The ghastly glare of war

Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin captures the grisly Russian-Georgian war of 2008 from the eyes of journalists covering the conflict.

Set in the disputed breakaway region of South Ossetia, 5 Days of War revolves around the experiences of news reporter Thomas Anders, played by Rupert Friend (Pride and Prejudice, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), who are assigned to Tbilisi, Georgia.

The film’s protagonist, Anders, is sent to Georgia less than a year after his previous assignment in Middle-East went awry.

As the ground beneath their feet is shaken by sporadic bombings, both Anders and his cameraman witness the destruction caused by the conflict.

In the clash between the two countries, Russia conducted air strikes on some parts of Georgia, and sent its troops and armed vehicles into South Ossetia, marking its support for the breakaway region.

Conflicts between Georgia and South Ossetia, which has gained de facto independence from Georgia after the fall of the Soviet Union, have been going on since the early 1990s. Escalating tensions forced thousands of refugees, mostly women and children, to flee.

Together with his cameraman Sebastian Ganz, portrayed by British actor Richard Coyle (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) Anders travels from town to town searching for stories only to end up running for his life from a series of gunfights and bombings, and countless other dangers.

During their deadly assignment in the region, the journalists witness war crimes and the terror imposed by Russian-backed South Ossetian militias, and struggle to escape from the carnage to report the coverage to the world.

While on the run, both journalists meet up with a Georgian woman named Tatia (Emmanuelle Chriqui of the TV series Entourage), who was separated from her family and relatives after a massacre in her village.

In between action sequences of the journalists’ adventure, the director examines behind-the-scenes cabinet discussions and decisions made by Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili in an attempt to place the conflict in the wider international context.

Veteran Andy Garcia’s performance (the Godfather franchise, Ocean’s Eleven Series) endows the president’s character with dignity. With Mirza Davitaia, who is a Georgian politician, as one of its producers, this film is clearly made from a Georgian perspective, revealing the brutality of the Russian armed forces, while portraying Georgians as angels.

The story reveals a Georgian stigma about South Ossetian mercenaries, shown in the film burning farms and houses, torturing and firing people and raping women.

The opening sequence is intense, displaying the horror of war in graphic detail with scenes of blood and explosions. War scenes mellow somewhat throughout the rest of the film, although there is a sense of exaggeration in heroic and barbaric descriptions of the warring parties in the conflict.

The film highlights journalists’ dilemmas in war zones – how far they should risk their own lives and even the lives of innocent people to capture exclusive stories for their publications. The characters in the film face difficult choices in order to survive – choices that may ultimately change who they are as people. By examining this dilemma, the director (Renny Harlin) blends the complexities of political conflicts with the problems faced by media professionals.

Harlin, memorable for his iconic action flicks such as Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea and Cliffhanger as well as a production of A Nightmare on Elm Street series, attempts to inject a short-lived romantic subplot between Anders and Tatia, which unfortunately leaves audience with more questions than answers.

Val Kilmer and Dean Cain both make brief appearances as a reporter known as the Dutch man and an American diplomat Chris Bailot, respectively.

Meantime, Jonathan Schaech (known That Thing You Do!) plays Georgian Captain Rezo Avaliani, who valiantly tries to defend his nation and in doing so become Anders’ and Ganz’s guardian angel.

Verdict: 5 Days of War is a one-sided portrayal of the Georgian-Russian War of 2008. It focuses on the Georgian government’s race against time to deal with the war and gain sympathy from other nations, and the destruction that the war brings to civilian life.

5 Days of War

(113 minutes, Anchor Bay Films)

Starring: Rupert Friend, Richard Coyle, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Heather Graham, Johnathon Schaech, Andy Garcia, Dean Cain, Val Kilmer
Director: Renny Harlin
Writer: Mikko Alanne
Producer: George Lascu, Mirza Davitaia, Koba Nakopia