Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (DVD)

Director Ritchie has delivered a tight and narrow movie about the Afghan war and the Afghan men who served as right hand men to our American soldiers serving as interpreters, even tho in doing so the Taliban would target their families, often killing them…or worse, torturing and killing the families and the men as examples of what not to do to help the Americans..over the 20 years, America needed thousands of these men to help them navigate the ethnic languages which in that part of the world, little nuances in the area language could mean life or death…These Afghan men were promised US Visa and passport for themselves and their immediate family so that they could relocate to America safety. If they did not leave Afghan, they would forever be hunted and killed as collaborators. ..the US military and State Department severely fumbled this promise, especially as the drawdown and evacuation of Americans happened and the failure to create and execute the paperwork left thousands of interpreters to be murdered…This is one true story about one interpreter and the Sargent that he saved from being capture, tortured and killed by the Taliban..and the fight the Sargent had to endure to try to get him out of Afghan…Ritchie rightfully did not just make another movie about our military involvement over there, but rather a movie about the American word, covenant to theses men and their families and the viewer can determine for themselves if America kept their covenant to these men…A smart and sparse movie that focuses almost all its energy on the two men’s relationship and their journey. It is well done and well worth the watch

"Guy Ritchie's The Covenant" has an intense tension of impending death. Large mounds and hills of clean white soils and dark green tree lines are an adventure diorama poised closer than the rest of the world to outer spheres. In U.S. occupied Afghanistan of 2018 the Taliban wait for a concentrated deployment of American soldiers and then attack in large numbers from the various levels of the geography. Sergeant John Kinley(Jake Gyllenhaal) has Ahmed(Dar Salim), an interpreter of Dari, as a member of the squad. The rest of the troops also, are of persistent detail and underpin the restrained apprehensions in the mild shades cast by prim housing squares. The focus on the relationship of Sergeant John Kinley and his interpreter Ahmed also summarizes the wilted dreamworlds fated uncompromisingly by war anchored in racial and political differences. The result is that these two lives depicted, those of John Kinley and Ahmed-in nervous confrontations within imminent death-expand their loyalties steadfastly to save the lives of one another. We see John Kinley teleconferencing with his wife Caroline(Emily Beecham), and his two children from Bagram Airbase. Ahmed is also documented in tense and secretive conference with his wife Basira(pr. Bah'seer'a/p. Fariba Sheikhan), who holds their baby. Ahmed is in mortal jeopardy for helping the U.S. military-the 'infidels'-and for betraying the Taliban. Ahmed's older son had been killed by the Taliban. These two people, Kinley and Ahmed, in the idyllic sun scapes of Afghanistan are doubly daring to potential ambush. The first intrigues of finding I.E.D.'s(Independent explosive devices) is superseded by the attempt to rescue Ahmed from retribution. Secondary strains of hostility are revisited. The alien contradictions, of novel inspirations, of hellishness; these are berthed like a mountain pass in simultaneous anticipation of entering and exiting each. The battle scenes are superbly shot. Watching "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant" gives one deep insight into real time gun fights and the inner workings of subtle logistical manuevers. Jake Gyllenhaal as Sergeant John Kinley is reserved with a detached kindness but open minded and with a beard exhudes wisdom profoundly-this represents the whole of the squad. Dar Salim as the exquisite interpreter for the squad is meticulous in fore thoughts and as a loyal ally, is himself a bridge of warping sensibilities; harsh realities being fused into higher hopes. Also, the quieter moments of deliberation and fear between John and Ahmed are accompanied by deep string trills, from a cello, and a viola(from movie end credits), and this is made unique because of the atmosphere of "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant". Amazingly, the whole film was shot in Alicante, Spain(from various film sources).

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim deserve huge kudos for a fine job delivering an excellent, balanced script that doesn't wallow or bog down, while at the same time not sparing the viewer the dangers inherent in Afghanistan. This isn't Zero Dark Thirty, but think the director (one who I have felt dubious about in the past) comes through with an unstinting film about courage, honor, loyalty. Not a bad thing at all these days. Mostly filmed in Spain, you can feel the heat and grit and dust, and at the same time stark beauty. There's also the heavy sense of oppression and fear from the Taliban. If I had seen this in theater I would have left completely satisfied. But that is OK, just bought the DVD for my Mom and feel this would be an excellent addition to any movie collection. Dunno how accurate this is from a military standpoint tho I think the director tried, but again, I think this film is more about honor and friendship, while making a point about those who helped the U.S. in this conflict.

I'm thankful someone brought attention to the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) issue. Although this film is said to be fictitous, "The Interpreters" (2018) is a documentary about "Philip Morris" & other real interpreters who served our country patriotically, only to be left behind to be hunted by the Taliban. It is available to stream on various providers including Amazon Prime. I highly recommend viewing it also to see how real the threat our comrade at arms interpreters face who we left behind. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant's story is entirely plausible & in fact if anything oversimplifies the SIV issue. The visas were supposed to take at most 9 months to process but took many years. The 9 months was part of the federal statute & was not meant to be negotiable, changed, or exceeded in any way. Instead we left behind those who proved their allegiance to America by risking not only their lives but the lives of their family & friends when them & their families should have been brought back home to America when their tour was up just like the troops we sent over there. Best movie I've watched since Top Gun:Maverick & is superior to even it in that it is much more plausible. 5 solid stars.

Love the film all the way awesome definitely buy again thanks you so much