Unique and refreshing take on war drama from “Boys Don’t Cry” director

By Alexa Jago

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 3/26/08 — Ryan Phillippe’s controversial new film “Stop-Loss” which opens March 28, is a powerful portrayal of a young man coming to terms with the demands made of him in a war that seems to have no end. Philippe brings a passionate portrayal of a soldier to life reminding us of the daily sacrifices being made by our young men in the military.

“What is unique about our film and why I responded to it initially was it is telling the human side of the soldier’s story. It is about what they are experiencing. This is happening now. People were “stop loss” last week I can guarantee you. Next week they will be too. That’s what makes it relevant,” he told Hollywood Today.

“When you look at some of the great films like “Deer Hunter” and “Born on the 4^th of July,” they were made 10 or 15 years plus after the actual war, and in hindsight. But we made this while it’s happening.”

“Stop-Loss” is written and directed by Kimberly Pierce the talented filmmaker who’s “Boys Don’t Cry” with Hilary Swank made us all sit up and listen to a truly individual voice. She approaches another poignant subject matter in “Stop-Loss”.

“The majority of Americans haven’t heard of “stop loss” or the fact that that kind of thing goes on – I think that is intentional you know I do think those things are kept … quiet.” Says Philippe.

Philippe plays decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King who comes home to his small Texas town following his tour of duty. He returns and attempts to put back together his life prior to Iraq. Then, against Brandon’s will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq which throws him and his family into conflict. He begins to question his loyalties, friendships, family and the meaning of the code he has lived by, honor.

“I think some of the challenges as an actor are you check your own beliefs and politics at the door. The soldier does that. They go where they are told and serve in the direction ordered by the person above them and it’s not about whether they agree with what’s happening. That’s not the soldier’s place.” Says Phillippe.

After six days grueling boot camp in Texas, Philippe says they all quite naturally took on their roles. “I didn’t do boot camp before because on the Eastwood movie he’s not a big one for prep and rehearsal also I played a medic in that film. So all of my research for “Flags Of Our Father’s” were tourniquets and splints and medical books and things. So I’d never been through a boot camp as extensive as this one was and I say that because we would do 14 hours a day for a six-day week when it was about 106 degree temperature in the middle of nowhere in Texas and it was pretty intense. From a distance I don’t think you would have told it was actors preparing for a movie they really put us through a relatively hard core training for those six days but I loved it. I don’t think the other guys loved it as much but I loved it.”

Philippe recently suffered through the pain of a very public divorce from Reese Witherspoon the mother of his children. But he found a different view of family through this film. Phillippe attests to the importance of friendships in such harsh and testing circumstances as going to war. “You know, I think that the greater aspect of that life becomes keeping the guy next to you alive and him doing the same for you. You are in a shitty situation, where it’s like, you are bored, you are in the desert, you’re waiting for something to blow up and I think as unpleasant as all that gets, the only thing that gets you through is the friendships. It is a brotherhood which sometimes becomes stronger than with your birth brother, your natural brother.”

“You hear time and time again” says Philippe “you hear soldiers, and that’s the hardest thing, leaving his friends behind. There was one guy who left because he hurt his shoulder so he got out. He felt so guilty about leaving, although he was happy about getting out, and the man that ended up replacing him ended up dying while we were shooting the movie.”

“We can see some of the pictures” says Philippe “and we can have some of the training but we can never come close to what goes on there.”

In honor of those men and their families Philippe hopes that this film will shed a light on the true price paid by the young men who are fighting for their country right now, today.