Stop-Loss 2008: Review
Ryan Phillippe Shines as Sergeant King in Gritty Emotional Role
After several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sergeant Brandon King has met his military contractual obligations. When he is forced back for another tour, he goes AWOL.
Back-Door Draft
Kimberly Peirce’s debut in 1998 with Boys Don’t Dry made it clear that she is a director who takes risks and examines real life stories that Hollywood just won’t touch. Stop-loss documents the journey of an Iraq veteran, Sergeant Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) who makes the decision to go AWOL after he is given stop-loss orders, an army policy that forces soldiers to serve another tour which is tantamount to a “back door” draft. Iraq “fatigue” as it has been called of late, should be permanently retired from the lexicon of objective movie reviewers when referring to American audiences. This film is not perfect or thorough in its examination of the true horrors of war. But, it is an honest portrayal of American soldiers attempting to return to a world that just doesn’t fit anymore. Stop-loss was filmed in Texas, Morocco and California and has very strong performances from Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Hometown Heroes
After barely saving his unit from a sniper attack in Iraq, Brandon and his buddies return to Texas and enjoy a hero’s welcome, complete with parades, accolades and a purple heart for Brandon. However, there is something adrift about Brandon, Tommy and Steve- a hesitation behind their hero masks. Later, that night at a honky-tonk style party, Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Steve (Channing Tatum) half-heartedly brag about “kicking butt” in Iraq and killing “the terrorists” to family and friends. Even though they talk a good game, it’s evident that beyond their soldier masks lies a quiet desperation that just hasn’t found its voice. Brandon is more detached from the jovial, congratulatory high-fives, possibly because this is his last tour of duty - or so he thought.
AWOL
Readjusting to civilian life proves to be more difficult for Tommy and Steve. The night of their return from Iraq, Steve sleeps in a make-shift trench on his front lawn-as if he were still in Iraq. Tommy gets drunk and uses his unopened wedding presents for target practice the next day. They all look up to Brandon, who appears to be the glue that holds everyone together. When Brandon is not around, things fall apart. When they report back, Brandon is told that he has been stop-lossed and that he will have to return to Iraq. Adamant of not returning, Brandon takes drastic measures and goes AWOL on a cross-country tour to Washington D.C. to plead his case. Along the way, he battles guilt, anger and depression resulting from the war. Steve tries to persuade Brandon to return home, because Tommy 's drinking and mental health begin to unravel.
Verdict
The problem with this film is it’s failure to address why the soldiers have so much trouble returning home. There are flashbacks of dead Iraqi civilians and American soldiers, but no real attempt is made to explore the characters' feelings about war and its consequences (i.e. guilt, depression, PTSD). Also, what happened to Rob Brown’s role in this film? He played Issac “Eyeball” Butler, but was just relegated to a few unimportant scenes. What's up with that?
The ending of the film is anti-climatic and doesn’t really gel with Brandon’s decision to go AWOL. It’s basically a cop-out ending. Overall, the performances were good, especially Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who are truly, gritty and compelling in their roles.
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