Having had worked in Katanga and being a history buff, I wished this movie would have done much better justice to the bravery and brilliant tactics of the Irish soldiers who managed to fend off a much superior force during the brief secession bid of that province in 1961.
The subject itself has been little explored but it is very fascinating. That a company of poorly supported Irish soldiers was able to fight off a brigade-size unit of Belgian, French, and Rhodesian mercenaries supported by aircraft, without losing a single man during a 6-day siege, is simply nothing short of exceptional.
Much credit for this has to go to Commandant Quinlan, the officer in charge of the company, who was shamefully scapegoated for the failures of the UN peacekeeping force by no less his own government. Although he was posthumously recognized for his skillful defense, I find it sad that he had not lived to see his own exoneration.
As other reviewers have said, this movie is uneven. Given that Commandant Quinlan and his men were treated poorly by their own government and the Irish Army after the siege and their subsequent release from captivity, this should have played a more prominent role in the story telling because it is very much central to the overall story itself.
In addition, the movie should have focused more on the experiences of these men and their backgrounds prior to and after the battle, not just on the battle itself. Perhaps even more storytelling about the politics surrounding the battle would have been welcomed. Thus it was clearly a missed opportunity to show why they deserve praise for their actions during those few days in late 1961 in the newly formed Republic of the Congo.
A side note: It was good to see Jamie Dornan outside his most recognized role as Christian Grey. Kudos to him.
The subject itself has been little explored but it is very fascinating. That a company of poorly supported Irish soldiers was able to fight off a brigade-size unit of Belgian, French, and Rhodesian mercenaries supported by aircraft, without losing a single man during a 6-day siege, is simply nothing short of exceptional.
Much credit for this has to go to Commandant Quinlan, the officer in charge of the company, who was shamefully scapegoated for the failures of the UN peacekeeping force by no less his own government. Although he was posthumously recognized for his skillful defense, I find it sad that he had not lived to see his own exoneration.
As other reviewers have said, this movie is uneven. Given that Commandant Quinlan and his men were treated poorly by their own government and the Irish Army after the siege and their subsequent release from captivity, this should have played a more prominent role in the story telling because it is very much central to the overall story itself.
In addition, the movie should have focused more on the experiences of these men and their backgrounds prior to and after the battle, not just on the battle itself. Perhaps even more storytelling about the politics surrounding the battle would have been welcomed. Thus it was clearly a missed opportunity to show why they deserve praise for their actions during those few days in late 1961 in the newly formed Republic of the Congo.
A side note: It was good to see Jamie Dornan outside his most recognized role as Christian Grey. Kudos to him.