CM: War Stories - Real to Reel...

(I Am Solider is out on Blu-ray and DVD on 17th March... and reviewed here)

Seeing the military or servicemen in action-movies is as common as seeing car-chases and explosions...the action-genre is often built on the premise of might-makes-right with kicks and fists flying with quips from stiff-upper-lips. Reality all too often takes a back-seat to the most mainlined adrenaline-rush and a raft of special effects to supplement the very daring derring-do.  The well-armed military depicted on the big-screen often falls into one of two categories: valiant, unbeatable heroes or nefarious government-lackeys.  Hollywood, bless them, is rarely known for its nuance.

Real-life, we know more than ever, is less convenient and definitely rougher around the edges. On one hand, the Armed Forces don't have room for the undisciplined one-man armies and maverick personalities that populate the DVD shelves... on the other hand, real-life missions don't follow three-act screenplays with neat endings or politically-correct language.

It's a fact that Richard Kemp CBE is well aware of. On a very cold February morning he's standing in the snow at the Adrenaline base just outside Richmond, North Yorkshire watching a particularly energetic scene being shot for I am Soldier.  But in his time, this is a man who was just at home in a warmer climate,  the (literally) hot-zone of Afghanistan where he served as Commander of the British Forces in the country.  If you've ever heard the jokey phrase ' I could tell you about that, but then I'd have to kill you...' then this would be the man most likely to deliver it with a straight face.

Kemp's role here is hugely important but walks a very specific line. Director Ronnie Thompson, with a service history of his own, wanted to make sure that the film honoured the spirit and specifics of the Special Air Service (SAS) and didn't get anything fundamentally wrong. That meant having military advisors such as Richard Kemp who could give general guidance, but without actually breaking any of the rules about operational matters.

“I left the Army eight years ago and since then I’ve been quite extensively involved in the media generally. I’ve written a book about Afghanistan and done a lot of media interviews relating to Afghanistan and terrorism. As a result of that I was asked to advise on various documentary programmes and a couple of dramas. That led me to this. It wasn’t something I set out to do – it was a natural follow-on to being involved in the media-world and to use my military expertise to advise on reconstructions of the military world," he explains. "This is no different than giving commentary to the media about operations in Afghanistan knowing what I can and can’t say. It’s not just ‘secrets’… I’ve been a soldier for thirty years and I’m not going to do anything that will deliberately make the military look bad. I strongly believe in the British Armed Forces and it’s my intention in everything I do to portray them in a positive light if I possibly can, without falsifying anything. I’m still bound by the Official Secrets Act and anyone who has served in the Armed Forces continues to be bound by the Official Secrets Act. Nothing I’ve said or contributed to this film breaches that.  I know what’s sensitive and what isn’t and I haven’t any of my knowledge to be used improperly. There’s nothing I’ve contributed that couldn’t be found out by other resources if you looked hard enough, as it were.”

Despite the film being largely positive towards the SAS, Kemp says that the direct help from the MOD or even the SAS itself would be logistically and practically impossible.

“I deal a lot with the Ministry of Defence and I know a lot of people still there and they wouldn’t dream of trying to obstruct a film like this – absolutely not. It wouldn’t occur to them to do that. But at the same time, they’d be very reluctant to officially get involved with it at all. ANYTHING to do with Special Forces they will not comment on, they will not endorse. It is all for operational security purposes. It wouldn’t be possible for the MOD to involve themselves in a film like this," he continues. "A military film that wasn’t special forces... they would consider allowing you to use their facilities to film that, but they’d always be cautious… because unless they were able to control the content, which they aren’t really, their involvement would be an effective endorsement of a product in which they don’t know what it’s going to be like. So, in my view, it’s entirely understandable that they will very rarely co-operate with a film like this and NEVER for Special Forces.”

During our chat we watch some of the actors going through their paces - people such as Noel Clarke actively throwing themselves off the assault course. These are, of course, actors and however good and passionate they are about their roles, they aren't going through the vetting process for real. Having said that, Richard Kemp says he's seen a great deal of determination and positive attitude to a process that is hardly the easiest of productions. 

“I’ve been particularly impressed by this group of actors. I think they’ve been very well selected. It’s not difficult guiding them to take the right approach and do it the right way because they are all very, very keen to come across as convincing military personnel and soldiers.  They are all very professional, very dedicated actors," he explains. "I think whatever film they are acting in, they’d have that approach. That makes it easier.  They know they can soak up our knowledge and information and put it into effect themselves. THEIR reputation as actors is on the line in this film, as with every film. If they put up a bad performance it will affect their whole career, so any help they can get, they will. They’ve come to me on several occasions and asked me whether I would do something or not; whether something is correct or not. That saves me having to go to them…”

>>> Interview continues...

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