Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Danish director Tobias Lindholm’s masterful new film, A War, is an exceptionally intelligent and sensitive depiction of the War in Afghanistan, both the complicated moral issues faced by occupying troops and the toll on their families back home. That’s not to say that this Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film isn’t gripping or that its action sequences lack punch – one battle sequence is particularly pulse-pounding and stomach-churning. Shot in a straightforward style, the movie is never spectacular or overblown; Lindholm largely lets the situation’s drama speak for itself. A War follows CO Claus Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk, who previously starred in Lindholm’s A Hijacking) and his unit – who are trying to weed the Taliban out of an Afghan province while protecting civilians – as well as Pedersen’s family in Denmark.

The tense vibe of the film is set early on when Claus’s unit is out on patrol. Sure enough, a young gunner is suddenly caught in a mine explosion, a horrific scene that brings home the unpredictability of the unit’s every mission as well as its close camaraderie. The CO – a tough but decent sort – is sympathetic to one soldier (Dulfi Al-Jabouri) who is badly shaken up by the incident, putting him on camp duty for a few weeks. Claus himself will replace both men on patrols, though it is not his usual role.

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Meanwhile in Denmark, his wife Maria (Tuva Novotny) is dealing with their three young children, one of whom is having disruptive behavioral issues. She’s upbeat, but clearly feeling the strain. The family’s days are scheduled around phone calls from Claus, who can’t always call when expected.

Back in Afghanistan, while patrolling a civilian compound, Claus’s unit comes upon a hysterical man who asks them to help his injured daughter. Later the man and his family show up at the soldiers’ camp seeking refuge. We see the tough decisions the troops must make when dealing with civilians, as well as the desperation and frustration of Afghans who are caught between the Taliban and occupying soldiers who are alternately friendly and roughly suspicious.

The next day, as Claus’s unit attempts to secure the family’s compound, it is attacked and the scene suddenly becomes frantic and chaotic; though we’ve seen similar depictions of soldiers under fire, it’s still shocking, their panic palpable. One soldier is hit and in an attempt to save him and prevent further devastation, Claus orders the bombing of the compound.  The rest of the film deals with the consequences of Claus’s action on himself and his family, as he must make another major decision when he is called to testify in court.  Thanks to a fine, sympathetic portrayal by Asbæk, we feel his ordeal.

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

During the course of  A War, we’re pulled by different, sometimes conflicting, emotions – sympathy, disgust, unease – which seems to be the point. Several issues come to the fore: the ease with which we (civilians) judge military actions; the complicated responsibility of being a military presence in another nation; the difficulty of protecting helpless civilians while trying to protect oneself and one’s comrades. There’s also the interesting matter of watching European troops, rather than the Americans we’re generally used to seeing, in this situation. It allows for more objective viewing, in a way, without feelings of national responsibility/pride/shame, etc., getting in the way, so it can be better appreciated as pure drama. Still very disturbing, of course, but not specifically to us as Americans.

A War is a realistic, clear-headed picture of a morally complex issue that has no clear-cut answers, though it certainly will encourage discussion. The film is tough but also tender, powerful and poignant, without the macho bluster of many war movies. That’s refreshing in itself.

A War opens on Friday at Landmark Sunshine Cinema.

—Marina Zogbi