Movie Review – Armadillo (How do soldiers change in the daily grind of war?)

On the border of war and documentary, Armadillo captures the everyday life of soldiers in combat and shows how they change. The film’s mix of tension and humanity on the battlefield raises moral questions for the audience.

 

I thought a lot while watching Armadillo, which tells the story of soldiers who spent six months fighting the Taliban at the frontline base Armadillo. Armadillo is somewhere between a documentary and a war movie. I think it’s more of a documentary film, with genre conventions modified to make it more of a war movie.

 

 

As they dine with their families, party, and share deep hugs at the airport, they leave with regrets and worries, but they don’t seem to be fully prepared. Volunteer enlistment in a dangerous region is not what you see on the news, but rather a bunch of gray-faced people not much older than us.
“Armadillos are never bored.” As I listened to the descriptions of the battlefield and the rules of engagement, I found myself looking out over the vastness of the battlefield. I also saw the human side of the battlefield: nervousness, fear, and courage. I could feel what the standards that are instilled in reserve training and military life feel like in this vivid atmosphere. About camaraderie, the soldier’s mindset, and more.
The beginning of the movie shows the daily routine of the Armadillo base. Kim says he wants to see combat, and it’s clear that the volunteers are expecting something. The civilians are distrustful of the soldiers. Soldiers want to protect civilians, but they are often more of a danger to them. Soldiers reward civilians and try to talk to them, which can be disheartening and increase resentment toward the Taliban.
“It’s like going to an amusement park and riding a roller coaster with no restraints,” says one soldier. They end up getting addicted to the danger. As they transition from the game to the real world, the tension of the battlefield becomes as mundane as dealing with a game avatar. They play pranks on each other and get used to it with each battle.

 

 

The battle scenes are shown through cameras attached to the soldiers’ bodies, which gives a different sense of urgency from war movies. It makes you feel afraid of where the soldier with the camera is shooting and where the bullets are coming from.
The soldiers become accustomed to war and change, as if there was ever a time when they were bored. They go from defending the Armadillo base and civilians to planning raids on the Taliban. “Let’s give the Taliban hell!” he shouts, but also tells his comrades to “take care of themselves!” When a grenade kills a young girl, the soldier says, “I was just close by, and I’m not bothered by it.” As an audience member, I had to decide how to feel about the girl’s death: do I blame the soldiers? I had to remain objective while feeling myself changing along with them.
The battle ends with the Taliban fleeing, and the wounded soldier is given morphine. After killing five Taliban soldiers, I see the soldiers gruesomely searching through the bodies of the dead, but I only see them as enemy soldiers who tried to kill our side. We don’t know their true feelings, and we see them licking their wounds.
‘Armadillo’ presents the audience with controversial stories. Is the audience qualified to make judgments? The soldiers’ faces are bright and bittersweet when they are reunited with their families. They are more accustomed to the battlefield. The battalion commander, Kim, Daniel, and Mads go back to the armadillo.
Watching the movie, I thought the soldiers looked cool. I could understand why they would want to go back to Armadillo, a place where routine and danger coexist. There are certainly moral issues, but you have to think about what your frame of reference is before you judge the issue as right or wrong.