It tells the story of an extraordinary five-day battle and is being hailed as “one of the best war movies” on Netflix
A gripping film recounting a real-life military battle in which Irish soldiers pulled off a remarkable tactical triumph is being hailed as “one of the best war movies” of its kind. The “must-see” production is now available to watch on Netflix.
Back in 1961, a modest unit of 155 Irish United Nations peacekeepers, under the command of Commandant Pat Quinlan, was dispatched to the strategically vital mining town of Jadotville to safeguard its residents during the Congo Crisis.
Vastly outnumbered at nearly 20 to one and facing relentless heavy artillery, mortar fire, and a Fouga Magister jet fighter, Quinlan’s soldiers expertly dug extensive trenches and brilliantly fended off successive waves of attacks over the course of five days.
Despite their remarkable tactical achievement, the surviving soldiers returned home to institutional humiliation. The Irish military establishment buried the details of the battle, and the courageous efforts of the men went unrecognised for decades, until a historical reassessment prompted the Irish government to formally vindicate them in 2016, honouring them with a Presidential Unit Citation.
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The heroic stand was christened The Siege of Jadotville, which inspired the title of the 2016 film – helmed by director Richie Smyth and featuring Jamie Dornan in the role of Commandant Quinlan, alongside Emmanuelle Seigner, Jason O’Mara, Mikael Persbrandt and Mark Strong.
Adding an authentic touch to the production, Conor Quinlan, the real-life grandson of Commandant Quinlan, portrays one of the Irish soldiers, deepening the film’s already powerful impact on viewers, reports the Express.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a respectable 75% approval rating, with one enthusiast praising it as “full of realistic battlefield action – and I mean FULL.”
They added: “Refreshingly, unlike so many others of the same genre, it doesn’t suffer from too much pathos. It certainly rang of the truth to me. Highly recommended!”.
Another viewer described it as a “well-told and fascinating true story of Irish soldiers sent on a peace-keeping mission but find themselves in a virtually impossible situation.”
They commended the film for avoiding war glorification, instead depicting “what happens to young men on the ground when politicians fail.”
One critic said: “Amazing true story of real-life heroes. Great movie, well-told story, great acting. A must-see.”
Finally, a five-star review added: “One of the best war movies around! I had no idea about this story, a total injustice to these guys, total heroes!”.
The Siege of Jadotville is currently streaming on Netflix.
