13 heures: Le secret des soldats de Benghazi

The 13 hours that didn't have to be and the 14 American lives that didn't have to be lost. The Benghazi incident of 2012 will always be remembered as another failed diplomatic experiment in the Middle East by the United States, but it sadly won't be remembered for the brave soldiers that so boldly fought to save the lives of several Americans.

"13 Hours" changes that. This film gives the brave men, who selflessly put their lives on the line, the recognition that they deserve. It honors the lives of those lost and it gives the audience an authentic, real visualization of what happened on that night.

Finally, I love how personal this film got. Many war films lack that personal touch, but "13 Hours" reminds you that even America's most prestigious militants are humans with a life beyond warfare.

I have seen this film twice. Both times I was disturbed by it for the next few days after not sleeping the nights I watched it. I fought in Afghanistan 2004-05 and Iraq 2006-07, and for me, this film nails it. The night vision green, the sound of the AK's, the streets and allys, the mentality and sense of duty, all of it is too realistic for me to watch again. But I respect that. This is the only film I can think of that really rattles my cage. Well done.

I wouldn't say it's the best war film I've ever seen, but for my experiences, it accurately portrays them, despite me never having been to Libya. It's accurate of my personal experiences to a large degree.

"Things change fast here in Benghazi." Jack Silva (Krasinski) has just been reassigned as a guard for the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. What starts off as a routine assignment changes on September 11, 2012. When a group of insurgents breach the Embassy and attempt to kill the US Ambassador, Jack and his group of 6 have to make a decision. Follow orders and stay away, or disobey their commander and go help their fellow soldiers. I was looking forward to watching this, but I was also a little worried at the same time. The story is interesting and somewhat controversial and is a perfect idea for a movie, but it was directed by Michael Bay. For that reason I was expecting a lot of special effects and explosions and didn't think he was the director that should be in charge of this story. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was wrong. This is a realistic war movie that doesn't embellish the drama or actions, mainly because the story didn't need it. The movie is not political at all and mainly focus on the soldiers decisions. I liked it more than I expected to. Overall, not just a surprisingly good Michael Bay movie, a good movie period. I give this a high B+.

This movie hit home. Every PMC who signs every contract knows they have no US military support. A PMC or grouping of PMC's is on their own. Only a President can order US military action on a foreign nation without the Senate and House Approval. Had President Obama sent in a military for for support or even ordered air support for those PMC's would have made a single handed de-facto declaration of war against Libya, which at the time out armed forces were engaged in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Adding a third conflict with another Arab state would have over extended US armed forces resources to one region, complicating a difficult situation already happening. I am glad most of those PMC's made it home alive to their families and did exactly what their contract states, solved the situation by themselves. Great movie ,but brought up horrible memories for me. With the facts I presented keep those facts in mind when sitting down to watch this movie or watch it again. ( Once was enough for me. ) Great directing and acting, pretty close to factual. Watch it or rewatch it with the facts I presented in mind and the movie will make a whole lot more sense to the viewer.

Telling this story needed to be done and done right. Amazingly, Michael Bay achieves true greatness with this effort. I'm overwhelmed because no one could have known Bay had this movie in him as a director.

This is a masterful film in almost every aspect and certainly in every way that truly matters. Maybe knowing the real life set up and cover up to these events helps elevate the appreciation of what hits the screen but the film holds up well even if a viewer is unaware of world affairs. The premeditated, brutal attack in 2012 on two United States installations in Benghazi, Libya is a dark chapter in not only the war on terror but in U.S. history in general. Expertly depicting the events surrounding those attacks with such tension and emotion is a credit to this film and those that made it. This includes the remarkable cast who each were superb in their roles. Maybe the first act was a bit long as characters were established and maybe the over use of shaky cam early can be considered technical flaws but when a story is this well told and this well crafted, flaws like that fall quickly by the waste side.

The movie draws you in and makes you feel like you were there on that fateful night. Without getting overly political, it informs the viewer of what happened in riveting detail. It leaves the "why did this happen and who is to blame" for the viewer to decide. The courage on display and the charisma of those that serve comes across in a big way. That (along with current political consequences) is reason enough why this story needed to be told. Thank God that they did it justice.