World War II, one man behind enemy lines in Europe. This is his harrowing journey back to the safety of base. Of course, that journey is plagued with impossible deadly obstacles. In one especially thorny moment, our hero finds himself smack in the middle of no man’s land. Bombs and bullets fling by as he struggles to stay low and yet move out of harm's way. But harm's way is everywhere, a gnarley field, skies darkened to gray by expended ammunitions, knifelike glowing trails of projectiles scratching the thin layer of air above him. Eastwood shows us his fear, desperation, and internal horror while filmmakers paint his gloom across the screen. What makes that scene even more haunting is that there are no other soldiers visible - just our hero caught in the uncaring crossfire.

That said, the film’s acting on the whole is less than consistent. And the writing choices dip below believable. For example, a hardened soldier chooses to run his vehicle off the road, rather than let a stray dog dodge it. I am not a vet, so I don’t know all the strategies of war… but a truck full of soldiers stuck on the side of the road as an unidentifiable vehicle approaches. Wouldn’t you want to get your soldiers out of the truck and into the bush just in case? A handful of these writing choices worked against an otherwise powerful re-creation of the vivid awfulness of war.

That said, the film remained engaging at every turn, and audiences will root for our hero. It reminds us of the awesome sacrifices made by our veterans and active military.