The Covenant: Better Together

There is a thread of American Patriotism inextricably tied to the humanitarian idea of doing for others. Using the American military as the bond holding these two things together, you get the foundation of a belief structure that makes the United States of America a deity. This is a rallying cry simple enough for all to support. A thesis statement to write on banners, run campaigns on and justify any and all actions. Herein lies the complexities of the military industrial complex. The men and women who serve this country, sacrifice their lives for us. They are brave, honorable and are deserving of any and all admiration. The same cannot be said for the government behind them, that exploits them and us with that inextricable bond. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, takes this very struggle and builds a film around it. Balancing the bravery of two men willing to do anything to help each other, with the failures and false promises of the government behind them.

Tales of survival are always compelling. The extraordinary lengths a person will go to, and what they can endure to survive is remarkable. The retelling of these feats will always be interesting, that’s because their individual determination is inspiring. The belief that humans will do anything to survive and get back to the ones we love, is inherent in all of us. When these stories are attached to the military, the already high intensity escalates. There is a level of valor that comes with our depiction of the military. Guy Ritchie takes these concepts and works them into something that feels both familiar and fresh. Adding a deeper emotional pull and finding room for larger commentary, by removing the singular to make it plural. In The Covenant, it’s not solely individual survival at stake. It’s also about the survival of the man next to you. Ultimately, asking the question, to what lengths will you go to save someone else?

This is a question, that in the abstract, we can answer plainly and with confidence. The more of a connection we have with the person, the more confidence we have. For most of us, however, that is where this question will remain. We won’t be out in an extraordinary circumstance to truly face down the reality of this question. Which makes the situation between John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ahmed (Dar Salim) all the more harrowing. These two are faced with impossible scenarios, both of which have a high likelihood of death. Repeatedly they both choose to risk everything to help each other. While there is nothing subtle about this messaging, its power sweeps across you in waves. These men are actually risking their lives for someone else. Even though each has a selfish motivation. Ahmed needs visas for his family and for Kinley, a clean conscience. Those are merely circumstances. An opportunity for them to walk in the type of bravery that seems superhuman. It seems this way because it isn’t military training, or basic humanity, it’s true valor. Something we all hope to have but few do and it’s remarkable to watch.

Anytime you watch a man literally carry another across a hostile country while being pursued by terrorists, or leave the comfort of their home and family to head back to a hostile country to save someone from those same terrorists, it’ll hit hard. However, there is a level of sharpness in The Covenant that is a reflection of our time. As a people we feel as divided as ever, which is far from revelatory and debatable, but we also seem as hostile as ever. Less willing to help our neighbor, for the slightest inconvenience, much less our lives. While American Patriotism is flawed and its bond with the idea of putting others ahead of yourself is complicated, this country cannot survive without selflessness. The lack thereof in our current society, takes what is a powerful story of valor and turns it into a fantastical model of what should be.

Part of what makes Ahmed and Kinley’s example such a fantasy, lies in the exploitation of the very same idea. These men find themselves in their situation because of false promises and misrepresentation on behalf of the American Government. Guy Ritchie’s willingness to show this side of their situation highlights the complexities that lie in the military, and our shortcomings in Afghanistan. To recruit people from that country with promises to move them and their families out, to only leave them as the Taliban regain control, is truly despicable. To have that story encapsulated in Ahmed, a man we saw risk everything to save someone else, allows the story to take hold. It becomes even more real. And the consequences of us, as a country, not practicing what we claim to believe pulls it into focus. The sad fact is we failed over there. We deliberately put people in harm’s way, and by leaving them we incurred unquantifiable damage on the mental health of our very own who had to live with the guilt of leaving people there. All of which is depicted in The Covenant with the intensity it deserves. This film shines the light on the failure, while still offering a bit of hope.

The hope lies not in a system, political party or organization but in the very same idea mentioned earlier and that this film celebrates. We as a people are the solution. Selflessness, empathy and genuine care that leads to action is what it means to be human, and by extension, an American. Oftentimes we point out the inherent fallacy of tying an idea like this to the “democratic” foundation of which this country is built upon. While that isn’t entirely wrong, it’s also important to point out that more than the country of which we call home, we are human. The selfless act of giving of yourself for another or your community is more a human trait, than an American one. The Covenant highlights the difference, all while using the biggest model for patriotism, the American military. By doing so it shows us both the problem and the solution. A solution that we can’t forget because now more than ever we are in desperate need of it. The Covenant may depict the most extreme of this example, it also shows its power. It’s often said that we are stronger together, it may be better said, however, that we are better together.