Review: In The Valley Of Elah

In The Valley Of Elah is without doubt the most satisfying self-examination of America's involvement in Iraq - and, perhaps slightly perversely, the most challenging too. This may well come to be viewed as one of the most important - and most under-valued - films of its era.

Based on real events, Elah focuses on Hank Deerfield's (Tommy Lee Jones) crusade to find out who killed his son after he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. With his son's death either being treated with disdain by the police or dismissal by the army, Jones effectively leads his own investigation, forcing the police to take up the case and ultimately prevent the army from covering up the truth.

Jones is on simply exceptional form - and quite rightly received an Oscar nomination as a result. Deerfield is a quiet man of few words and quick wit - and an undertow of violence: it is no surprise that Clint Eastwood was originally asked to play the role, but Jones does more with the role than perhaps Dity Harry could have hoped to achieve. Jones's journey from stout, proud Vietnam veteran to painful realisation that he has failed as a father, and indirectly as a husband, is one of the great performances of American cinema. Hank Deerfield might well be the most finely drawn and observed character to emerge in American film for generations: his history is revealed in every gesture, every thought, every word.

He is more than ably backed by: Charlize Theron, in an unshowy, dressed-down performance, as the cop who takes up Deerfield's cause; Jason Patric, bravely unsympathetic as the military police officer; and Susan Sarandon, making the most of the small but arguably pivotal role of Jones's wife - she is the film's conscience writ large.

Technical credits are almost off the chart: Mark Isham delivers yet another haunting, moving score; and Roger Deakins, behind the camera, arguably does better - with less - than his bravura work on Jesse James and No Country, his use of colours, lenses and compositions complementing the film's intention and bolstering its realistic feel.

Ultimately, the film confirms writer/producer/director Paul Haggis as one of the most important left wing voices in Hollywood today - a film-maker with both brains and heart and the strength to question his country's so-called leaders. His script is simply exceptional, his direction taut (with only a minor, mainstream liberal slip at the end).

This film is not only an indictment of US foreign policy, but also of how America chooses to go to war, the 'sacrifices' it is prepared to accept and the failure of a generation that didn't learn the lesson of Vietnam. That he dares to question the character of America's 'boys over there' may explain why the film has been so unjustly ignored in the US.

Don't be fooled by the film's initial patriotism - the effective bookends of the film (the raising of the Stars and Stripes) chart Deerfield's and the film's journey with almost disarming sang-froid and point to a wretched future for America.
Score: 9/10

In The Valley Of Elah
IMDb