Do Not Hesitate

A slow burning psychological examination of young men under pressure in a hostile and unwelcoming land. Let's just say that things don't go well.

Solid performances and highly realistic. Depressing.

Watched this film last night and still thinking about this morning, always the mark of a good film. The makers have given you very few facts and so you assume it's making a point about an occupying army. This is a story about soldiers not a war film. In an unspecified occupied country, on a patrol whose mission is never stated, an expensive personnel carrier is damaged and a small number of soldiers are left to guard it. Although the time is relatively short they feel abandoned with no effective leader. The clash of cultures of the western soldiers and a local lad is stark, neither understands the other. A lesson in the limitation of military solutions.

The brutality of war can come in different forms, and while I personally have never been in the armed services, I have certainly taken charge and looked after my teammates. I liked the direction of this movie and where it was headed. It shows that if a person is thrown into the spotlight, what are the right decisions to make and not only for yourself, but for the safety of your team. Even though their wasn't any explicit violence or actual war, it shows us that if circumstances or events suddenly happen, or are thrust upon us, then how would we react. There were times when I was getting frustrated and annoyed on the slow reactions, but I believe this is what the director wanted, as to really draw the viewer in, and this is what makes a good movie. I really did enjoy the movie as a whole, and as always, this movie shows us that you don't have to be on the frontline for it to affect one's mind. I recommend it.

This Dutch war drama in bleak 4:3 aspect ratio felt somewhat incomplete. I wish Shariff Korver could delve deeper into complexities of human nature. Three young soldiers raised interesting questions about innocence vs violence under difficult circumstances.