During past years, many fictional movies have been released about war, but in more recent years   films based on actual events in the Middle East have found their way to the big screen. Now Lone Survivor takes its place among Zero Dark Thirty, Act of Valor, and The Road to Fallujah.  

This film, inspired by a true story reported in The New York Times, highlights the heroism, courage and hardiness of four Navy Seals whose covert mission failed miserably. It’s 2005 and the operation is to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative. The plan? A four-man reconnaissance and surveillance team is to be dropped from a helicopter into a remote mountain region in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border.

Lieutenant Commander Erik S. Kristensen (Eric Bana), the commander of Operation Red Wings, appears on edge as he sends his men off to find Ahmad Shah, a Taliban leader supposedly hiding in the mountainous terrain -- and the man responsible for the deaths of many American service members.

Lieutenant Michael Patrick “Murph” Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) is in charge of the seal team landing in the sparse and rocky terrain. With him are leading Petty Officer and medic Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Sonar Technician Second Class Petty Officer Matthew Gene “Axe” Axelson (Ben Foster) and Gunner’s Mate Second Class Danny P. Dietz, Jr. (Emile Hirsch), a communications officer and spotter for SEAL Team 10.

From the moment the team lands on the mountain range things go wrong, and the men face incredible odds of survival. Problems begin when a group of shepherds ascend the range with their sheep. The men try to hide among the sparse rocks, praying they will not have to harm these innocent men. But if discovered, will the shepherds warn the men below about them?

Director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) couldn’t have found a better cast. The small moments of fun back at base now forgotten, Murphy knows the lives of his comrades are in his hands – and in this key role, Kitsch clearly displays the challenge of that task and carries his own pain when things go wrong. 

Foster lets us see what’s on Axelson’s mind when real peril is evident, and we feel his pain in trying to survive. The role of Dietz might be an unexpected one for Hirsch to play, but he does it well, signifying he’s come into his own as a fine actor. Wahlberg could act his way out of a mouse trap, but the scenes here require him to dig deep when he must chose who will kill him and who will save his life.

Berg created an intense and gripping screenplay based on Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness, a book by Petty Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. And he guides his talented cast to portray not only the horror these men went through but also the way they were each able to maintain a heroism and steadfast courage in the face of immense darkness and danger.

Lone Survivor may be a tough film to watch, but it’s a powerful reminder of why we maintain our freedom today. In Operation Red Wings, we lost 19 American soldiers. I think every American should see this movie.

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated “R” for strong bloody war violence and pervasive language.)

Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.