia, J. Christopher Stevens, arrives on diplomatic duties; he insists on staying at compound despite limited security. In the end, this makes you wonder if it is okay to feel the urge to blame him a little for the chaos that followed. That if maybe he had listened to warnings from Rone and Jack and their team about the security issue, the attacks that took place wouldn't have happened. But then again, why does the US insist on keeping representative in such a non-safe place? See, at least even with all the short comings by the film, at least it makes you think and form some kind of opinion (but we don't want to get too political now). 

On the morning of the 11th is September, the Stevens notices suspicious activity by strange men in the compound and informs his security personnel. Meanwhile, back at the Annex, the GRS team communicates with their loved ones whom they left back in their home country via Skype sessions. It is the only scene that ever gives a us at least a skeleton look into the gentlemen's lives. We get to see that some have wives and children, and Jacks finds out that his wife is pregnant. Now we have this one detail to encourage us to hold thumbs and hope that whatever happens, he gets out alive and goes back to his family and unborn child. The rest of the team is pretty much still strangers to us. Besides their military service, it is hard to form a connection with their characters.

That night, the compound is attacked. Stevens together with officer Sean Smith are taken into the safe room. Failing to bridge the safe room, the attackers then set the building on fire in attempt to get the ambassador out. Seeing what is happening at the compound, the GRS staff want to go and assist but is told to stand down. After several times being given this order, they decide to defy it and head to the compound. I guess we could already say that these soldiers were very noble and brave men that possessed the spirit of heroism in them. They fend off several attackers and manage to make their way in. However, the are not able to find Stevens and Smith has died from smoke inhalation. They decide to retreat back to the Annex and unfortunately they are followed. This unleashes a series of attacks on the Annex. During this gritty war, Rone and Glen Doherty (a GRS officer who had flown in to assist) are killed; and eventually, reinforcements arrive to help defeat the attackers. Stevens was found behind the compound, dead from smoke inhalation.

The film is a thick fog of war filled with gun shots, explosions and military code "call-outs". It is charged with all sorts of technical filmmaking tactics such as bird view shots (drone shots). At some point it can feel like a super charged videos game, but no one wants to be watching a video game instead of playing; therefore finding your self drifting off in the middle of a screening should not be so uncommon. However, that just makes it a huge tragedy because a biographical film like this one is meant to engage you emotionally and really make you feel connected to the story or even characters.

It is only in the end when the bodies of the fallen soldiers and ambassador wait to be transported back home that you really get to feel something, but only then it is too late so the emotions don't quite linger around for much.