Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s The real-life incident that inspired Warfare is depicted in grueling, distressing detail with a clear anti-war stance on the conflict being a breeding ground for indiscriminate suffering. This is something that the A24 war movie depicts very effectively, and much of that comes down to Mendoza’s real-world experiences.

Warfare is one of the first mainstream war movies to be directed by a veteran of the conflict it depicts, with Mendoza serving as a Navy SEAL throughout the Iraq War. This brings a whole new dimension of reality to the A24 movie. The movie is dedicated to one of the soldiers, Elliot Miller, and features a montage of real-life figures during the end credits upon whom the film’s characters are based. This authenticity is one of the film’s strongest assets, and it’s a huge contributor to Warfare’s strong reviews.

The Soldiers' Faces Are Blurred In Warfare's Ending To Protect Their Identities

The Soldiers' Anonymity Keeps Them Safe

Not all the soldiers involved in this particular mission are public knowledge, and Warfare is forced to blur their faces in the end credits to protect their anonymity. Whether this was an individual choice made by the SEALS themselves or a more general decision taken on behalf of directors isn’t specified, but it would make sense for the soldiers not to want their faces attached to the project, especially given its apparent anti-war stance on the conflict.

One of the few soldiers whose face isn’t obscured is Elliot Miller who’s portrayed in Warfare by Cosmo Jarvis and makes a brief appearance during the credits sequence. His story had been public knowledge prior to the film, and Miller has frequently spoken in endorsement of Garland and Mendoza’s project, telling that he “loved” the film, and will “always have a family in the teammates I used to serve with.”

Some Of Warfare's Real Soldiers May Still Be Active In The Military

This Conflict Isn't The End Of Their Story

Another reason that Warfare would need to protect the anonymity of its subjects is that several of them are still active in the military. Mendoza and Miller have both retired from service, but plenty of the SEALS who played major roles in this particular conflict are still fighting for their country. Should they find themselves in missions where their identity could jeopardize them, it’s important that Warfare doesn’t violate that right.

These are not fictional characters, but real soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect their country.

Although Warfare doesn’t reveal the true names or faces of several soldiers, the decision to still include their obscured photographs is a powerful one that allows Garland and Mendoza to root their movie in reality. These are not fictional characters, but real soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect their country. Reminding audiences of this fact makes Warfare’s message land even harder.

Warfare Blurring The Soldiers' Faces Allows The Movie To Honor Everyone

Only Showing The Public Identities Wouldn't Be Fair On The Other SEALS

That being said, it still would have been possible for Warfare to simply show pictures of those who’ve either left the military or given permission for their faces to be shown. This would have been an acceptable compromise to protect certain identities while also reminding audiences of the real-life figures behind the story.

But ultimately, this could have felt disrespectful to those whose identities simply must be protected for their own safety, but still deserve to be honored in Warfare. Soldiers like Mendoza and Miller can afford to be attached to Warfare, but others objectively can’t. This doesn’t mean they deserve any less attention for their actions.