Hellfire

Author: Jordan
Location: NY

"Hellfire"

Directed by: Terrence Malick
Written by: Terrence Malick
Produced by: Paul Haggis, Grant Hill
Music by: Hans Zimmer

Principal Cast:

George Clooney as Sergeant Major Lucas Ebbs
Hayden Christensen as Private First Class Ryan Morris
John C. Reilly as First Sergeant Wes Denkins
Shawn Ashmore as Private First Class Noah Bloom
Jim Caviezel as Staff Sergeant Michael Owens
Patrick Flueger as Private First Class Barry “Flash” Allen
Nick Cannon as Private First Class Levi Ogden
Brian Cox as General John Riis
Naveen Andrews as Lieutenant Omar Asiif
Shoreh Aghdashloo as Najiya
Kais Nashef as Asim

Tagline: "Friends. Brothers. Lovers. Soldiers"

Release Date: December 14, 2007

Synopsis: After completing basic training, a group of young Marines travel to Iraq, where they learn the hardships of war firsthand. Ryan Morris (Hayden Christensen), a former California surfer, always wanted to be a soldier. Noah Bloom (Shawn Ashmore) was forced into the Marines by his military family. Comic book geek Barry Allen (Patrick Flueger), whose name coincides with the Flash’s secret identity, joins up when he discovers he can’t make it in college. Levi Ogden (Nick Cannon), meanwhile, joined just for the heck of it. Led by Sergent Major Lucas Ebbs (George Clooney), a Gulf War veteran who has had enough of the Middle East, they are among the few selected to secure Baghdad from the Iraqi insurgency. However, they soon discover that war isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. They must learn to decipher good from evil and make choices they may someday regret. Furthermore, they must learn to live with the consequences of their actions and what they may have on their futures, family and friends. From acclaimed director Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World), comes an epic masterpiece about brothers in arms and the wars they face- on the battlefield and in the heart.

What the press would say:

Films which question the morale of war have become quite common, considering the social effects of “Platoon,” “Apocalypse Now” and “The Deer Hunter” during Vietnam. Terrence Malick’s latest drama is perhaps the first film to lay question to the War in Iraq. A likeable ensemble cast, made up mostly by young actors, shines as they are forced to combat war face to face. Hayden Christensen plays the All-American boy, destined to fight for his country, and, in the words of Jim Caviezel’s Michael Owens, “someday become President.” He generates the most Oscar buzz for his character, Ryan Morris, who loses touch with reality and the American dream after an IED leaves him legless. Costar Shawn Ashmore also plays the “scarred soldier” bit quite nicely, sent into an emotional tailspin after he witnesses the deaths of his friends and is forced to trust an Iraqi couple (Kais Nashef, Shoreh Aghdashloo) to hide him during an ambush. Naveen Andrews (“Lost”) also has a respectable and haunting role as Iraqi Lieutenant Omar Asiif, who may or may not be supplying information to the insurgency, a role which features a devious twist which has had critics raving. Malick’s direction is top-notch, and his script is magnificent. The subtleties of the film- letters from home, long, blank stares into the horizon- are things only Malick would lay emphasis on. “Hellfire” is an important film which shouldn’t, and most likely won’t, go unnoticed by the Academy.

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture- Paul Haggis, Grant Hill
Best Actor- Hayden Christensen
Best Supporting Actor- Naveen Andrews
Best Supporting Actor- Shawn Ashmore
Best Director- Terrence Malick
Best Original Screenplay- Terrence Malick
Best Score- Hans Zimmer
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Editing