Introduction

A Private War is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Matthew Heineman, and starring Rosamund Pike as journalist Marie Colvin.

The film is based on the 2012 article Marie Colvin’s Private War in Vanity Fair by Marie Brenner. The film was written by Arash Amel and features Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander and Stanley Tucci.

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Outline

Marie Colvin is an American journalist for The Sunday Times, visiting the most dangerous countries and documenting their civil wars.

In 2001, while trekking with the Tamil Tigers, Colvin and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army. Despite her attempt to surrender, an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loses her left eye. Afterwards, Colvin is forced to wear an eyepatch.

Diagnosed with PTSD, Colvin is still determined to look for new stories, and argues with her boss, Sean Ryan, about conflicts she wants to cover, including Iraq, where she meets war photographer Paul Conroy, and Libya. She lives in London when not traveling the world, and begins a relationship with Tony Shaw.

In February 2012, Conroy and Colvin decide to cover the conflict in the city of Homs, where they find 28,000 Syrian men, women, and children caught in the crossfire. After Conroy and Colvin send their story to Ryan, Colvin decides to appear on CNN to bring awareness to civilian casualties. As Marie, Paul, and another reporter, Rémi Ochlik, flee the building they had used as a media centre, the street is peppered with explosions. Paul, injured and shellshocked, wakes to find Colvin and Ochlik killed from the explosions and subsequent pile up of rubble. The movie ends with imagery of the devastated city of Homs, followed by an interview of the real Marie Colvin, with the quote: “You’re never going to get to where you’re going if you acknowledge fear.”

The movie postscript reads: “Marie Colvin and journalist Remi Ochlik were killed in Homs, Syria, on 22 February 2012. Paul Conroy, despite being gravely injured, survives and continues to work as a photographer. Over 500,000 Syrian civilians have been killed since Colvin’s death.”

Cast

• Rosamund Pike as Marie Colvin.
• Jamie Dornan as Paul Conroy.
• Tom Hollander as Sean Ryan, The Sunday Times’ foreign editor and Marie’s boss.
• Nikki Amuka-Bird as Rita Williams, Marie’s friend.
• Faye Marsay as Kate Richardson.
• Greg Wise as Professor David Irens.
• Corey Johnson as Norm Coburn, another photographer.
• Stanley Tucci as Tony Shaw.

Production

The film was produced in Jordan and London, and was shot by Robert Richardson. It features an original song by Annie Lennox, entitled “Requiem for A Private War”.

Release

In February 2018, Aviron Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film. The film had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on 07 September 2018, and had its European premiere at the Mayor’s Gala in the BFI London Film Festival. It also screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, and the Woodstock Film Festival. The film was released on 02 November 2018, in limited release, before expanding nationwide on 16 November 2018. A Private War was released in the UK and Ireland on 15 February 2019.

Trivia

• The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on 02 November 2018.
• It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Pike’s performance.
• At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, the film earned nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Pike) and Best Original Song (Requiem for A Private War), while director Matthew Heineman received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from the Directors Guild of America.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Matthew Heineman.
• Producer(s): Matthew George, Matthew Heineman, Basil Iwanyk, Marissa McMahon, and Charlize Theron.
• Writer(s): Arash Amel.
• Music: H. Scott Salinas.
• Cinematography: Robert Richardson.
• Editor(s): Nick Fenton.
• Production: Acacia Filmed Entertainment, Savvy Media Holdings, Thunder Road Pictures, and Denver and Delilah Productions.
• Distributor(s): Aviron Pictures.
• Release Date: 07 September 2018 (Toronto International Film Festival) and 02 November 2018 (US).
• Running time: 110 minutes.
• Rating: 15/R.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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