OK, let’s get this over with. I’m the wrong person to review this film and you all know it, the reason being I’ll flat-out tell you this is a political hit piece and I’m not wrong. Let me be perfectly clear here — no matter how “objective” you pretend this retelling of the events in September of 2012 in Libya that left four dead including United States Ambassador Chris Stevens (Matt Letscher), anyone who invokes the word “Benghazi,” unsolicited, in 2016 does so to hurt Hillary Clinton. Don’t kid yourself. Depending on whom you’re describing, “Benghazi” is either a beacon to summon the Hillary haters to your call or some sort of talisman, an anti “Beetlejuice” if you will, a secret word that if repeated often enough makes Hillary go away forever.
Benghazi represents the very worst of American partisan politics. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and do some research into how much more time, money and energy has gone into the Benghazi investigation than the 9/11 investigation. Go ahead and look. I’ll wait. Personally, I don’t like Hillary Clinton. I find her cold and I think her record of giving in to special or corporate interests is very disturbing. But given what she has endured and how she has responded with regards to Benghazi, I find her, quite easily, the most qualified presidential candidate among those running.
Now, to our movie, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. In the late summer of 2012, the United States held two properties in the crowded Libyan coastal city of Benghazi – one was the “secret” CIA command post, consisting of four buildings, a yard and some dirt next to a sheep slaughtering farm; one mile away from the command post was, well, not an embassy — it was a “diplomatic compound.” We can tell it’s not an embassy instantly because embassies are easier to guard. This estate had one manor house, a pool, and a few acres of green, all surrounded by a ten-foot wall. The film hinted that the government was too cheap to build a real embassy here. All I can say to that is maybe if the United States had been able to collect some back taxes from Nevada ranchers, it might have had the cash to spare.
Ultimate Patriot #1, Jack (John Krasinski), is greeted by Ultimate Patriot #2, Rone (James Badge Dale) at the airport with, “welcome to Libya, here’s your gun,” except for the talking part. This is a wise move as the two encounter trouble in the form of rebels on the way to the CIA compound. At gunpoint, Rone pulls a weapon back on his oppressor and growls, “how willing are you to die for your country? I’m ready to go right here, right now.” The Libyans break, of course, and with that the film establishes early on – our gun-toting thugs are better than yours.
The first hour of the 13 is almost entirely propaganda, some subtle, other not. There are six hero alphas among the CIA sheep. You can tell the alphas because of their robust auburn beards — the thicker, the alpha-er. Everybody else in the compound is portrayed as a naïve tool. Degrees and rank are ridiculed. Everybody not combat ready is just somebody who will eventually need to be saved. Even those who are combat ready lack the experience of the Ultimates. Time and time again, Michael Bay establishes that our well-armed alphas are never wrong and all people around them are just fools. This seems right, no? Folks who find themselves carrying weapons in countries they don’t care about have clearly made the correct choices in life.
Libyans in this film come in one of two varieties: the useless and the evil. The alphas can’t tell one from another, but generally conclude that all evils need to be killed. 13 Hours spends much camera time watching our heroes chomping at the bit awaiting rules of engagement to take place. “I don’t like this guy, can I fire? Can I fire?” Our mercenaries all have loving wives and children back home; that’s how we know they’re the good guys. Libyans don’t get families.
Yes, that’s right, get a tight shot of the AK-47s in the foreground and Muslims praying behind it – yeah, yeah, make sure everybody knows Islam is about violence.
For all the venom spent on the faceless brown villains, the greatest amount is spent on CIA compound chief Bob (David Costabile). Bob, of course, represents the United States officials (like Hillary Clinton) nobody has been able to pin blame on successfully. He doesn’t like the alphas; he doesn’t see their need, and he sure won’t let them go protect the Ambassador because they’re the “last resort only.” I don’t know the reality of this character or the feckless do-nothing decisions, but
this is the inaction that justifies all the anger from the Hillary haters. 13 Hours takes gleeful delight in watching The Chief brought lower and lower until he’s essentially taking orders from the Ultimate Patriots.
When the attack happens, the Ultimates are late in arriving (thanks, Obama er … Chief) and find only chaos. The Ambassador’s death isn’t caught on film. The heroes eventually have to retreat back to the CIA compound, where the real siege happens – this is when the film gets good. It’s six to ten guys on roofs vs. dozens of rifle-toting Libyans in the field. No, it’s not exactly The Alamo or the end of The Two Towers. These ex-soldiers are few, yes, but they have more experience, better training, better weapons, the castle and the high ground. If you’re expecting a zero body count, well, yeah, that one is gonna be hard to match, but just holding the compound until reinforcements arrive? I like those odds.
I’m trying not to be cynical here. The United States does indeed need skilled alpha males willing to die for the country, but 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a film of hate. It hates Muslims, authority figures, the government, educated people and the chain of command. Strange how all of these things might be respected and respectable were we still in the Bush era. Yeah, try getting away with that “overstepping-the-chain-of-command” while Cheney and Rumsfeld were in charge. Good luck with that. As I said, though; I’m not the guy to review this film.
♪Alphas warned me, yes they warned me
Dudes could storm the quad
They also warned me stay away
These guards just ain’t no catch
In September of TwoTwelve
With soldiers falling off
Some Middle Eastern help
That’s not around
Command is not right, compound’s not right
Hillary is at fault
Benghazi, Benghazi
Vote Bush in ‘16♫
Rated R, 144 Minutes
D: Michael Bay
W: Chuck Hogan
Genre: RNC Fodder
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: “I can’t wait to repeal Obamacare!”
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Me
♪ Parody inspired by “Surrender”
