By Kristen Garza
Staff Writer

“The Lone Survivor,” directed by Peter Berg, is based on a true story and inspired by the novel of the same name by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. It is Petty Officer Marcus Lutrrell’s firsthand account of the battle that is delivered to the viewers in graphic detail.
The story follows four U.S. Navy SEALs through a mission known as Operation Red Wing in Afghanistan.
The film launches immediately into scenes of incredible determination and endurance within the unforgiving SEAL boot camp called Indoctrination, also known by the soldiers as “hell week.”
These impactful snapshots allow the viewer a rare glimpse into their secret world, along with the ability to witness the agony SEALs go through to become warriors.
A four-man recon team gets deployed into the mountainous region of Afghanistan and targets Ahmad Shah, a Taliban leader, who had lead insurgents to ruthlessly murder Marines. The pursuit of Shah is quickly foiled by three Taliban goat herders that stumble upon the SEALs camouflaged in the mountains.
The soldiers are exposed to the Taliban after the team ultimately decides to adhere to the rules of engagement, which does not allow them to kill or injure unarmed civilians.
The decision to set the goat herders free resulted in an hour-long firefight with the Taliban.
The battle between insurgents and the SEALs is intense to say the least. The soldiers are not only outnumbered, but they are also at a disadvantage in the amount of weapons at their disposal.
The rescue attempt to remove the four stranded men was thwarted when the Taliban blew up the helicopter deployed to rescue them.
The team’s immense physical, emotional and mental anguish is captured as they fight for their lives and endeavor to protect one another at all costs. One such impassioned moment the team is forced by insurgents to the edge of a mountain. The team must somersault their way down the cliff face to survive. One severely injured team member that Luttrell had refused to leave behind was shot as they vaulted off the edge and was unavoidably left at the top of the mountain with the Taliban. The three remaining SEALs’ focus turned from their own survival to ascending the very same mountain to retrieve their comrade.
The civilian village known as the Pashtuns played a critical role in the film. The Pashtuns live by the Pashtunwalai, a 2,000-year-old code that requires the tribe to defend their guests to the death and thus greatly influencing the outcome of the film.
According to an interview of director Peter Berg for collider.com, the actors prepared for the film in a unique way.
“I asked them to spend as much time with the families of the SEAL that they were playing. And then everyday we had SEALs on set for them,” said Berg.
This fact supports the believability of the film, which is key to a film such as this that depicts a true story.
The novel “The Lone Survivor” goes further into detail of the horrendous conditions and trauma experienced by these men. After reading the book and seeing the film, it is no wonder our surviving soldiers have stress disorders upon returning home.
The story line is so moving the viewer forgets the plot is not from within the creative mind of a writer but from actual events.
In the novel, Luttrell described his ongoing battle with being the only SEAL to survive the mission.
“I tried to get ahold of myself,” wrote Luttrell. “But again, in my mind I heard that terrible, terrible scream, the same one that awakens me, bullying its way into my solitary dreams, night after night, the confirmation of guilt. The endless guilt of the survivor.”
Many films today do not offer the same range of emotion and perspective like this. The film gives the viewer an even greater appreciation for those risking their lives for America.