War Machine

Earlier this year, Netflix released this intelligent but flawed satire of the war in Afghanistan. Brad Pitt stars as General Glen McMahon, a man who believes the war can be won and won quickly, even though he is more aware than most that you can’t win a counterinsurgency war by killing civilians or by alienating the nation’s people, which is what the Americans have been doing in Afghanistan since 2001. McMahon wants to limit civilian casualties and convince the local population that American soldiers have their best interests at heart (they just want to ensure a secure and stable environment for the Afghan people to work and live). McMahon’s confusing answer is to bring in 40,000 more troops to make swift work of the war, but Obama’s government wants to withdraw troops, not add more. In the end, McMahon is presented as a clueless general leading an army that has no business being in Afghanistan at all.

War Machine is written and directed by David Michôd, based on a nonfiction book called The Operators by Michael Hastings. The character of McMahon is based on General Stanley McChrystal, who was forced to resign in 2010 because of the Rolling Stone article which is central to the film.

By making a satire based on true events, War Machine is playing a dangerous game. It wants to be serious and to be taken seriously. It shows us how disillusioned the American soldiers are and how poorly equipped they are (despite their expertise) to fight this unwinnable counterinsurgency. The film is actually at its best when it’s being serious and exposing the stupidity and horror of the war without comedy. But War Machine also wants to be a funny satire and begins by portraying McMahon as an eccentric general who has no idea what he’s getting into. Pitt’s over-the-top performance makes this all the more obvious. 

By wanting to play it both ways (as satire and as serious exposé), War Machine lost me. If McMahon had been portrayed more seriously, and if the first half of the film had been less silly, War Machine might have worked for me. Pitt’s performance wasn’t bad, and may have been perfect for what Michôd wanted, but I found it hard to appreciate because of my dilemma. Perhaps if the satire had been funnier, and if the entire film hadn’t felt far too slow for a satire, it might have worked. It did get better as it went along, which is always good. 

And War Machine features some absolutely delightful cameos by Ben Kingsley and Tilda Swinton. Swinton, whose ability to become whomever she wants to be (in this case, a German politician with a flawless German accent) is without equal, was particularly effective. Kingsley, meanwhile, plays the Afghan president (Hamid Karzai). Meg Tilly is also very good as McMahon’s long-suffering wife. 

War Machine makes some keen observations and its heart is definitely in the right place, so I will give it *** and a mug up. I just wish this important story had been better told.