This blog post explores how soldiers transform their emotions and values within an environment where war becomes routine, using the film The Armadillo as a lens. It delves deeply into the ethical questions this transformation poses to us.
Watching ‘Armadillo’, which vividly captures the stories of soldiers who fought against the Taliban for six months at the frontline base Armadillo, gave me much to think about. This ‘Armadillo’ occupies a space between documentary film and war film. Which is it closer to? To call it a war film feels inaccurate, as its genre conventions are transformed, suggesting a greater influence from documentary film.
Those sharing meals with family, attending parties, and departing with deep embraces at the airport, carrying regret and worry, didn’t seem perfectly prepared. The volunteers heading to the danger zone, unlike what we see on the news, were people with youthful faces, only a few years older than us.
“Armadillo leaves no room for boredom.” Listening to descriptions of the battlefield and operational rules, I felt as if I were surveying that vast war zone myself. Human traits were visible too—tension, fear, attempts to conceal courage. Within this vivid atmosphere, I could sense the standards instilled through reserve training or military life. Camaraderie, the soldier’s mindset—all were present.
The film’s opening depicts the routine life at Armadillo Base. Kim expresses a desire to see combat, suggesting the volunteers joined with certain expectations. Civilians harbor distrust toward soldiers. While soldiers aim to protect civilians, they sometimes become a greater danger themselves. Soldiers attempt to compensate civilians and engage in dialogue, sometimes becoming disheartened, while their resentment toward the Taliban intensifies.
One soldier says, “It feels like going to an amusement park and riding a roller coaster without safety restraints.” They eventually become addicted to that danger. As scenes shift from the game to reality, even the tension of the battlefield becomes routine, handled like controlling an avatar in a game. They joke around with close comrades, growing more accustomed with each battle concluded.
Combat scenes are shown through cameras attached to soldiers’ bodies, creating a different kind of tension than war movies. It instills fear about where the soldier wearing the camera is aiming their gun, or where the bullets are coming from.
Soldiers become accustomed to war and change, as if they never felt boredom. They even plan to attack the Taliban, shifting from the mindset of defending the Armadillo base and civilians. They shout, “Let’s show the Taliban hell!” while also yelling to their comrades, “Watch your backs!” When a young girl dies from a grenade, a soldier says, “I was just nearby; that fact doesn’t bother me.” As an audience member, how should I feel about the girl’s death? Should I condemn the soldiers? I felt myself changing alongside them, yet I had to judge objectively.
As the Taliban flee, the battle ends, and the wounded soldier receives morphine. The soldiers, who killed five Taliban fighters and now search their corpses with detached indifference, appear only as enemies who tried to kill our side. Their true emotions remain unknown, yet we see them healing their own wounds.
‘Armadillo’ presents audiences with stories ripe for controversy. Do viewers even have the right to judge? The expressions of soldiers reunited with family are bright yet bitter. They had grown more accustomed to the battlefield. The battalion commander, Kim, Daniel, and Mads return to Armadillo.
Watching the film, the soldiers seemed cool. Armadillo, that place where daily life and danger coexist. I could understand why they wanted to return there. Moral issues clearly exist, but before judging right and wrong, we must consider what standards to set.
