The film is unquestionably relevant to the nature of warfare in the current climate where the moral gray area widens every day. It focuses on the moral, legal, military, and political issues that arise when a drone attack has to be carried out in a foreign nation. The story takes place in five significant locations that play an important role in the decision of whether to initiate the attack or not. Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is in a military communication headquarters while the Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman) and the ministers are at the Cabinet Office. The drone is controlled at a military base in America; the surveillance is done at an intelligence center while an agent is at the target location gathering intelligence.
Colonel Powell takes the role of heading the mission that will lead to the capture of Al-Shabaab terrorist leaders. New intelligence suggests they are planning suicide bombings which force the officer to escalate the operation. The series of events throws the military officers into bureaucratic and legal discussions with politicians and government lawyers. The drone strike threatens to endanger innocent civilians around the target location hence causing a moral dilemma. Every individual in the chain of command is avoiding making the ultimate decision to prevent any backlash or diplomatic repercussions. The film highlights the different personalities of each character involved in this decision to undertake the military bombing. Therefore, demonstrates the pragmatic yet hard-nosed approach of soldiers and the cautious approach of government officials and politicians.
The film addresses the collateral damage of modern warfare and its impact on the decision-makers and the combatants as well. It illustrates how warfare always has its costs and toll despite the modernization of military strategies. Geoffrey Macnab of Independent (UK) wrote “What’s refreshing, though, is how nuanced the film’s approach remains. There is no simple minded resolution here and it is inevitable that there will be blood on somebody’s hands by the final reel.”
