University:
University of Wyoming
Course:
POLS3270 | Governments and Politics of the Middle East
Academic year:

2023
Views:

243

Pages:

1
Author:

Allison B.

Allison Brown Government and Politics of the Middle East Eric Nigh February 19, 2022 Extra Credit Film Response – Mosul (2019) Mosul (2019) is a military action film written and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan, inspired by true events detailed in a New Yorker article by Luke Mogelson entitled The Desperate Battle to Destroy ISIS (2017). The film is based around the story of the Ninevah SWAT team, a group of Iraqi soldiers who were effective in combat in the last days of the “Battle of Mosul”, as ISIS control over the city was waning. In the opening scenes of the film, the group recruits a young Kurdish cop named Kawa. Because Kawa lost his police officer uncle in the earlier conflict to ISIS, he is now “qualified” to join the Ninvah SWAT team. From the beginning, the exact mission of the SWAT team is not made known to the audience. As the film progresses, Kawa learns how the group operates through bribery and combat. Later in the film, commander Jasem explains to Kawa that his SWAT team have gone against his superiors' command in the Police to not undergo this mission; he begins to answer Kawa's repeated questions about the mission. However, Kawa stops him and informs him he doesn't want to know anymore and that he'll just follow Jasem's commands. At the end of the film, Kawa finally understands the objective of the SWAT mission, learning that the group had been carrying missions to liberate members of their families captured by ISIS. Near the end of the film, a quote that stands out to the audience is, “We don’t talk about American intervention anymore, we’re past all that,” Mayor Jasseem says that to Kawa in response to the question of foreign airstrikes. This quote is especially interesting when considering it is spoken by an Arabic actor in a movie produced by Americans. And although the film itself is focused on the Ninevah SWAT team, it is important to note that the storytelling, although accurate and reviewed by Arabic media as well, is being down by Americans. Despite the location of the film, Morocco, and the story, the film is still Hollywood-made and style. That being said, unlike some similar films in the Middle East or focusing on US intervention, Mosul does avoid the American-savior complex. The opposite is portrayed as at times the Ninevh SWAT team sees American forces to be disruptive or acting only for its own interest. The film fits into Lynch’s four-axis of conflict both arguably as an Iran vs. Saudi Arabia bloc mentality issue and as the state vs. non-state component as well.