Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor Directed by: Peter Berg & Project By: Taylor Knabe

Mark Wahlberg portrays Marcus Luttrell, the only survivor following Operation Red Wing.

Taylor Kitsch plays Michael Murphy who was the commander of the seal team.

Danny Dietz is portrayed by Emile Hirsch in the film.

Ben Foster acts as Matt 'Axe' Axelson in the movie.

The series of events regarding the seals' actions were pivotal in the production of the film. The decision regarding the goat herders led to the extensive gunfight which resulted in Murphy's sacrifice as he “crawled to an open area in the ravine and stayed out there until he got in contact with our QRF” (The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story).

Murphy's call resulted in military assistance which later crashed. This led to a downfall in the violent battle and Marcus Luttrell was soon the only surviving Navy Seal.

Luttrell was then rescued by a villager who "did it because it was the way he lived his life” which resulted in aid and later contact to the American military who brought Luttrell back to the base (The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story).

The severity of the attack during the operation, similar to the series of events concerning the seals’ actions, created the pressure to accurately represent the real story.

According to Marcus Luttrell, the “intel on the numbers kept changing. And then when [the seals] got overrun, it was such a large force that numbers have been speculated anywhere from 60 to 80 to 80 to over 100” (The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story).

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Contributing, the movie depicts Danny Dietz attempting to connect with comms as he announces “Spartan 01 reporting major enemy contact. We need help. Spartan 01 reporting major enemy contact. Request immediate QRF” describing the necessity for support that the seals needed (Berg 63).

Similar to the severity of the attack, the deaths of the American soldiers were also key to the creation of the film.

Marcus agreed to transform the attack into a movie “because of the severity of how many people died on the mountain that day and the family members and everything … the military thought it would be a good idea to declassify this operation, put it out and bring it to the American public” (The 'Lone Survivor' Tells the True Story).

For example, Mike Murphy “crawled out and was hit a couple times during the phone call but kept the lines of communication up until he was killed” (The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story).

Although Marcus was the lone survivor following the attack of the Taliban, the injuries that each of the seals endured were central to the production of the movie due to the severity of the attack.

The soldiers’ strength is portrayed both physically and mentally throughout the movie when Marcus replies to Danny explaining “we’re all shot bro, can you fight” (Berg 71).

The injuries were cynical in the production of the film; however, the turning point, which was essential in the movie, is found in the decision regarding the goat herders.

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Daniel Murphy, Mike Murphy’s father, “likes the way the movie has Micheal sum up the options” regarding their decision towards the goat herders (Smerconish).

Overall, the production of the movie resulted in satisfaction concerning the attack on Operation Red Wing. Marcus Luttrell proves that the movie Lone Survivor accurately portrays the series of events and severity of the attack, the deaths and accuracy regarding injuries towards the seals, and the decision regarding the goat herders.

I was first introduced to the movie after my dad read the book, and I have been intrigued by the story ever since. I found the extensive training that the actors portrayed extremely interesting and also enjoyed learning about Marcus Luttrell's contribution to the production of the film.

I think it is important for everyone to realize the dedication found in accurately portraying the events from both the actors and director along with the pressure from the military in the creation of the movie.

Marcus Luttrell believes

“they did a great job with what they had to work with. [They] cut it down to just the bare bones of what it was supposed to be”

(The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story).

Marcus’ acceptance of the film exemplifies the understanding that

“there’s gonna be some stuff that gets dropped or some stuff that gets switched around” however he “believes they achieved that balance”

(Interview).

Works Cited

“INTERVIEW: Former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, The Real-Life “Lone Survivor’.” Fox News. FOX News Network, 2014. Web. 21 March. 2017.

Lone Survivor. Dir. Peter Berg. By Peter Berg. Prod. Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg. Screenplay by Peter Berg. Perf. Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, and Taylor Kitsch. 2013.

Luttrell, Marcus, and Patrick Robinson. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Last Heroes of Seal Team 10. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company, 2014. Print.

Michael Smerconish: From Book to Hit Movie: The Lone Survivor's Story By: Smerconish, Michael, Philadelphia Inquirer, The PA, Jan 17, 2014.

“The ‘Lone Survivor’ Tells The Story of a Tragic Navy Mission.” Interview by Martin. 12 January 2014: World History In Context. Web. 6 March 2017.

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Credit to: Peter Berg

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Lone Survivor Directed by: Peter Berg & Project By: Taylor Knabe

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