LONE SURVIVOR (Rated R)

The brutal realities of war in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, as told in “Lone Survivor,” hits the audience right in the gut in this unvarnished tale of heroism and courage under the harsh light of Peter Berg’s direction.

The director brilliantly captures the unforgiving essence of a Navy SEAL operation that went horribly wrong when a reconnaissance team of four brave soldiers became trapped under fire in the mountains of the remote Hindu Kush region of Kunar province.

Based upon the first-person account of Marcus Luttrell, “Lone Survivor,” at least as a title, downgrades the element of suspense, but not enough that the ill-fated mission is relieved of all sense of shock and trepidation.

The opening scene is a fitting prologue that explores in excruciating detail the rigors of the intensely grueling training process, where only those with the greatest mental and physical toughness emerge as full-fledged SEALs.

The point of this exercise is to set the stage for what follows in 2005 when Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and three of his battle-ready fellow soldiers are dispatched on a mission to capture or kill a top Taliban leader responsible for slaying U.S Marines.

The other elite soldiers include commanding officer Lt. Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), gunner Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), and sonar technician Matthew “Axe” Axelson (Ben Foster), all of whom report to Lt. Commander Erik Kristensen (Eric Bana).

Character development is somewhat limited by the circumstances of the wartime setting. We get a glimpse of the camaraderie between the men at the base camp, mostly the usual male bonding and joking around, but not a lot of perceptive insight.

On June 28, 2005, the four-man surveillance team of Operation Red Wings boarded a helicopter so that they could be dropped into a remote mountainous area with the mission to identify Ahmad Shah, a high-level Taliban operative that the American military was most anxious to neutralize.

The four SEALs arrive safely on the ground, but soon discover that their radio equipment and satellite phone are not functioning regularly, leaving them isolated when having to make key decisions or relay vital information back to headquarters.

Another immediate problem is that three goat herders grazing their flock stumble upon the men’s hiding place, plunging the mission into immediate jeopardy. The SEALS are forced to make an urgent life-and-death decision – how to treat the intruders under the rules of engagement.

In one of the film’s most compelling scenes, the soldiers debate the choices facing them. Instantly, they know that protocol dictates they must release civilian noncombatants, but these guys look more sinister and suspicious than simple farmers.

Still, killing the unarmed prisoners so that they could not alert the Taliban was morally objectionable, to say nothing of how the soldiers could be crucified by public opinion and the official rules if they killed innocent civilians.

Ultimately, the goat herders are cut loose, and the SEALs began an arduous climb to what they hoped would be safety. Soon, hellfire rained down on them.

The Taliban, bolstered by more than a hundred fighters, launch an assault that results in an intense firefight from machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. The Americans are seriously outnumbered and outmatched in firepower.

But the hardy band of Navy SEALs hold off the enemy hordes for quite some time, a blood-splattered affair that puts the Americans in a courageous last stand that offers no way out since help is not imminently on the horizon.

Even when the cavalry arrives, in the form of an assault helicopter, the Taliban have already gained the upper hand and blast the rescue team out of the sky, killing another 16 Marines.

Even after falling down mountainous hillsides, pummeled by rocks and falling debris, Luttrell, badly wounded, miraculously escapes to small village where he’s hidden by a tribe willing to stand up to the Taliban thugs.

For a war movie that seeks to put the audience in the thick of the action, “Lone Survivor” has adroitly accomplished the mission. Director Berg delivers an unflinching look at the brutality of warfare.

“Lone Survivor” is a significant war movie, and much like “Saving Private Ryan,” it highlights the heroism of our soldiers. But it is also much like “Black Hawk Down” insofar as recalling very tragic circumstances of grueling combat.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.