13 Hours, Michael Bay’s ambitious new war film, places itself squarely in the center in ongoing debate about what happened in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. The film attempts to catch viewers up in the first few minutes: Gaddafi has been assassinated, a new state has risen after his tyrannical rule, and a brand new ambassador has just arrived to visit the city of Benghazi in support of this fragile new Libya.
There are many ways to tell the story of the stand-off between the Americans and rebel Libyan forces that summer. 13 Hours, however, focuses on the six members of a civilian security team (ex-SEALs, Marines, and a Ranger, all contracted) who protected the covert CIA base and nearby consulate. The result is a gripping mini-war story with rugged heroes, uptight agents, and a mysterious and terrifying group of rebel forces amassing against them.
John Krasinski plays one of the contractors who, his comrade says, “just got done training SEALs on the beach in Coronado.” He is a father, a husband, and still the easy-going character we all met on The Office. Even as a mercenary soldier, he is a man we understand and support. This is, of course, the position the movie wants its viewers to take, but it is a controversial one. As the contracted soldiers respond to a growing conflict, they choose to defy CIA orders and act according to their military training and expertise. As one soldier tells the CIA Chief, “You’re not giving orders anymore. You’re in my world now.” Their choices are glorified in the movie, and they are held up as conquering heroes. Moviegoer Elliott liked one character’s comparison of the situation to a modern-day Alamo, “but with a slightly happier ending.”
Overall, the movie is engrossing, gritty, and feels realistic. It markets itself as a “true story,” and there are many parts about it that are undeniably factual, and also portray the tension and conflict in fragile Libya at that time. That said, there is a lot of debate over the events in Benghazi, including the alleged refusal of the U.S. to offer air support (a “fact” that is strongly challenged in an excellent review by Zach Beauchamp).
In the end, the movie concludes — rightly or wrongly — that the real heroes were the ones who acted and saved lives — not the ones who waited for protocol, or refused to take a risk. No matter what your political conclusions about Benghazi, the movie ensures that you will leave the theater feeling victorious as well.
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Shreiber
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 24 minutes
See movie showtimes here.
