(This review can also be found on Mondo Magazine)
Triage is an emotionally complex film dealing with the psychological effects war has on people.
According to director Danis Tanovic, he did not intend to make another film about war and soldiers after his brilliant No Man’s Land. However, when the 1998 novel Triage by Scott Anderson came into his hands, Tanovic knew that it was a story that deserved to be told on screen.
Intrepid and seasoned photojournalist Mark (Colin Farrell) has seen his share of gruesomeness in the world. Determined to show the world what is really happening in war torn countries, Mark and his best friend and fellow photojournalist Colin embark on their latest mission to
Kurdistan. Intent on getting some great pictures of uprisings within Iraq to sell to Time Magazine, the duo spend some time with Dr. Talzani (Branko Duric) operating a triage unit in the middle of the desert. When Mark returns home without Colin, the duo’s wives become worried that Colin has not yet appeared. Injured with a deteriorating condition, Mark cannot seem to recall what happened to himself or his friend. Showing signs of severe psychological stress brought on by the fighting in Kurdistan, a seasoned psychiatrist (Sir Christopher Lee) tries to get to the bottom of Mark’s illness and find the missing Colin.
Triage is a wonderfully adapted film, with all-around great performances. Cutting between
Kurdistan and Mark’s post-war recovery, the film effortlessly glides between two opposing worlds of war and peace, life and death, and injury and recovery. Winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001 for No Man’s Land, Tanovic proved to be a great director. His skill behind the camera comes through in this film, and whether directing an intense firefight, rudimentary surgery in a bloodied cave turned triage unit, or healing conversation in a quiet city apartment, Tanovic handles each scene with ease.
For a film largely dealing with war, there is not as much blood and gore as one might expect. There are some intense scenes featuring the wounded war victims, but Tanovic chooses not to focus on the injury, but rather the healing and recovery process, which is the overarching theme of the film. It’s not so much about war, as it is regrouping and dealing with the lingering effects of war.
Colin Farrell gives an emotional performance as Mark, the main focus of the story. He is not a war hero or a buff action star, but an artistic man hardened by years distancing himself from war and genocide through his camera lens. Farrell carries a great deal of emotion on his face, perfectly suited to the inner turmoil Mark is facing as he comes to grips with his experiences. Sir Christopher Lee is perfectly cast as Dr. Joaquin Morales, who appears to have a past as a war criminal sympathizer. The duality of Dr. Morales as both healer and source of pain is fitting for the overall duality and contrasts of the film.
Emotionally and psychologically gripping, Triage is a perfect marriage of directing and performance, and one of TIFF’s best films this year.
Triage is an emotionally complex film dealing with the psychological effects war has on people.
According to director Danis Tanovic, he did not intend to make another film about war and soldiers after his brilliant No Man’s Land. However, when the 1998 novel Triage by Scott Anderson came into his hands, Tanovic knew that it was a story that deserved to be told on screen.
Intrepid and seasoned photojournalist Mark (Colin Farrell) has seen his share of gruesomeness in the world. Determined to show the world what is really happening in war torn countries, Mark and his best friend and fellow photojournalist Colin embark on their latest mission to
Kurdistan. Intent on getting some great pictures of uprisings within Iraq to sell to Time Magazine, the duo spend some time with Dr. Talzani (Branko Duric) operating a triage unit in the middle of the desert. When Mark returns home without Colin, the duo’s wives become worried that Colin has not yet appeared. Injured with a deteriorating condition, Mark cannot seem to recall what happened to himself or his friend. Showing signs of severe psychological stress brought on by the fighting in Kurdistan, a seasoned psychiatrist (Sir Christopher Lee) tries to get to the bottom of Mark’s illness and find the missing Colin.
Triage is a wonderfully adapted film, with all-around great performances. Cutting between
Kurdistan and Mark’s post-war recovery, the film effortlessly glides between two opposing worlds of war and peace, life and death, and injury and recovery. Winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001 for No Man’s Land, Tanovic proved to be a great director. His skill behind the camera comes through in this film, and whether directing an intense firefight, rudimentary surgery in a bloodied cave turned triage unit, or healing conversation in a quiet city apartment, Tanovic handles each scene with ease.
For a film largely dealing with war, there is not as much blood and gore as one might expect. There are some intense scenes featuring the wounded war victims, but Tanovic chooses not to focus on the injury, but rather the healing and recovery process, which is the overarching theme of the film. It’s not so much about war, as it is regrouping and dealing with the lingering effects of war.
Colin Farrell gives an emotional performance as Mark, the main focus of the story. He is not a war hero or a buff action star, but an artistic man hardened by years distancing himself from war and genocide through his camera lens. Farrell carries a great deal of emotion on his face, perfectly suited to the inner turmoil Mark is facing as he comes to grips with his experiences. Sir Christopher Lee is perfectly cast as Dr. Joaquin Morales, who appears to have a past as a war criminal sympathizer. The duality of Dr. Morales as both healer and source of pain is fitting for the overall duality and contrasts of the film.
Emotionally and psychologically gripping, Triage is a perfect marriage of directing and performance, and one of TIFF’s best films this year.
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