A PRIVATE WAR
A powerful war story for discerning adults only.
Should You Watch It?
A PRIVATE WAR tells an important story, and it tells it very well. Rosamund Pike gives a superb performance as war correspondent Marie Colvin, whose bravery, dedication to truth, and compassion lead her to report on civilians caught in the horrors of Middle Eastern conflicts.
The film can convict you to care about people affected by war and to remember those who are often ignored. Its themes of bravery, truth, and giving a voice to the voiceless are genuinely inspiring. But the movie also depicts Colvin’s private struggle with PTSD, nightmares, alcoholism, drugs, and sex without offering much hope beyond humanity’s ability to redeem itself.
The content is exceptionally graphic. Adults who can responsibly face that material may find the film honorable and meaningful. For everyone else, especially families with children or young teens, choose something else. The practical answer: A PRIVATE WAR is worth the trip for discerning adults only.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA PRIVATE WAR follows renowned war correspondent Marie Colvin during her tours of the Middle East in the early 2000s. After losing her right eye in Sri Lanka, she continues reporting from war zones, uncovering mass graves, documenting civilian casualties, and exposing the human cost of conflict.
Her dedication to the truth brings her repeatedly to the front lines. But the greater conflict may be what happens after she returns home, as the horrors she has witnessed follow her into her private life.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an exceptionally well-made and important film. The story deserves to be told, and director Matthew Heineman gets to the heart of who Colvin was while honoring her memory.
Rosamund Pike gives a superb performance. The film effectively brings the harsh realities of war and the human stories behind them to the screen. Its themes are powerful, and its focus on civilians affected by conflict gives the movie moral weight.
The limitation is dramatic rather than artistic. Despite its important themes, the movie is not as dramatically inspiring as it might be. Its darkness and Colvin’s downward spiral undercut some of the hope and meaning found in her reporting.
The Worldview
A PRIVATE WAR presents a strong humanist worldview. Marie Colvin acts in hopes of bettering humanity and believes people have a responsibility to one another. The film’s strongest moral themes include caring for “the least of these,” giving a voice to the voiceless, and revealing the truth about suffering.
The film also includes some pagan themes, including the idea that “anything goes to take the pain away.” Colvin copes with trauma through drugs, sex, and alcohol, while the story offers little hope for dealing with suffering beyond humanity’s own efforts. It also contains references to Islam and Allah. The result is a movie that powerfully honors compassion and truth but places an enormous burden on humanity to redeem itself.
The film’s central longing is for people to care about one another in the face of suffering. Scripture calls believers to that same compassion: “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong humanist worldview as protagonist does what she does in hopes of bettering humanity and has faith in humanity’s responsibility to each other, with some pagan themes such as a belief that “anything goes to take the pain away,” mitigated by some strong moral themes of caring for “the least of these,” giving a voice to the voiceless, and the importance of revealing truth, plus some references to the false religion of Islam and Allah
Foul Language
About 25 obscenities (including 18 “f” words), three exclamations of “Jesus Christ,” over a dozen exclamations of “Oh God” in reference to Allah, and a character flips off another character
Violence
Extreme scenes of war violence and gore includes several scenes of female war correspondent running through warzones with armed militants with bullets flying and bombs exploding, bomb explodes and leaves female war correspondent’s face bloodied and without the use of one eye, multiple disturbing sequences of Marie’s nightmares featuring warzones and the dead body of a young girl in her bed, three scenes of war correspondent coming upon hospitals with sick and injured civilians and refugees, a team discovers a mass grave in Iraq with skeletal remains of human beings, war correspondent describes the carnage of war in her articles with detailed descriptions of mutilated bodies, journalism team comes upon the wreckage of an exploded IED with numerous dead civilians, blood, and severed body parts, disturbing scenes of civilians dying in war zones includes small children, a scene in a medical center depicts an attempted surgery for a burn and a bullet wound, bloody and burned bodies depicted from rocket propelled (RPG) grenade blasts, and people line up to take selfies next to a dead, bloody body
Sex
Strong sexual content includes female war correspondent picks up a guy in a bar and they have depicted fornication, two drunk people kiss and wake up in bed the next morning, two people kiss in bed, female war correspondent meets a guy at a party who says he doesn’t have “one-night stands” but “sexual adventures,” a man in a warzone tells female war correspondent Marie that former Libyan leader Gaddafi ordered the rape of 1000 girls as punishment for the uprising that led to his death, and two characters take a bath together
Nudity
Full-frontal female nudity in one scene as war correspondent looks in the mirror, a sex scene depicts the naked silhouettes of two characters, war correspondent wears a slip in bed, female war correspondent changes shirts and her bra is shown, and woman’s bare back is shown as she takes a shower
Alcohol Use
Heavy alcohol abuse throughout the movie, female war correspondent is drunk in multiple scenes at home and at parties and at big events, characters accuse woman of being an alcoholic as a way to cope with PTSD, various other characters drink beer and wine (sometimes as a coping method), and female protagonist admits, “I’m most happy with a vodka martini in my hand, but I know the chatter won’t go quiet until there’s a quart of vodka inside of me”
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Heavy smoking by multiple characters throughout the movie;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Themes of addiction as a way to cope with PTSD and numerous war crimes are committed throughout the movie.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Marie believes she has an obligation to tell the stories of civilians affected by war. What does it mean for you to care for “the least of these” in the suffering you see around you?
Matthew 25:35–40 · Proverbs 31:8–9The film shows people using alcohol, drugs, and sex to cope with trauma. Why can temporary relief fail to heal deep suffering, and where does Scripture direct hurting people?
Psalm 34:18 · 2 Corinthians 1:3–4Marie is dedicated to finding the truth. How should Christians pursue truth while showing compassion to people who are hurting?
Ephesians 4:15 · Zechariah 8:16The movie places great faith in humanity’s ability to redeem itself. What hope does the gospel offer that human effort alone cannot?
Ephesians 2:8–9 · Titus 3:4–7The Final Word
A PRIVATE WAR is important, powerful, and superbly acted. It honors Marie Colvin’s courage and gives suffering civilians a voice, but its graphic content and dark worldview make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults who can handle those concerns, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other viewers, consider these.
