Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (15)

Dir: Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie’s Afghanistan War film is a thrilling tale of survival, sacrifice and unwavering loyalty.

For the past 25 years Guy Ritchie has established himself in the film industry as a filmmaker with a very hyper-visual style. His best known works, such as Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes and The Gentlemen, all showcase a variety of eccentric fast-talking characters, who just about manage to keep up with the frenetic pacing of his films.

His latest film, however, shows a surprising amount of restraint. So much so, that if his name was not in the title (slight sign of arrogance) it would be hard to believe this was a Guy Ritchie movie. This is a wise move from the English writer-director as he is dealing with a serious subject matter here – unlike most of his back catalogue, which are often comedic crime or spy capers.

The Covenant tells the story of how Afghani interpreters were used by the U.S. during the 20 years they had troops deployed in the country. The film begins with on-screen text exposition stating that 50,000 interpreters were used by the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan, in exchange, the interpreters would be granted refugee visas to the United States. We are then introduced to Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his platoon, carrying out a routine check on a vehicle with the aid of the platoon’s interpreter. This opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the film, as it shows the hostility the interpreters get from the locals, as they are seen as traitors, as well as building a tension that will keep you on edge for the duration of the film.

As a result of what follows, the platoon is in need of a new interpreter, and Kinley decides on Ahmed (Dar Salim), despite his reputation for being difficult and disobedient. The platoon show no signs of empathy towards Ahmed or what situation he or is family may be in. Ahmed, himself, shows signs of resistance towards the platoon when they fail to even acknowledge the death of their previous interpreter.

After a series of false searches from poor intel, Ahmed uses his knowledge of the surroundings and history as a drug dealer for the Taliban. This enables the platoon to obtain a lead to a possible weapon and explosive manufacturing site. What follows is a gripping story of survival and redemption, filled with great action set-pieces and taut character drama.

There is a lot to like here. The co-leads of Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim are fantastic in conveying their characters determination and sense of guilt, which has you emotionally invested in the pair of them. The set-pieces are well crafted, with a great pulsing score by Christopher Benstead, building the tension up to an ultimate crescendo. The cinematography brings a sense of isolation, to capture how much these characters our out of their depth. This is felt whether they are amongst the bustling city streets of Afghanistan, or if they are in the middle of vast, mountainous landscapes.

The film does a great job of telling a relatively unknown story of thousands of interpreters who risk not just themselves but their families, in search of a better life. The Covenant is not based on a true story and is completely fictitious in terms of its characters and plot. Rather, it aims to bring awareness to the sacrifice these interpreters made. Other than this, however, there is not much new ground covered in terms of the war itself and its controversies. I would have liked a bit more in terms of the failed promises the U.S. gave to the people of Afghanistan over the years, to really nail home the central theme on display here.

On the whole though, this was a well acted, action-packed war thriller with a surprising amount of emotional weight for a Guy Ritchie movie. It was a good return to form for the director and one of the best films of his career.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is available to stream on Amazon Prime