The air is quiet. There are no sounds. Most would assume that the forest seems devoid of human life, and that assumption would be correct to the eyes and ears of all but a skilled few. And it is those skilled few—Navy SEALS—whom the film Act of Valor focuses on, granting viewers a look at their way of life in a way that has never been experienced before and will likely never be experienced again: by making a movie about real Navy SEALS in situations that are as close to real life as humanly possible. The film, written by Kurt Johnstad and directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh does not seek to tell a story, as many Hollywood films do. Instead, it seeks to get at the truth of the life of the Navy SEAL, albeit by presenting truth as fiction.
The script is the film’s biggest flaw, and it is only a flaw depending on what your preferences are for films. The plot is simple enough: A SEAL team is called on to stop a drug dealer and terrorist from executing an attack on American soil. Most films would combine the external action plot with an internal character arc for a protagonist or two, but Act of Valor is not most films. There is very little development for the SEAL team itself, though the film is filtered through the narratives of one of the team members, although he tells the audience what emotions to feel rather than show the audience why they should care about the characters.
However, do not mistake the development-weak script for poor acting performances. The truth is quite the opposite—the SEAL team shines throughout the film, perhaps because they were not acting, merely performing their jobs in front of a camera. Regardless of the reason, you get a strong handle on what their lives are like, be it the camaraderie they share in poor jokes, their devotion in the face of battle, and how expendable they know themselves to be. When a member loses an eye, the squad member brushes off the life-changing injury and declares the mission a rousing success. Each member knows that they are merely pawn pieces, and yet would sacrifice their lives in an instant for their country (an event we do witness with one of the slightly-fleshed out SEAL member
s).
The direction is quite strong when one takes into account that McCoy and Waugh are merely trying to capture the SEALS at work in the most flattering way possible, as opposed to creating and sustaining a strong narrative. There is no great palette or set design, only nicely framed shots of the SEAL team doing what they do best. Multiple point-of-view shots are utilized as well, trying to put the viewer in the shoes of the SEAL, though in this respect the point-of-view shots fail. They do succeed in presenting a nice visual contrast to what is often the chaos of battle, much of which the SEAL team choreographed themselves, to further aid the viewer in understanding their lifestyle.
DVD EXTRAS: While the number of extras is quite sparse, there is a feature or two of note, including interviews with the SEALS themselves, and a making of that truly shows how true-to-life the film is. Those features make the DVD.
Film Rating: If you’re interested in the life of a SEAL, this is the perfect film for you. Otherwise it is simply an entertaining two hours. (6/10)
Disc Rating: 8/10
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