It is the eve of D-Day; June 6, 1944. The Allied Forces make their way to Normandy in their operation to end the Nazi’s reign of terror. Here, a team of paratroopers are entrusted with the task of taking out a radio tower set up next to a church in a small town. But as war is unpredictable, their plane, among many others, is shot down, leaving only five survivors to carry out the mission. But how many of them would make it through alive, as what lies ahead of them far exceeds even one’s darkest expectations?
Even before the opening scene began to roll, the introduction to the movie set the mood that was expected of both a war and a horror movie; with an initial black and white setting followed by foreboding music, ‘Overlord’ eases the audience into its domain whilst slowly setting the atmosphere for what’s to follow. With a display of fighter planes hovering above an armada, the movie gives us a glimpse into what goes through the minds of Government Issues (GIs) just moments before the battle begins: some quiet and focused, while others jest to conceal their apprehension - and a few even overrun by fear - so much that their bodies tremble at the thought of what would become of them.
The movie wastes no time picking up the pace as it takes the audience through an onslaught that downs countless planes from the night sky in an inferno that reflects the ferity of war. On land, a GI called Boyce regroups with three of his comrades; Tibbet, Chase, and Corporal Ford; before resuming the mission. Wandering behind enemy lines, the troopers come across Chloe, a victim of war scavenging whatever she can find to help her sick aunt and eight-year-old brother get by. Determined to help the GIs take down the Nazis that plague her town, Chloe soon becomes an integral part of their plan.
Highlighting the true nature of war, ‘Overlord’ speaks of the horrors of humanity; how avarice and pride fused with prejudice and unquestioned liberty leads to catastrophes untold - how science, in the wrong hands, gives birth to abominations unforeseen. This is impeccably presented in the sequences where Boyce infiltrates the Nazi base and stumbles upon the sinister experiments carried out by a one Dr. Schmidt who is attempting to reanimate the dead in order to create an unstoppable army. Here the test subjects, the casualties, as well as the collateral damage, are displayed in fine detail.
Furthermore, the movie also focuses on the atrocities of war that befall both the military and the civilians: In one scene, the movie introduces a soldier who is writing a book on his experiences in the war, only to show him being consumed by a mine explosion just moments later - a reminder of the fragility of life and the unforgiving nature of the battlefield. Another such moment was when the audience learns that Chloe had previously begun her studies at the University of London in hopes of becoming a veterinarian when the war destroyed those dreams.
Another notable feature in the movie, especially in the beginning, was its symbolism. Whilst trekking through a jungle, Boyce and the others come across the carcass of an unrecognisable creature. There, Chase suggests that it could be that of a jackal while speaking of stories in the Bible that relate the creature to the Devil. As they enter Chloe’s town, the camera gives us a close-up of two crucifixes amidst a pile of smouldering rubble. This symbolised that the experiments being conducted were the work of the Devil. Perhaps these symbols also convey the message ‘War is Hell’ - something the movie could suggest by the song choice used for its trailer: Hell’s Bells by AC/DC.
Boyce is portrayed as someone who understands the value of life and is unwilling to compromise his moral beliefs, even in the face of a remorseless adversary. One such moment is when he attempts to prevent Corporal Ford from torturing an enemy soldier called Wafner. However, Boyce is shown to have steadfast loyalty to his comrades (evident in the scenes where he attempts to rescue them even when the odds are against them), as well as an unwavering will in the face of true evil; and Jovan Adepo flawlessly meets all these aspects of his character.
In contrast to Boyce, Corporal Ford comes off as a soldier who sees his mission through to the end regardless of the measures he has to take to achieve it: he is not someone who minds getting his hands dirty and doesn’t concern himself with the wellbeing of anyone outside his team if it were to compromise his mission. This, in particular, is seen in his unwillingness to prevent a Nazi soldier from sexually assaulting Chloe because it would have compromised their position - something that Boyce, however, could not ignore. Regardless, Ford is shown to be dependable at times of crises, especially towards the climax of the movie. Wyatt Russell clearly feels comfortable in this role as Ford, highlighting not only a soldier that’s rough around the edges, but also a comrade in arms who is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that not only evil is defeated, but that their work wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands as well.
Mathilde Ollivier excels at capturing Chloe’s bravery and resilience, especially towards the end of the movie where she takes part in the mission to destroy the radio tower. Tibbet, played by John Magaro, acts as comic relief most of the time; but is also shown to be kind, even though he tends to put up a cold exterior; and Wafner, portrayed by Pilou Asbæk, is the archetypal antagonist who wants nothing more than power.
From start to finish, the scores were spot-on in creating disquiet atmospheres for the audience as the music’s intensities and speeds were often raised and lowered to create the element of uncertainty. This also melded well with the jump scares, which were neither overused nor the sole means to shock the audience. Furthermore, the CGI and cinematography were often utilised greatly to the movie’s advantage: the extreme long shot of the Allied Forces’ fleets, the wide shots of the carnage along the shoreline, and the transitions to extreme close-ups to create jump scares were some striking moments in the movie.
The special effects also succeeded in bringing to life ferocious undead beasts that appeared to be near indomitable, while creating environments that felt lived-in by the characters, especially when the storyline grew darker and the movie progressed to its Third Act. Certain plot-twists stood out from the rest as they highlighted the strength of character of certain roles while also setting the stage for more bloodshed.
‘Overlord’ stands out as a brilliant concoction of drama and thriller with well-balanced features of horror and action that hold one’s attention till the last minute.
‘Overlord’ is screening at Liberty by Scope Cinemas, Empire – Colombo, MC Cinemas – Colombo, Milano – Kegalle, Scope Cinemas (CCC) – Colombo 3, Regal – Gampaha / Nuwara Eliya, Savoy Colombo 4, Aruna – Kiribatgoda, Rauoo – Katunayaka, Liberty Lite, Sky Lite Malabe, Vista – Ja-Ela and Sky Lite Matara
from daily news