{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":300,"width":600,"title":"Episode 91 - Warfare","description":"\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Mindframes Podcast \u2013 Episode 91: Warfare \ud83c\udfa7 Hosts: Michael Cockerill & Dave Canfield \ud83c\udfac Film: Warfare (2025), dir. Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza \ud83d\udccd Location: Music Box Theatre, Chicago \u23f1\ufe0f Timestamps & Segment Summaries: [00:00\u201301:30] \u2014 Intro & Film Overview Michael introduces the film Warfare, co-directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War) and Ray Mendoza, a real-life Navy SEAL. Set during the Iraq War in 2006, the film follows a SEAL team as a surveillance mission devolves into a real-time battle for survival. [01:30\u201303:30] \u2014 Garland + Mendoza Collaboration The hosts highlight Garland\u2019s visual language from Civil War and Mendoza\u2019s military experience. Mendoza previously worked as a military advisor and makes his co-directorial debut, grounding the action in authenticity. [03:30\u201305:30] \u2014 A New Kind of War Film Dave and Michael compare Warfare to cinema verit\u00e9. It strips away backstory, plot arcs, and even music, placing viewers in the immediacy of war. The film\u2019s realism makes it emotionally immersive rather than glorifying. [05:30\u201310:00] \u2014 Comparing Garland\u2019s Themes The hosts reflect on Garland\u2019s previous works (Annihilation, Men, Ex Machina) and how Warfare departs from his usual metaphysical themes. While earlier films centered on confronting unknowns, Warfare is grounded and experiential. [10:00\u201316:00] \u2014 Tone, Politics & Empathy Dave emphasizes Warfare\u2019s non-political stance \u2014 it doesn't "pick sides" but immerses viewers in the soldiers\u2019 experience. The film resists traditional \u201choorah\u201d war tropes, favoring a depiction of camaraderie, trauma, and ambiguity. [16:00\u201322:00] \u2014 Acting & Realism Will Poulter is praised for his understated and believable performance. The cast\u2019s lack of exposition or melodrama enhances the film\u2019s immersive feel. The SEALs aren\u2019t framed as superheroes \u2014 they\u2019re human, fallible, and professional under extreme duress. [22:00\u201330:00] \u2014 Real-Time Pacing & Directorial Choices The podcast explores how real-time pacing increases tension. There\u2019s no music, no time skips, no omniscient viewpoint \u2014 just boots-on-the-ground survival. The set was a reconstructed Iraqi neighborhood, shot with handheld cameras and long takes to increase claustrophobia. [30:00\u201340:00] \u2014 Cinematography as Philosophy The camera mimics a fellow soldier, crouching behind walls and moving with the characters. Michael and Dave liken this to the immersive style of 1917, though even more stripped down. Observational themes emerge as the camera shifts from viewer to viewed. [40:00\u201347:00] \u2014 Production Design & Immersive Worldbuilding Details like era-appropriate gear, drone tech, and consistent physical space reinforce realism. Everything down to military language is authentic, thanks to Mendoza. This reinforces the film\u2019s goal: not storytelling, but situational transference. [47:00\u201356:00] \u2014 Why It\u2019s Anti-War Without Saying So Michael and Dave argue that the film's realism is its anti-war statement. There's no need for speeches or political commentary \u2014 the relentless brutality and human cost speak volumes. Dave compares this to 1960s anti-war films like The War Game and Overlord. [56:00\u201301:01:00] \u2014 Final Thoughts & Timelessness The film ends with ambiguity \u2014 no grand victory, just survival and confusion. Michael praises the restraint: \u201cThey leave. That\u2019s the ending.\u201d Dave notes how demythologizing war through realism creates a deeper, more honest emotional impact. \ud83d\udcac Highlight Quotes: \u201cIt\u2019s not about choosing sides. You just happen to be with the Americans.\u201d \u2013 Dave \u201cThe movie doesn\u2019t tell you what war is. It makes you feel what it\u2019s like.\u201d \u2013 Michael \u201cOnce you strip away the mythology, all that\u2019s left is shellshock and dust.\u201d \u2013 Dave \ud83c\udf96\ufe0f Ratings: Dave: \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606 \u2014 \u201cOne of the best anti-war films since the \u201870s.\u201d Michael: \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606 \u2014 \u201cRaw, claustrophobic, and unforgettable.\u201d \ud83d\udcfd\ufe0f Films Referenced: Civil War Annihilation Ex Machina Men 1917 Black Hawk Down Dunkirk Apocalypse Now The War Game Overlord \ud83e\udddb Next Episode Tease: \ud83c\udfac Sinners \u2014 Michael B. Jordan\u2019s vampire-demon hybrid film might be next on the docket.   ","author_name":"Mindframe(s)","author_url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mindframesmovies","html":"