The Siege of Jadotville is a David and Goliath story that unravels against a backdrop of international intrigue, corrupt politicians, inept military command, all set on a stage covered in red dust from copper mines buried deep in the heart of the Congo. It’s thrilling, fascinating and peppered with the subverted humor that only the Irish can create. What is shocking about this film is that it is, in fact, a true story.
Background To Assassination
The Congolese mining industry is privately owned and, in September 1961, President Lumumba (Richard Lukunku) announces his intentions to nationalize this vastly lucrative industry. His efforts to enrich the lives of the local people are met with resistance and he is assassinated by General Tshombe (Danny Sapani), whose paymasters include the then President De Gaulle (Luc Van Gunderbeec).
To maintain control of the area, De Gaulle bankrolls thousands of French mercenaries, lead by Rene Faulques (Guillaume Canet), who trains his men to masquerade as security guards.
UN Sends Peacekeepers
In response to the assassination of President Lumumba, the United Nations send the 25th Battalion ‘A’ Company, lead by unit commandant Pat Quinlan (Jamie Dornan), on a peacekeeping mission. The soldiers settle in an outpost in the mining town of Jadotville, cut off from civilization.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the United Nations gives military officer Conor O’Brien (Mark Strong) a mandate to prevent General Tshombe from becoming presumptive president. Showing a staggering lack of military knowledge, O’Brien decides to take the offensive. This gives Tshombe and his mercenaries an excuse to retaliate, which they are more than willing to do.
Emotional Intensity
It is rare for action films to capture the emotional intensity of the people who are firing the bullets, but in this instance, that’s just what happens. The creeping feeling that the soldiers are being surrounded, minute by minute, is as real as the panic when they are blindsided by a sneak attack.
While conjuring up electrifying moments of near-miss mayhem, the filmmakers find a moment of wry humor when one of the soldiers jumps aboard an armed UN jeep and heads, full throttle, into the midst of the enemy. His commanding officer responds with a furious; “Cover that mad bastard!,” which is a wonderful moment of storytelling and also a homage to the indomitable spirit of the Irish.
When the battalion first arrive in Jadotville, they are told by the locals that they’re not welcome, which leads to a meeting between Quinlan and Faulques. The loaded conversation quickly turns into a pissing contest and the mercenary decides to remind the soldier that the Irish have never actually been in a war. Clearly, Monsieur Faulques has never been in an Irish pub on a Saturday evening, when a battle at the end of the night is absolutely compulsory.
Siege of Jadotville Reviews
Viewers appreciated the movie more than Critics did. Hollywood Reporter, Keith Uhlich panned it, saying “Good intentions only take us so far, of course. Whenever Smyth moves away from the battlefield, the film is on shaky ground, with the near-comical scenes involving Strong’s cowardly subordinate a real low point.”
Robert Yaniz Jr., writing at “We Got This Covered” liked it more than any other critic did. He said, “Though it doesn’t break any new ground, The Siege of Jadotville is a well-crafted piece of filmmaking that investigates the often-contentious relationship between politics and war.”
Matt Patches at Thrillist wasn’t keen on the storyline straying from true history. He said “The Siege of Jadotville is dramatically inept and viscerally shocking. Thankfully, we still have history books.”
Robert Abele at LA Times said “The Siege of Jadotville valiantly fights to reclaim pride in a slice of Irish military history, but it seems to have ignored who those Irish were fighting for.”
Irish reviewers were much kinder.
Donald Clarke at the Irish Times, said, “A highly diverting film that rightly honours forgotten – and subsequently mistreated – heroes from Irish history. See it in the cinema rather than on your lap.”
Paul Whitington, for the Irish Independent said “While Mark Strong is miscast as Conor Cruise O’Brien, and supporting roles are thinly sketched, the battle scenes alone make this solid and well-paced film worth watching.”
Laura Delaney at RTE Ireland said “The Siege of Jadotville is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary courage and heroism shown by the 35th Battalion ‘A’ Company, and for that and many reasons beside, the movie deserves a salute.”
The Siege of Jadotville
- Drama,Mystery & Thriller 1h 48m
- Directed By: Richie Smyth
- Cast: Jamie Dornan, Jason O’Mara, Mark Strong, Guillaume Canet, Mikael Persbrandt, Emmannuelle Seigner, Fiona Glascott, Michael McElhatton, Sam Keeley, Danny Sapani
- Writer: Kevin Brodbin, based on the novel by Declan Power
- Music: Joseph Trapanese
- Cinematography: Nikolaus Summerer
- Editing: Alex Mackie
Siege of Jadotville Release Dates
United Kingdom, Sep 19, 2016
Ireland, Sep 19, 2016
Germany, Oct 7, 2016(internet)
Italy, Oct 7, 2016(internet)
Netherlands, Oct 7, 2016
Sweden, Oct 7, 2016(internet)
United States, Oct 7, 2016
*STREAMING ON NETFLIX
