Top Cast
-
Sam Smith
Mike Wheeler
-
Mohammad Mosam
Dress Shop Owner
-
Kefayat Lag Humani
Antiques Dealer
-
Naqibullah Khan Shinwari
Hotel Receptionist
-
Sharif Ullah
Bell Boy
-
Muhammad Shah Majroh
Colonel Rafiq
-
Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad
Taxi Driver
-
Samad Khan
Roadblock Taliban
-
Amir Shah Talash
Amir Tailbani
Overview
Made under extraordinary, and extremely dangerous, conditions, Jirga tells the emotional story of a former Australian soldier who travels to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness.
Rating
1 Reviews
-
Peter McGinn9 Jul 21, 2021There are movies in every genre that slow down action, perhaps by looking more deeply at motives or characters, or by lingering on scenes longer, or a combination of both. These movies are often panned by impatient fans of those genres, who use descriptive phrases such as “Nothing happens!” Oddly, I find I usually quite enjoy those same movies, though admittedly I try not to watch them when I am weary, just as I would not read Dickens when my eyes are getting tired. And perhaps those fans have a point, for if you slow down an action film, for example, when does it stop being an action film? Jirga is listed as a war movie, and in a way, it is. The main character is an Australian who fought in the war in Afghanistan and now has returned to apologize to the widow of a non-combatant killed in the heat of a hurried, frenzied military operation carried out with others. Jirga is not what I would consider compelling viewing, but I was drawn in by the way it sculpted a more complex picture of his captors as he tried to convince them of his plan when several of the captors simply wanted to kill him as a matter of course. They are not just two-dimensional violent terrorist types. Well, not all of them, as I said. In the version I watched, only some of the dialogue spoken in the Afghan Pashtu language was translated. I assume this is on purpose, as we get hard-coded captions for key portions. Perhaps we are along for the ride with Mike, experiencing his attempts to understand what is being said going only by tone and body language, with his life hanging in the balance. If that was the intention, it is effective. The landscape is at the same time sparse and lovely,the muted action still suspenseful, and overall well worth my time.
Trailers & Clips
Recommendations
A small unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict.
The Outpost
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
The Kill Team
Two young men are seriously affected by the Vietnam War. One of them has always been obsessed with birds - but now believes he really is a bird, and has been sent to a mental hospital. Can his friend help him pull through?
Birdy
During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.
The Beast
In Korea, on 6 September 1950, Lieutenant Benson's platoon finds itself isolated in enemy-held territory after a retreat. Soon they are joined by Sergeant Montana, whose overriding concern is caring for his catatonic colonel. Benson and Montana can't stand each other, but together they must get the survivors to Hill 465, where they hope the division is waiting. It's a long, harrowing march, fraught with all the dangers the elusive enemy can summon.
Men in War
In post-World War II America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.
The Secrets We Keep
A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.
Jacknife
Three stories told simultaneously in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator who's a presidential hopeful gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter, detailing a strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a poli-sci professor at a California college invites a student to re-engage.
Lions for Lambs
A group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.
Field of Lost Shoes
A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.