Combat Obscura

Combat Obscura is a boldly visceral and unvarnished war documentary film that was created in 2018. In this engrossing film, viewers are provided an intimate and often unsettling look into the Afghan conflict and the lives of those involved. Rather than taking an editorial stance, or presenting a scripted and polished narrative, the film distinguishes itself by offering a raw and unfiltered portrayal of soldier life from a first-hand perspective, offering an authenticity to the audience that is virtually unparalled within the war documentary genre.

Directed by Miles Lagoze, a former US Marine Corps Lance Corporal who served as a cameraman in Afghanistan, Combat Obscura is, fittingly, military jargon for extra footage that didn't make it into the official news releases – 'B­-roll' of sorts – that Marines shot while deployed. Lagoze uses this discarded footage to construct the narrative for Combat Obscura, effectively using the medium of film to break down the barriers between the combat zone and civilian life. Infused with a poignant intelligence, the movie reverberates long after the credits roll.

Shot between 2011 and 2012 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the film provides a gritty,ground-­eye view of Marine life during deployment. Insulated from any political agenda, and rather than delivering a neatly structured narrative with clear heroes and villains, the film presents sequences of Marines patrolling empty deserts, engaging in sudden firefights, enduring long periods of idleness, and interacting with Afghan civilians. You see the Marines in various states – playful, bored, arrogant, scared, stoned, and even inept at times – providing a reinstating sense of their humanity amid the throes of veritable chaos.

Revolutionary in its context, Combat Obscura gives us a look at the harsh realities and absurdities of war, as well as exposing the often blurred lines between right and wrong. Amidst all the relentless chaos, it elegantly displays the strange paradox of war. On one side, there is terror and deadly seriousness, and on the other, utter banality and moments of absurd humor.

Lagoze's camera work is very much like a member of the squad, there with the men for every step, every mission and every frustrating moment of waiting in between. The film's cinematography is intentionally straightforward, foregoing the polished and dramatic touches found in many other war documentaries. This raw use of the camera, with its shaky, handheld intimacy and natural light, captures the grit, dirt, and tension of infantry life in a stunningly authentic manner – intensifying the film's affective power on the viewer. It's free of cinematic dazzle and instead, it's the unpolished, unvarnished atmosphere that compels the viewer to take note and introspect on the realities of war.

The film is punctuated by very little dialogue, aside from the communications between the soldiers, their Afghan allies, and occasionally, the civilian populace. Often, we bear witness to the fractured bilingual exchanges between the Marines and the Afghans – poignant moments that reflect the cultural dissonance and shared fragility. Tonally, the film captures the sheer chaos and unpredictability experienced by these men, and the disorienting experience of being thrust into a foreign land with an unclear mission.

Notably, the sound design of Combat Obscura, while understated, plays a pivotal role in the film. The witnessing of sporadic gunfire, the incoming of an unseen helicopter, the ominous quiet before a strike - these meticulously woven auditory details create a vivid soundscape of war. This is not a soundtrack that will let the viewers forget the sobering reality of the action on screen. It’s a stark reminder of the film’s unflinching dedication to authenticity, as Lagoze crafts a narrative as close to the truth of the experience as possible.

The fact that Combat Obscura was created by a veteran, using footage shot by servicemen during their deployment, grants it an grit of authenticity that many war documentaries lack. This close-up, personal, raw depiction of the Afghanistan war offers audiences an immersive – if often unsettling – experience. Its content may make viewers uncomfortable at times, but in confronting these truths, the film is serving its intention to provide an unfiltered look at modern warfare. Combat Obscura is a groundbreaking entry in the landscape of war-time documentaries – an audacious and unflinching exploration of the Afghan conflict, and an evocative testament to the complex realities of the soldiers embedded within it.