Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6882 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Collector's Edition, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Synopsis
Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) and his elite team of Navy SEALS have their work cut out for them when they are dispatched to war-torn Nigeria with orders to rescue an American citizen, Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci). The mission is pretty cut and dry except for one glitch: Dr. Kendricks will have to abandon the natives to whom she has been providing healthcare and those that work in the mission where her rudimentary hospital is located. Of course, Dr. Kendricks refuses to leave without her people, forcing Lt. Waters to choose between completing his orders as directed or putting the lives of his men on the line by helping the refugees cross the border to Cameroon on foot. To complicate matters, the group is being pursued by militant guerillas who destroy everything in their path. Willis is in top DIE HARD form as Lt. Waters, a touch-as-nails military man who confronts his conscience and makes decisions that surprise even him as he finds himself influenced by the stubborn Dr. Kendricks. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY), this film offers an enlightening and disturbing look at the conditions that permeate war-torn countries.

Customer Reviews

Yet another film that is seriously underrated
I saw this movie on TV just the other day and I was a bit sceptical as I am not really a Brue Willis fan, too gung-ho for me at times but he managed win me over with this little gem of yet another underrated film.

Willis plays the taciturn and battle worn Lt. Waters who along with his elite team of Navy SEALS are sent to war-torn Nigeria with orders to rescue an American citizen by marriage a one Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci). The mission is in theory cut and dry except for a small problem Dr. Kendricks is not willing to abandon the people she has grown to love during her time caring for them.

Lt Waters forces the Doctor to leave behind her friends but when he sees from the helicopter what horrific fate awaits them he disobeys a direct order from his Commanding Officer to ignore the plight of the refugees and with his men he turns back and attempts to make it to the safety of Cameroon on foot.

To make matters worse, the little band of men and women are being pursued by ruthless guerrillas who destroy everything and everyone in their path because hiding among the fleeing refugees is the sole survivor of the country's previous ruling family, whom the rebels have been ordered to eliminate at all costs.

Willis is superb as the damaged and emotionally fragile Lt. Waters who finds to his consternation that he has acquired a conscience and that he cares about what happens to the people now in his care and come hell or high water he will save them or die trying. There are some pretty gruelling scenes such as the murder of a young woman and her baby in a village, and the savagery of the American soldiers when pursuing a traitor in their midst is equally stomach churning but each scene plays a pivotal part in the whole of the film and you become aware that you are watching something unfolding before your eyes, a drama about human nature and its ability to both shock and praise in the same breath.

The musical score from beginning to end is amazing, haunting and unforgettable and well worth listening on its own, in fact it was so good I have now got a copy of it to listen to on my computer.

As the film headed toward its violent climax I found myself on the edge of my seat as the survivors and the now battle worn American soldiers run desperately toward the Cameroon border, knowing full well that if they don't make it they will all be slaughtered mercilessly.

Watch the last few minutes of this movie for a wonderful scene when some other refugees already in Cameroon realise that there is a survivor of the slaughtered ruling family among them, that even brought a tear to my cynical eye, especially when the wounded Lt Waters watches it unfold from the helicopter, held in the loving arms of Dr Kendricks who realises what sacrifice he has made for her and the refugees. It was all done so naturally and without guile it was if I was there witnessing it myself.

A fantastic film that does Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci credit and I must add that the young man who played the surviving member of the slaughtered previous ruling household was excellent too, as were all the cast in fact.

Mindblowing,Horrific,Unforgettable,
I saw this movie in 2005 when it first aired on C5. Due to a very argumentative ex of the time, I only saw about 10 minutes of it up to where the choppers take off with Bruce and team onboard. My point is,however,that in such an incredibly short space of time this movie had already tugged at the heartstrings from that little bit i saw.
As such, a few weeks later, I bought it on dvd and was moved,touched and disgusted all in one with the barbarity and human sacrifice made in this truly remarkable movie.
I work for an asylum seekers psychological therapy team and much of the occurances in this movie are pretty close to what i have heard first hand and from the same North Africa region where the phrase "ethnic cleansing" should bring a chill to any compassionate soul's heart.
I dont really want to say anymore about this movie as I fear anything I write will do it a great disservice. So I will simply say that if you have it in your mind that this is a real "gung ho U.S flagwaver" flick then you could not be more mistaken. Maybe toward the end it does get a bit pro-US but if you overlook that then i defy anyone not to be moved by what is quite simply a film of powerful acting,solid characters,great tension and heartwrenching brutality.
Just for the record, I watched the original dvd version so i have no idea what the extra content,if any,will be in the new special edition. But who cares, buy this now. You wont regret it.

definitely an under-rated Willis flick
This is certainly up there with 'Die Hard' as one of Willis' finest if somewhat understated roles. The only issue I have with it is, if these circumstances were real, would the US military really intervene so decisively in the war-torn affairs of another country, merely to protect human life? Alas, I fear not. For as Alan Greenspan himself noted in his newly released memoirs, it is such a shame that politicians do not acknowledge what is widely known among the people, that most of today's conflicts - especially those fought by the West, most presciently, Iraq - are about oil, and little else. If such wars prevent human suffering, that is only a fortunate by-product, rather than a direct, intentional consequence. 'Tears of the Sun' reminds us of our humanity; that it does not have to be that way.