In the Valley of Elah

“In the Valley of Elah”

USA. 2007. Directed by Paul Haggis. Screenplay by Paul Haggis. Story by Mark Boal and Paul Haggis. Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, James Franco, Barry Corbin, Josh Brolin, Frances Fisher, Wes Chatham and Jonathan Tucker.

Rating: ★★★

Look at Tommy Lee Jones. What grizzled pain and weariness he can project with his face. Listen to his voice. His words seem like advice coming from a man who has endured enough hurt to be jaded but still with an ounce of idealism left to pass on his words of wisdom. And when he barks and explodes from his pools of reserve, it feels like an icy cold splash in the face.

I start out with this praise for Jones (and I could go on) because he is the main reason to see Paul Haggis’ latest film, In the Valley of Elah. Much like Haggis’ Oscar-winning Crash two years ago, this film uses strong emotions to portray a set of political ideas. But where Crash greatly succeeded in presenting a world of good and bad frequently intertwining, this film ultimately presents a one-sided and somewhat murky argument.

It’s a good thing Jones provides such a strong, subtle anchor to the emotions so we can just focus on his performance as a father searching for his lost son. He plays Hank Deerfield, a former MP during the Vietnam War who gets a call from the base saying that his son, Mike (Jonathan Tucker) has gone AWOL.

What puzzles matters is that the his platoon has apparently already returned from serving in the Iraq war. Unable to fully explain the situation to his wife, Joan (Susan Sarandon), he sets out to find out what happened. He soon recruits the aid of a reluctant detective, Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) in the search.

Thus sets the stage for Haggis to construct an emotional mystery to arrive at some sweeping political statements and there are two approaches to take towards this movie. From a political standpoint, the film unfortunately does not bring anything new to the table. Without giving too much away, the story delves into the trauma war and combat can inflict on the soldiers but never shows the people who actually seek help and comfort for their post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Moreover, such a syndrome is obviously not unique to the Iraq war and this is where the movie unwisely confuses cause and effect. That veterans struggle mightily to recuperate in the aftermath of a war is one thing and explaining the rationale for fighting a war, even the so-called necessary WWII, is another. When the film has not really delved into how the Iraq war went wrong (see the great recent documentary, No End in Sight for this dissection) and then supplies a final shot lamenting the current state of the nation, we can’t really buy the argument because it assumes a general effect of combat to be an exclusive cause.

In the emotional journey of getting there, however, Haggis delivers a good portrayal of the effect war can have on those closest to the soldiers on the battleground. He has also responded to his previous critics by showing his characters’ inner feelings in a decidedly quieter fashion. All of the performances, despite the conventional anti-government trappings and the cliché that the protagonist is the only one with the right instinct to solve the mystery, find the right notes to transcend them by behaving exactly the way they would in the given situations. For example, Theron could have played the detective who is the object of sexist ridicule as an ultra-feminist type but plays her as a solemn cop who dutifully does her job as she, along with Jones, fights through military jurisdiction and secrecy to get at the truth. Even more noteworthy is Susan Sarandon, who strikes a powerful note by avoiding the movie histrionics of a worried mother.

Then there is Jones, who has never been better than he is here. Here is an actor who can compellingly play a man of fierce words as in The Fugitive or provide a more heartrending presence when he keeps his angry thoughts bottled inside as in this movie. Watch here in a key moment as he shudders and shakes in his chair watching a soldier in his son’s platoon being questioned and barely manages to keep his rage under the surface. He, along with Haggis, knows that a coarse tongue-lashing or fist-lunging would be completely out of key and he presents a man who has the patience to implode rather than explode. Also, observe how he, as a religious man, narrates the story of the famous Biblical battle between David and Goliath in the valley of Elah and reinforces its message of spiritual mettle and courage.

So, no, the film does not offer any new insight and discerning viewers, whether pro or anti-Iraq war, will see right through its heavily flawed political argument. But rejecting the film would mean to deny the power of the performances particularly Jones’, which alone will be remembered as a compelling cinematic document of a parent’s heartbreak in the midst of war. To that end, I can’t help but recommend the film.