'A War': Quiet, subtle, Nordic take on Afghanistan war's effects on a soldier

Danish writer-director Tobias Lindholm (The Hunt, The Hour of the Lynx) proves once again he's one of the most skilled subtle storytellers working today with his latest foray into cinema verité, A War, a haunting drama about the war in Afghanistan.

An intense character study told with the same startling economy, reserve, and nerve-jangling tension as Lindholm's 2012 thriller, A Hijacking, A War reunites the director with that film's remarkable star, Pilou Asbæk.

Asbæk plays Claus Michael Pedersen, an experienced, confident, and well-liked Danish army officer in charge of about two dozen troops stationed in a rocky, rural wasteland in Afghanistan dotted by a sparse collection of concrete compounds that make up an ad-hoc village. Claus' mission is to make sure the village is safe from Taliban attack. That involves tedious and potentially dangerous daily patrols, which put the Danes in the enemy's sights.

Several firefights follow - fast, dizzying scenes somehow made all the more harrowing for their lack of gore.

When one of his men is killed, Claus decides to leave his safe commander's tent and lead the patrols himself.

Lindholm skillfully alternates the war scenes with a parallel story line about the daily life of Claus' wife, Maria (Tuva Novotny), and their three children back in Denmark. The couple are in daily contact - after all, in the age of satellite phones and Skype, soldiers no longer fight wars in isolation from their families.

Lindholm explores the surreal dynamic created by this situation: A few minutes after returning from a deadly firefight, Claus is deep in conversation with his wife about the kids' grades. How does a person switch off the horror of war that quickly?

An explosive battle scene midway through the film changes the story - and the course of Claus' life. When his men are pinned down by enemy fire, he orders helicopter gunships to bomb one of the compounds. Civilians die, and Claus is shipped back home to stand trial.

Lindholm's mastery of film form is matched by his willingness to engage with some of the most intractable moral quandaries that haunt contemporary life. He handles controversial, potentially incendiary topics with restraint. There's deep feeling in this film, but not a hint of melodrama.

American viewers may find it difficult, if rewarding, to engage with such Nordic discipline. It makes for a refreshing break from the usual round of soppy, melodramatic, gore-drenched war movies.