The Covenant: Movie Review
Guy Richie’s The Covenant is a true winner at the Box office; it discusses the bonds of brotherhood and patriotism in a time of war. Some debts of honor have to be paid for with blood, sweat, and tears, one life for another life. The way it is with brothers, whether related by blood, friendship, or purpose, sometimes you have to go over the edge and do what is necessary to protect someone who is family.
The Covenant is this type of story. America was attacked on September 11, 2001. The Taliban was deemed responsible for this attack. They orchestrated this planning from Afghanistan, where they had terrorist bases from which they created weapons and trained forces. The United States had sent troops to stop and dismantle all Taliban operations and restore the legitimate government there.
Sgt. John Kinley commanded a team whose mission was to locate Taliban weapons and destroy or seize them. The military would work with Interpreters to gain input into the local situations to assist with that task. In this movie, The Covenant gets the adrenaline flowing right off the bat. U.S. soldiers at a random roadside checkpoint argue with a trucker as he refuses to open his payload to them to inspect. The Interpreter tries to resolve the situation. However, moments later, that truck explodes. Two soldiers and the Interpreter die. John picks a new interpreter Ahmed even, who he is told is hard to handle, stubborn, and rude. However, he is known to be an outstanding interpreter. John has some intense verbal exchanges with Ahmed for not following orders and secrets he might not be revealing. However, John slowly gains respect for Ahmed’s ability.
Throughout the movie, the story will keep you on the edge of your seat, with pulsating battles with the Taliban with continuous rifle firings, truck and car chases, automatic weapons bursts, explosions, and armed combat scenes. The movie intensives in one set after another are John’s team locates an Improvised explosive factory. The Taliban kill all of his team in this battle. John was hit and would die if not for the efforts of Ahmed. He drags him through barren desert lands, exposed to the blistering sun heat of the day and the freezing night, air up and down mountains while trying to avoid the Taliban troops. Ahmed gets John to an Air Force base, and John recovers from his injuries. However, he learns that Ahmed’s faint hangs in the balance as the Taliban have threatened to kill him and his family for aiding John’s escape. Ahmed waits for news about getting his U.S. Visa for immigration as promised him. However, he is being slowed and held back by bureaucratic procedures and processing delays.
John can’t sleep or eat knowing that someone who protected him and was under his command was left behind after he saved him. He owed everything he had, his life, money, efforts, and a debt of honor. John talks to his friend Sgt. Declan O’Brady about a private para-military rescue and retrieve team that could help get Ahmed out of the country. However, delays frustrate John, and he takes matters into his own hands.
This movie’s entire cast was excellent and above the mark, with Jake Gyllenhaal taking it to the next level as Sgt John Kinley. Dar Salim was captivating and heart-wrenching intense as Ahmed. Alexander Ludwig offered a superb performance as a supportive friend.
This movie was highly entertaining and captured the nature of the war and the many struggles both soldiers and those that helped them many endured. It is a good movie to take family and friends to see.