Unlike a large proportion of war films Sand Castle does not follow the generic narrative of a mission of immense proportions that could change the course of 'the war'. Instead we follow a small unit which has been tasked with overseeing the restoration of a water system in a small town in Iraq. Not only is this incredibly refreshing, but it is done with taste, grit and class.
What often goes unnoticed in the perceptions or over-romanticised depictions of war are the smaller operations. Largely because they are harder to depict whilst still holding the same level of gravity, so developing characters as well as a story line seems to be somewhat tricky. However, writer Chris Roessner seems to have well and truly bucked that trend, with a seemingly routine operation he is able to balance action with character development. Lead Pvt Ocre played by Nicholas Hoult is seen to be the main arc of the movie, as when we first meet him he is seen smashing a Hummer door on his hand in a bid to get withdrawn from the war. From there (as he does indeed get deployed to said operation in Iraq) we see him begrudgingly get to grips with reality and relationships start to flourish with his fellow comrades, most notably with Sgt. Harper played by Logan Marshall-Green his first superior. Who does an excellent job of adding an ounce of humility and sincerity to the role of a sergeant, which rejuvenates the old 'cigar in the mouth', crude sergeant we see oh so often. Not only Harper but the entire squad's performance is great, there are no overbearing characters, instead you feel a certain level of compassion for each individual and the situation they are in.
The locations are outstanding. The cinematography, direction and editing are superb in depicting the harsh realities of the Iraq war. The locations were evidently carefully selected and the swooping landscapes only add to that element of vulnerability this squad faces. It is arguably one of the best recent representations of the war, not only with the incredible visuals but of the natural relationships that flourish between soldiers and locals. The edginess of the squads day to day rituals are translated brilliantly to the screen, you genuinely start to feel sceptical about who to trust in a land riddled with extremism.
Sand Castle genuinely tries to be something different which is admirable. War is often a touchy subject to translate to cinema, especially a war as recent as the Iraq war which is still so fresh in everyones mind even for those who were not serving. It is fascinating to see these relationships in war flourish through such bizarre circumstances, not only between the soldiers but also with the Iraqi locals. A must see for those struggling to visualise the horrors of the Iraq war, as well as the day to day rituals of the teams that were deployed there.
What often goes unnoticed in the perceptions or over-romanticised depictions of war are the smaller operations. Largely because they are harder to depict whilst still holding the same level of gravity, so developing characters as well as a story line seems to be somewhat tricky. However, writer Chris Roessner seems to have well and truly bucked that trend, with a seemingly routine operation he is able to balance action with character development. Lead Pvt Ocre played by Nicholas Hoult is seen to be the main arc of the movie, as when we first meet him he is seen smashing a Hummer door on his hand in a bid to get withdrawn from the war. From there (as he does indeed get deployed to said operation in Iraq) we see him begrudgingly get to grips with reality and relationships start to flourish with his fellow comrades, most notably with Sgt. Harper played by Logan Marshall-Green his first superior. Who does an excellent job of adding an ounce of humility and sincerity to the role of a sergeant, which rejuvenates the old 'cigar in the mouth', crude sergeant we see oh so often. Not only Harper but the entire squad's performance is great, there are no overbearing characters, instead you feel a certain level of compassion for each individual and the situation they are in.
The locations are outstanding. The cinematography, direction and editing are superb in depicting the harsh realities of the Iraq war. The locations were evidently carefully selected and the swooping landscapes only add to that element of vulnerability this squad faces. It is arguably one of the best recent representations of the war, not only with the incredible visuals but of the natural relationships that flourish between soldiers and locals. The edginess of the squads day to day rituals are translated brilliantly to the screen, you genuinely start to feel sceptical about who to trust in a land riddled with extremism.
Sand Castle genuinely tries to be something different which is admirable. War is often a touchy subject to translate to cinema, especially a war as recent as the Iraq war which is still so fresh in everyones mind even for those who were not serving. It is fascinating to see these relationships in war flourish through such bizarre circumstances, not only between the soldiers but also with the Iraqi locals. A must see for those struggling to visualise the horrors of the Iraq war, as well as the day to day rituals of the teams that were deployed there.