Movies

Veteran’s Real-Life War Story: The Brutal Truth Behind ‘Warfare’ Movie

BBG News

The movie, Warfare, in theaters April 11, is a movie by a veteran made for veterans.

Ray Mendoza, a Navy SEAL veteran from the Iraq War, collaborated with the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Alex Garland for directing a movie based on a 2006 mission gone awry. This project is dedicated to his friend and comrade who was severely wounded during that operation and no longer recalls it.

The creators of the movie anticipate that it will strike a chord with both various categories of war veterans and civilians alike, providing them with an insight into the reality of contemporary warfare as it has never been portrayed before. According to Mendoza, the film aspires to be the most authentic portrayal of combat ever made.

Let’s explore the true incidents and characters that served as the foundation for the movie’s script, along with the main lessons it imparts to both military veterans and civilian audiences.

The real story behind Warfare

The film is set around a genuine operation that took place in a region of Iraq’s Ramadi Province governed by al-Qaeda in November 2006. A band of American Navy SEALs were assigned to monitor an urban residential neighborhood so that ground forces could move through it safely the following day. Unfortunately, troops stumbled upon an apartment building occupied by insurgents without realizing it. Al-Qaeda members then launched a grenade into the scene from a sniper hole, wounding one of the SEALs named Elliott Miller (portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis). As his comrades attempted to evacuate him and another injured SEAL, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated, causing severe injuries to Miller.

After living through the mission, Miller found himself unable to recall any details about it. Over time, he reached out to his fellow soldiers for clarification on specific events. To aid his friend in regaining his memories, Mendoza wrote a book titled Warfare.

After retiring from his naval career, Mendoza found a new line of work as a stuntman in Hollywood, assisting actors to create authentic gunfights for action films. During the production of the 2024 movie, “Civil War,” he struck up a friendship with Garland and divulged the tale of Miller’s evacuation.

In a nutshell, Garland observed the beginnings of a film production and collected Mendoza’s memories about the Ramadi operation. They then held discussions with ex-Naval Special Warfare Comrades who took part in that mission, and Miller even stopped by the set. Their primary aim was to accurately portray the sequence of events as they truly unfolded, without creating fictional characters or exaggerating details for a more dramatic impact.

Making Warfare

As a movie enthusiast, I found myself transported outside the bustling cityscape of London, to a former World War II airfield now transformed into a vibrant TV and film studio. Here, we were subjected to a rigorous regimen reminiscent of Navy SEAL boot camps. The aim? To prepare us for the mental and physical strain that war zones demand.

In the movie, I’m captivated by the presence of a talented ensemble: Charles Melton, Michael Gandolfini, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Kit Connor. What makes their performances even more intriguing is the bond they formed off-screen. They grew so close that they bestowed nicknames upon each other, much like comrades in the armed forces do. Interestingly, Jarvis earned the affectionate nickname “Booger Boo,” which was actually Miller’s military moniker from his own days of service.

During filming, actors were required to don approximately 50 lbs of tactical equipment, transport one another over a distance of two miles on stretchers, and become proficient in radio communication protocols, weapon management, and military jargon.

In this film, you won’t find a traditional soundtrack. Instead, the sounds of war and men agonizing fill the air, punctuated by just one tune. The opening scene of the movie is the lone cheerful moment, where soldiers are seen congregating, laughing, and dancing to Eric Prydz’s “Call on Me” music video, which features young women performing aerobics in a suggestive manner, set against a backdrop of techno beats.

In their actual operations, they’d always view this video prior to each task. Over time, it evolved into a private humor among them. On one occasion, with everyone lined up in the darkness, one of them mimicked a thrusting gesture towards another, causing all of them to struggle not to laugh out loud.

In just a few moments, the men transition from dancing to tending to each other with first aid. Scattered limbs populate the street, and the movie’s soundtrack shifts into a symphony of wounded soldiers’ cries, intended to envelop spectators in the chaotic atmosphere of war. It seems as though rescue teams take an eternity to arrive, as they must carefully avoid driving over improvised explosive devices. When a voice crackles over a radio asking “where are you?”, a soldier replies, “Seek out blood and smoke; we’re here.

A conversation-starter

In the film “Warfare”, a significant amount of conversation uses military terminology. During a live discussion, someone questioned why this technical language wasn’t explained for civilian comprehension. Mendoza responded concisely, “It wasn’t created with them in mind.

He emphasized again that the film was a tribute to Miller, ensuring the dialogue reflected how his companions recalled it. Moreover, he contends that people who play “Call of Duty” might recognize some military jargon and that viewers don’t need a background in astrophysics to appreciate science fiction movies.

Moreover, upon returning from military service, many soldiers often struggle to understand everyday civilian discussions. Mendoza aims for this movie to stimulate dialogue, stating, “My intention was to create something that veterans could utilize as a starting point, perhaps facilitating conversations they might not ordinarily initiate.

Joe Hildebrand, a true Navy SEAL who was injured during the flawed operation in Ramadi, shares that after almost a decade of harboring feelings about that day, working on the film provided a sense of release. He expresses, “I believe none of us truly began to heal until this movie came along.

Mendoza expresses his hope that legislators will view the movie, gaining a deeper comprehension of the implications of deploying soldiers into conflict. In his words, “If the decision is made to engage in warfare, as a community, we must ensure we care for our troops upon their return.

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2025-04-10 23:06

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