The discussion centers on the film 'Warfare,' co-directed by a veteran and a filmmaker, exploring its personal narratives and emotional realism. The hosts analyze iconic war films like 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Full Metal Jacket,' highlighting evolving themes of sacrifice and trauma. They also delve into cultural dilemmas and the ethical implications of depicting war, contrasting traditional heroics with modern interpretations. The complexity of war movies as both pro and anti-war is examined, alongside the portrayal of PTSD and the artistry found in various military narratives.
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Warfare's Impact
Alex Schwartz found Warfare excellent and thought-provoking.
The film, co-directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, recreates a disastrous 2006 Iraq mission.
insights INSIGHT
Unsentimental Bond
Naomi Fry appreciated the film's choreography and unsentimental portrayal of the soldiers' bond.
The near-silent movement of the actors conveyed a deep connection.
insights INSIGHT
War Film Genre
The hosts discuss the war film genre, citing examples like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket.
They consider the genre's recurring themes of sacrifice, camaraderie, and the psychological impact of war.
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"In Flanders Fields" is a poignant World War I poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian physician. Written amidst the horrors of the battlefield, the poem uses vivid imagery of poppies growing among the graves of fallen soldiers. McCrae's use of formal structure and rhyme scheme creates a stark contrast with the poem's grim subject matter. The poem's message of remembrance and call to action resonated deeply with readers during and after the war. It remains a powerful symbol of loss and sacrifice in the face of conflict.
Mrs. Dalloway
Virginia Woolf
Published in 1925, 'Mrs. Dalloway' by Virginia Woolf explores the lives of its characters over a single day in post-World War I London. The novel centers around Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class housewife, as she prepares to host a party. Her day is punctuated by a visit from Peter Walsh, an old suitor, and her reflections on her past choices. The narrative also follows Septimus Warren Smith, a veteran struggling with shell shock and mental illness, whose story parallels and contrasts with Clarissa's. The novel delves into themes of time, identity, social class, and the psychological impacts of war. Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style provides a deep insight into the characters' inner lives, highlighting the complexities of human experience and the societal norms of the time[1][3][5].
For nearly as long as we’ve been waging war, we’ve sought ways to chronicle it. “Warfare,” a new movie co-directed by the filmmaker Alex Garland and the former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, takes an unorthodox approach, recreating a disastrous real-life mission in Iraq according to Mendoza’s own memories and those of the soldiers who fought alongside him. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss how “Warfare” ’s visceral account brings us closer to a certain kind of truth, while also creating a space into which viewers can project their own ideologies. The hosts consider how artists have historically portrayed conflict and its aftermath—referencing Virginia Woolf’s depiction of a shell-shocked soldier in “Mrs. Dalloway” and Vietnam-era classics such as “Apocalypse Now” and “Full Metal Jacket”—and how “Warfare,” with its emphasis on firsthand experience, marks a departure from much of what came before. “That personal tinge to me seems to be characteristic of the age,” Cunningham says. “Part of the emotional appeal is, This happened, and I’m telling you. It’s not diaristic—but it is testimonial.”
Read, watch, and listen with the critics:
“Warfare” (2025) “Apocalypse Now” (1979) “Full Metal Jacket” (1987) “Beau Travail” (1999) “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) “The Hurt Locker” (2008) “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012) “Barry” (2018–23) “Mrs. Dalloway,” by Virginia Woolf “In Flanders Fields,” by John McCrae
Critics at Large | The New Yorker 