13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi | |
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Directed by | Michael Bay |
Screenplay by | Chuck Hogan |
Based on | 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Dion Beebe |
Edited by |
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Music by | Lorne Balfe |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 144 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $50 million[2] |
Box office | $69.4 million[2] |
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (also known simply as 13 Hours) is a 2016 American
Filming began on April 27, 2015, in Malta and Morocco. The film was released on January 15, 2016, by Paramount Pictures. Upon release, 13 Hours grossed $69 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million (not including advertising and distribution), and became one of Bay's lowest-grossing films until the 2022 release of Ambulance. 13 Hours also received many mixed reviews from critics. While the film was praised for its acting performances, action sequences, and dark tone, the script was criticized for its historical liberties. Bay's direction also received a mixed response, with many criticizing his emphasis on over-the-top action, but some also noting it as one of his most mature and grounded films.[7][8]
The film received an
Plot
In 2012, following the overthrow of
Prior to the US Ambassador's arrival, the GRS team members visit the
That night, a group of militants from Ansar al-Sharia assault the compound. The 17-Feb guards are quickly overrun, which allows the attackers easy access to the compound. Wickland takes Stevens and Smith, an IT specialist, to the safe room. Unable to breach the safe room, the attackers set the building on fire hoping to burn the men out. Wickland escapes but loses both Stevens and Smith. At the Annex, the GRS team desperately wants to go to the compound to help, but the Chief refuses for fear that the team's departure would expose the Annex. However, the team dispatches to the compound anyway and meets up with the DSS Agents, with the team splitting up: Silva, Woods, and Tiegen head to the consulate, while Paronto and Benton head to the back gate, assisted by a few 17-Feb militants. Silva and Woods enter the building searching for Stevens and Smith but find only Smith's body. After an intense firefight inside the compound against the militants, the DSS team retreats in a car, but after a beat-up Wickland goes the wrong way, they are followed by militants on their way back to the Annex. Later, the GRS team also retreats to the Annex.
Knowing that an attack by the militants is imminent, the CIA staff of the Annex makes several desperate calls for help, but only former
The Tripoli GRS reinforcements arrive and begin to prepare the CIA and DSS staff for their departure to the airport. The militants launch a mortar attack in which Ubben and Geist are wounded, and Geist's left arm is partially severed. Woods rushes to aid Geist and is killed by another mortar round. Doherty is also killed when a third mortar detonates directly in front of him.
While a wounded Geist and Ubben are being tended to, Delta Force operatives dispose of Woods' body, angering Silva. With the GRS team compromised and the Annex now vulnerable, the remaining GRS operators watch as a convoy of vehicles rolls toward the Annex. Fearing the worst, the operators prepare to make a
At the airport, the CIA staff and the wounded Geist board the plane to Tripoli while the remainder of the GRS team waits for the next plane with the bodies of Stevens, Smith, Woods, and Doherty. Paronto is approached by his 17-Feb allies and gives them some keys to Gaddafi's old armored vehicles. Meanwhile, Silva speaks with his wife and tells her that he is finally coming home; however, he tearfully relays the news that Woods didn't make it. Shortly after, he briefly recalls a conversation with Woods they had at the annex and zips his bodybag up. Closing titles reveal that Libya had become a failed state and is now a stronghold for ISIS, and that all of the surviving members of the Annex security GRS team received contractor medals at a private ceremony, have since retired from the GRS team, and live with their families and that Geist was able to save his arm after several surgeries after the military reenlists him so that he can receive the best medical care possible.
Cast
GRS Team
- John Krasinski[10] as Jack Silva, newest member of the team and former US Navy SEAL[11]
- James Badge Dale[12] as Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods, commander of the GRS team and former US Navy SEAL
- Max Martini[13] as Mark "Oz" Geist, team member and former US Marine
- Dominic Fumusa as John "Tig" Tiegen, team member and former US Marine[14]
- Pablo Schreiber[15] as Kris "Tanto" Paronto, team member and former US Army Ranger
- David Denman[16] as Dave "Boon" Benton, team member and former US Marine Scout Sniper
- Toby Stephens as Glen "Bub" Doherty, GRS operator in Tripoli, former US Navy SEAL, and good friend of Woods and Silva
CIA
- Alexia Barlier as Sona Jillani, an undercover CIA Officer in Libya
- Freddie Stroma as Brit Vayner, an undercover CIA Officer in Libya[17]
- David Costabile as "Bob" aka. "The Chief", the Benghazi CIA Chief-of-Station
- Shane Rowe as CIA Annex Cook, who participates in the defense of the Annex
- Gábor Bodis as CIA Agent, a security officer
U.S. State Department
- Matt Letscher as J. Christopher Stevens, US Ambassador to Libya[18]
- David Giuntoli as Scott Wickland, DSS Agent
- Demetrius Grosse as Dave Ubben, DSS Agent
- David Furr as Alec Henderson, DSS Agent
- Defense Attaché
- Christopher Dingli as Sean Smith, an IT specialist
Civilians
- Wrenn Schmidt as Becky Silva, wife of Jack Silva
- Peyman Moaadias Amahl, a local interpreter
Production
Development
On February 10, 2014, it was announced that Paramount Pictures was in talks with 3 Arts Entertainment to acquire the film rights to the book 13 Hours, written by Mitchell Zuckoff, with Erwin Stoff to produce.[19] Chuck Hogan was set to adapt the book, based on the true events of the Benghazi attack by militants on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, on the evening of September 11, 2012.[19] The film would focus on six members of a security team that fought to defend the Americans stationed there.[19] On October 29, 2014, Michael Bay was set to direct and produce the thriller.[20]
Casting
On January 14, 2015, John Krasinski was cast to play a leading role, playing a former US Navy SEAL.[10] On February 3, Pablo Schreiber also signed on to star in the film, playing Kris "Tanto" Paronto, one of the six-man security team.[15] On February 6, James Badge Dale was set to star, as the leader of the security team.[12] Max Martini was cast as another member of the security team on February 17, 2015.[13] David Denman signed on to star in the film on March 3, 2015, playing Boon, an elite sniper.[16] On March 5, 2015, THR reported that Dominic Fumusa also signed on, to play John "Tig" Tiegen, one of the members of the security team, who is also a former Marine with weapons expertise.[14] Freddie Stroma was added to the cast on March 17, 2015, to play the role of an undercover CIA officer in Libya.[17] On May 7, 2015, Toby Stephens was set to play Glen "Bub" Doherty, another of the security team members.[21]
Filming
Principal photography began on April 27, 2015, in Malta and Morocco.[16][22] A large film set was built in March 2015 in Ta' Qali, Malta at 35°53′58.9″N 14°25′42.6″E / 35.899694°N 14.428500°E.[23][24]
Release
On June 30, 2015, Paramount announced that the new title would be 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and set the film to be released on January 15, 2016, on the
Unusual for a major American film, the film was given only a
Paramount specifically marketed the film to conservatives,[29] in a method similar to previous films Lone Survivor and American Sniper, both of which had beaten box office expectations. This included screening the film for key Republican Party figures in order to generate endorsement quotations.[30]
Home media
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 7, 2016. Likely due to a boost from the
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on June 11, 2019.[33]
Reception
Box office
13 Hours grossed $52.9 million in North America and $16.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $69.4 million, against a production budget of $50 million,[2] making it Michael Bay's lowest-grossing directorial film to-date.[34]
The film was projected to earn around $20 million in its four-day Martin Luther King weekend debut. It faced competition from fellow newcomer
Critical response
13 Hours received mixed reviews from critics, though some viewed it as a welcomed tame effort from Michael Bay.[39][40][41][42][43] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 51% based on 222 reviews, with an average rating of 5.60/10. The site's consensus reads, "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a comparatively mature and restrained effort from Michael Bay, albeit one that can't quite boast the impact its fact-based story deserves."[44] On Metacritic the film has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[45] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[37][46]
Soren Andersen, writing for The Seattle Times, gave the film 3 stars out of 4, criticizing the lack of distinctive characters but ultimately summarizing 13 Hours as "engrossing" and "a ground-level depiction of heroism in the midst of the fog of war".[47] Richard Roeper similarly praised 13 Hours in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times. Although he lamented the script, Roeper found the film to be a "solid action thriller with well-choreographed battle sequences and strong work from the ensemble cast".[48] Like Roeper's review, New York Daily News' Joe Dziemianowicz was less receptive toward the script, but applauded the film's focus on the real-life attack, summarizing: "War is gritty here, not glamorous... [Michael Bay] delivers a gripping, harrowing, and heartfelt film."[49]
In a mixed review, Inkoo Kang of TheWrap praised 13 Hours for its action scenes, but panned Bay's direction as "myopic". She writes, "13 Hours is the rare Michael Bay movie that wasn't made with teenage boys in mind. But that doesn't make his latest any less callously juvenile."[7] Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press was critical of the film's direction and cinematography, and found the screenplay to be confusing.[8] Similarly, The Economist described the film as "a sleek, poorly scripted and largely meaningless film".[50]
Libyan response
The film caused controversy in Libya.[51][52] Many Libyans believed it ignored the contributions of local people who attempted to save the US ambassador.[53] Libya's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Salah Belnaba, denounced the film's portrayal of the Libyan people and described it as "fanatical and ignorant."[54] Culture and Information Minister, Omar Gawaari, also criticized the film saying: "the movie shows the US contractors who actually failed to secure the ambassador [...] as heroes", adding that Michael Bay "turned America's failure to protect its own citizens in a fragile state into a typical action movie all about American heroism".[53][54][55]
Accolades
At the
Historical accuracy
The film's historical accuracy has been disputed. In the film's most controversial scene, the CIA chief in Benghazi (identified only as "Bob") tells the military contractors there when they seek permission to go defend the embassy to "stand down" and thus denies them permission. The real-life CIA chief stated that there was no stand-down order.
Kris "Tanto" Paronto, a CIA contractor who was involved in action during the event, said, "We were told to 'stand down'. Those words were used verbatim—100 percent. If the truth of it affects someone's political career? Well, I'm sorry. It happens."[59] The CIA base chief portrayed in the film has directly contradicted Paronto's claims, saying "There never was a stand-down order.... At no time did I ever second-guess that the team would depart."[60]
Also disputed is the film's portrayal that air support was denied. A House Armed Services Committee report found that air support was unavailable or that it would have arrived too late to make a difference.[50]
See also
- 2012 Benghazi attack
- Counterterrorism Center
- List of films featuring the United States Navy SEALs
References
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External links
- Official website
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at IMDb
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at Box Office Mojo
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at Rotten Tomatoes
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at Metacritic
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at AllMovie
- 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi at History vs. Hollywood