Movie review - "The Siege of Jadotville" (2016) *** (warning: spoilers)

Not a great movie but I love siege films and this gets points for sheer novelty, focusing on the adventures of Irish UN peacekeepers during the Congo Crisis of 1961. The film does an okay job of setting up the conflict - the Congo is torn by civil war, the democratically elected Lumumba is killed, Tshombe leads a pro mining company secession, the UN are called in to keep the peace in the form of Irish soldiers- who find themselves under attack.

There are two main problems with the story, both from history. First, no Irish died, so the film lacks emotional kick. There's no death bed scenes so vital for stakes in war films. There's wounded and people almost died and absolutely the commander gets credit for bringing his men back alive - but lack of a death makes things follow.

Secondly, the Irish surrendered, so the whole battle really was kind of pointless - sure they were brave and proved themselves men, but they didn't help anyone escape, or win the battle, or do anything that important. (I had the same problem with the Siege of Jerusalem film, Kingdom of Heaven.)

In dramatic terms, the film suffers from a lack of interesting characters and interpersonal conflict. Compare to say something like Zulu where you had so many clearly drawn people - driven Stanley Baker, toffy Michael Caine, anti-hero James Booth, bluff Nigel Greene. Here you've got decent, a little insecure Jamie Dorman, a French mercenary, Mark Strong as Connor Cruise O'Brien (not very flatteringly depicted), Emmanuelle Seigner as a white Congolese (who looks as though she's about to do something interesting but is really just there for a some exposition espousing a pro mining company line). I found it hard to tell apart the soldiers who weren't Dorman - there was a coward, a sergeant (I think), some guy with glasses.

It also hurts that the battle sequences - excellently filmed and directed, with impressive production value - tend to be repetitive: the enemy attack, are repelled, lots of gunfire... and repeat. It's a shame because the sequences are well done. And the political background is interesting. I did enjoy the film - it was just flawed.