“Day 11” is the very short and yet somehow highly realistic story of Sergeant “E.Z.” Ordaz, cut off from his platoon during Day 11 of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the single bloodiest day of that war (to date, anyway…). Ordaz must reach Landing Zone Two through a hail of Iraqi militiamen gunfire despite having limited ammo himself and only one contact on his side–Sergeant Mobley.
Which of course is very trying–E.Z’s got a family back in the ‘States and he may well not return.
Okay, first off…there’s gonna be more than a few people who look at that and scream cliche. In fact, that’s not too far off. The concept has been done before, but not quite like this.
And certainly not this well.
Despite some truly minor issues with props and CG special effects, “Day 11” somehow manages to project the horrors of war in a surprisingly coherent and thoroughly believable fashion.
I would have loved to see this as a feature-length film, and believe that the film community would be well served by a piece like this.
Sadly, the most telling problem, and yet the most poignant section in retrospect comes at the end of the film, ten minutes and fourteen seconds in, where as E.Z. walks off camera, he contacts Mobley one final time before the film ends, saying “Tell my wife and kids their daddy’s coming home.”
Sorry, E.Z…not any time soon. In fact, looking back over the last two years you’ve probably been stop-lossed right where you are right now. If you’re not already dead.
And despite the misguided hopefulness of this simple _expression of joy and relief, we find ourselves wishing that he WOULD come home.
