Do Not Hesitate
September FilmSince the dawn of humanity, war and conflict has been a defining piece of the human condition. Naturally, the subject found its way into the arts with nearly every take one could have on the topic being found within at least one medium if not multiple. Still, war lingers as does its presence in art. Acting as the Netherland's official submission for the 2022 Oscars, Shariff Korver's Do Not Hesitate is yet another text looking at the haunting effects and actuality of armed conflict yet a unique perspective gives the film an edge to stand out within its established genre. Following a Dutch military convoy on a peacekeeping mission that break down in the desert and stumble on a kid who refuses to leave their side due to a lethal encounter they had with his goat, Do Not Hesitate is unique in its capturing of the trauma war causes as it takes a younger and more innocent group of men and throw them alone through trials and tribulations that will ultimately scar them for life.
While many modern military films attempt to create the feeling of camaraderie through lazy expressions of toxic masculinity and forced stereotypes of what the average military experience is, there is something far more genuine found within the cast of Do Not Hesitate which works to the film's overall advantage. The cast is largely composed of lively characters, who might have their faults and attitude issues, but are also clearly built with the human spirit in mind. Joes Brauers, Spencer Bogaert and Tobias Kersloot are all fantastic in their portrayals of the three main characters who are left with the broken-down truck waiting for helicopters to come get them. They have a charming charisma and banter that feels realistic and natural yet as the film progresses, fear creeps into them and their desperation for rescue and safety feels equally effective. These characters embark on almost a more adult Lord of the Flies journey as they slowly lose their minds and the situation gets more and more intense.
The key piece of this is Omar Alwan. Playing a local young boy, Alwan is innocent enough but carries a youthful vengeance as he demands respect and is never willing to back down in fear, even if his opponents are holding machine guns to his face. On paper, the conflict of Do Not Hesitate is incredibly minor. The military killed this boy's goat and the boy wants decent compensation. Due to the pressures of both isolation and a looming threat of the enemy, however, this encounter becomes shockingly tense and, at times, dark as every character finds themselves way in over their own heads with no path for escape or release. While at times the actual process of this escalation can feel a bit confusing, once the film reaches its third act the audience will be on the edge of their seats. Like Lord of the Flies, the film defines itself by the youth of its characters and shows just how toxic and wrong this situation is for them to be placed in.
This all builds to a third act that has some of the most haunting moments seen in film this year. Similar to Valentyn Vasyanovych's Reflection from earlier this year, Do Not Hesitate is a film of consequence and makes it clear that just because a conflict ends, the ghosts from it still haunt. Again, this is a thematic weight that is only enhanced by the youth of the film's characters and it is so clearly tied to reality that it is nearly impossible to ignore. While military movies focusing on the action and bravery present in conflict can stand effective in their own rights, it is the more human stories like this that ultimately feel like the best the genre has to offer.
The presentation of the film is also rather fantastic. At an incredibly clean 91-minutes, the film never threatens to overstay its welcome, and it is clear the filmmakers knew just how to pace the film to evoke the greatest reaction from the audience. It is a film that knows when to breathe and when to attack which is a common weakness for films of this nature. The cinematography from Nadim Carlsen is also absolutely stunning. Shot with a 4:3 aspect ratio, the film is claustrophobic and tight with its framing yet also knows how to be artistic and free when it needs to be. There is clearly an incredible craft to nearly every aspect of the film from a technical standpoint and it feels undeniable that this strong technical ability helps elevate the film as a whole.
While Do Not Hestitate might not be revolutionary, it clearly is one of the better war texts to come this year and is effective with nearly everything it sets out to do. Though there might be a few growing pains from a screenplay perspective as the conflict and tension tightens throughout the runtime, the film overall feels clean and the emotional gut-punch of the final act feels undeniable.
