Propaganda gets a bit of a dirty name in the West. It’s deeply surreal almost how much of our media is drenched in state-approved military sludge despite our obsession with liberty and free thinking. From anything from Marvel films to the 1996 Independence Day, everything is slathered in this aforementioned sludge. That being said, sometimes I want to see things blow up, and despite its rather terrible title and proximity to propaganda, one that unfortunately leaves a bit of a bad taste in one’s mouth, Land of Bad, does exactly that.
Land of Bad showcases war laid bare, technology-driven warfare is slowly stripped down and shoved naked into the rain, resulting in raw, heavy, kinetic violence, men beating and thrashing and gnawing and tearing at the bleeding, peeled skin and bone and muscle of other men. But remember, Land of Bad is still propaganda, so it never dips into the sheer horror of many anti-war films. Instead, Land of Bad is really, really fun.
Land of Bad is about the relationship of the body to technology in warfare. It doesn’t have much to say about what warfare is and what’s ‘really wrong’ with the modern American military, it only uses these ideas as a launching pad to tell a tight and tense thriller that never takes its foot off the breaks.
The film follows a young soldier nicknamed ‘Playboy’ during a rescue mission somewhere in the Philippines, a country that was colonized by the U.S. for almost 50 years. The film follows both Playboy and two drone pilots keeping an eye on the mission back on a U.S. military base.
There are moments where the camera pulls back to showcase the almost John Woo-esque beauty of destruction. Watching huge explosions consuming the land as hundreds of sparks fly out in every direction is of course a spectacle, but much of the tension comes in just how intimate the movie is. The camera is close to the action, composed mostly of close-ups and during firefights it often rockets into handheld territory, barely able to keep up with the hail of bullets ripping through bodies and in turn barely keeping up with said bodies as they are thrust into the floor with a satisfying thunk.
Every encounter is dragged out to make sure the tension is sky-high, the constant chatting and banter between Playboy and famous angry man Russel Crowe makes everyone pretty likable, which makes the tension so much more palpable. There’s also something to say about just how tight the action is, focusing more on actions and reactions, set-ups that lead to punchlines that lead to setups rather than just intense and technically proficient choreography. This can be illustrated by a specific scene where Playboy must hide from the enemy on top of a shed, as he shuffles around to escape being spotted, a grenade is let loose which destroys the shed, sending him crashing down into earth and alerting everyone to his location, the way the action flows is so kinetic and fluid that it becomes addictive, impossible to look away from. All of this chaotic violence is presented with a frenetic clarity where punchy editing beautifully keeps track of what’s actually going on amidst the chaos of warfare.
That said, it’s still propaganda and ends with some pretty annoying, if ultimately humanistic flag waving, but, if one is willing to overlook Land of Bad’s jingo-jungle you’ll fight a tight, tense and exciting experience guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat.
