Cinema rarely depicts the plight of female war correspondents, so when it does we should take notice. A Private War is one of the most underrated and unfairly overlooked films of 2018. It features one of the most fascinating portrayals of a female journalist ever captured on celluloid. It’s currently streaming on Amazon, and the film is a must see for anyone interested in journalism, strong female characters and serious filmmaking for grown ups.

A Private War stars Rosamund Pike as renowned journalist and war correspondent, Marie Colvin. Pike gives an Oscar worthy performance and it is a testament to the many strong female performances in leading roles of 2018 that she wasn’t even nominated. Marie is both a brave heroine and a troubled woman simultaneously driven by her private demons, need for adventure, and passionate belief in the importance of the stories she brought to the world. The film does not flinch from exposing her as a complicated woman who overly indulges with alcohol, furiously argues with her newspaper editor, curses, fights with her ex-husband while expressing her desire to bear his child, and engages in a multitude of one night stands. In short, she lives life on her own terms as a driven, ambitious woman burning both ends of her candle. Despite her messy life, or perhaps because of it, she is a brave professional who goes to any lengths to cover a story. Early in the film, while covering a violent conflict in Sri Lanka, she loses an eye. She quickly recovers and soon resumes her dangerous work. Rather than feeling sorry for herself and hiding in the shadows, she takes to wearing an eye patch which only increases her bad ass persona and our respect for her indomitable spirit. The film doesn’t dwell on the loss of her eye because she doesn’t dwell on the loss. She is soon back in the trenches, covering conflicts from the most dangerous parts of the world.

An undaunted Marie is sent to Syria and the scenes involving the war there are among some of the most gripping. It is during this portion of the film that Marie’s behavior crosses the line from being brave to self-destructive. At one point in the film, her ex-husband says to her, “ You are like a moth to a bloody flame.” Repeatedly putting herself in the line of fire, she’s driven by both a passion for her profession and a contradictory need to feel alive only, it seems, by coming close to death. But it’s not all doom and gloom with Marie, and even amidst the misery of a war zone, she maintains a sense of humor. At one point while covering the Syrian war, a male colleague notices her bra and asks her, “What’s with the fancy bra?” to which she responds, “This is not a bra, this is La Perla. If anyone pulls my body from the rubble, I want them to be impressed.” Marie understands the danger she’s in, but remains undeterred by the very real threat of an early death. She relishes the danger.

Lamentably, the film does not address the specific issue of the treatment of female war correspondents and the unique dangers of their occupation. Hopefully, the film featuring such a story will soon be made. EMILY CHERTOFF wrote an article for THE ATLANTIC discussing the violence that female war reporters face. The #MeToo Movement has also exposed the toxic culture that exists for women in the profession of television news and journalism. At a time when the mere notion of truth is increasingly under attack, films about journalists are more necessary than ever. Marie Colvine repeatedly risked her life to inform the world of a brutal war being waged in a part of the world many would rather ignore. She lost her life in this fight, but with this film, her life and mission is now forever immortalized on celluloid.

~Amy