'Kandahar' Sets Itself Apart From Typical Action-Packed War Dramas
At first glance, Kandahar begins with a painfully familiar premise that sets up a dichotomy of good vs. evil we are used to seeing in history books. Butler plays undercover CIA agent Tom Harris, who stalls a nuclear operation in Iran by rigging explosives. Soon thereafter, his cover is blown, and he is hunted down by agents from all over the world and teams up with an Afghan translator, Mo (Navid Negahban), to survive until he makes it to the extraction point in Kandahar, Afghanistan. However, he quickly faces the atrocities committed by both countries in the name of war, muddying the line between good and evil, especially after forming a strong bond with Mo.
Related
While complexity isn't necessarily a stranger to modern war dramas, what makes Kandahar different from the stock standard film of the genre is how it interacts with its setting. Countries like Iran and Afghanistan have often been demonized in the media, especially in war films, where their sprawling deserts simply become stages for American heroics. So, it's refreshing when the film puts equal emphasis on the horrors of children being used in the war, and the decimation the U.S. strikes cause to the local communities. Additionally, the film makes the crucial distinction between Islam and terrorism, as by not conflating the two, it provides a balanced and humanitarian outlook on the war's impact on the region.
Although these contextual expositions are a major part of the film, it still enjoys bursts of frenetic, action-packed energy that will satiate war drama fans. There are still fun explosions that make you flinch in surprise, and a hell of a car chase that sends a burst of adrenaline through your veins, all colored with the usual Butler fanfare we've come to expect. If anything, these sequences feel more earned once you wade through the heaviness of anti-imperialist criticism, allowing the film to avoid being overly bleak.
Gerard Butler Is a Complex Lead in the War Drama 'Kandahar'
Butler is known for his outrageous action films, so it is fascinating to witness this deliberately-paced, more restrained side to him in a film that prioritizes humanity. For an agent on the run, Tom is almost as unflappable as any Butler character, but sometimes, the armor cracks ever so slightly. His nerves are slowly frayed by the damning realizations around the country he is fighting for, especially with the deadline of his daughter's graduation looming over him. We rarely see Butler as a character who is forced to slow down and evaluate his options, but in this hostile, isolated environment, he does so with a magnetism that demands our attention.
Around him are numerous relationships that add to the complexity of the story, especially the brotherly on-screen chemistry Butler shares with Negahban. Tom and Mo's budding relationship anchors the film's humanization of the communities in Afghanistan, particularly with Mo's tragic backstory becoming the emotional driving force of their journey. On the other side are the two primary antagonists who approach their roles with a wicked panache that fleshes out the world more: Pakistani agent Kahil Nasir (Ali Fazel) and American agent Roman Chalmers (Travis Fimmel). Both radiate power and influence, heightening the stakes of the manhunt while still offering nuance to the gray area of this war. Despite the familiar setup, Kandahar takes a refreshing and mature direction in representing a timeless war against the idealistic portrayal of nations. It's a significant contribution to the genre, and there's enough Butler-esque action to carry us through it all.
Image via INFphoto.com
English (US) ·