"Katis directs a tense, armchair grabbing thriller – horror which wouldn’t be out of place in the West End"
War has become big business, especially in America, they have a long list of films based on the Afgan and Iraq war with Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘The Hurt Locker’ being the stand out choice and with the Call of Duty franchise. According to The Guinness World Reconds COD, as it’s known, as sold 188,900,000 units across all formats as of July this year.
So it begs the question why hasn’t their been a modern day British war film? Are we a bit too British when it comes to celebrating even if it’s for our war heroes. This has all changed thanks to director Paul Katis and his film Kajaki.
The film tells a true life story of a small unit of soldiers positioned on a ridge overlooking the Kajaki dam. A three – man patrol sets out to disable a Taliban roadblock. In a dried out river bed at the foot of the ridge, one of the patrol detonates a land mine, blowing off his leg and setting into motion a desperate rescue mission.
It’s hard to image what it is like to see someones life change within a foot step, that you’re stuck in a sick game knowing any movement risks certain injury or possible death but what flourishes is the bravery, selflessness and heroism of people. This is what Kajaki is all about showing true heroism in the face of impossible odds.
Katis directs a tense, armchair grabbing thriller – horror which wouldn’t be out of place in the West End. Much like the modern day horror films it brings the quite, quite, bang! Formula but the results of this bang is more dreadful because even though we’ve seen what happens to a service man or woman who loses a limb, but we’ve never witnessed what the results from a mine or IED bomb blowing up.
The whole cast is fantastic, especially the cast members who had to scream and cry in agony after losing their legs, but it was Mark Stanley, who plays Paul ‘Tug’ Hartley, who was the stand out character has he was the medic who made sure everyone who got injured got out of the dam alive and huge amount of pressure that was on his shoulders to block out the dismay in front of him.
This film’s stand out individual is special effects makeup designer Cliff Wallace, who bought all the horrifying injuries to screen and because of his terrific work he deserves to win awards including a BAFTA.
Verdict – For a tense thriller – horror, but a true celebration of bravery and heroism.
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