Only the Brave
2017 · Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Original language: English
- drama
- history
The story
Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town.
What it’s like
Hazy amber light, orange smoke climbing over bone-dry ridgelines, and the blank white glare of Arizona summers set the palette, with the fire itself rendered as a churning, weather-like force that dominates the wide frame. Camera work moves between sweeping aerial shots of scorched terrain and close, jostling views of crews in heavy gear, so the scale of the land and the smallness of the people in it both register. The score swells with strings and pulsing low tones during the blazes, then drops to quiet, sun-faded stillness in town and at home. Its mood is melancholy and worn, with a steady undercurrent of grief and tiredness beneath the heroism, and the pacing is deliberate, settling into long stretches of ordinary life before the next emergency. Its people are rough, loyal and flawed, and the film traces how camaraderie and a sense of duty slowly reshape a group of men who are still carrying their own troubles. Intensity is high in its fire sequences: frightening, sustained danger and some sudden, painful injury, with death and loss treated seriously. Gore is limited, but the peril and sorrow land heavily. Best for viewers who want a true-story drama about courage and brotherhood, with a sober, emotional edge.
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