The 2016 film tells the real story is Irish soldiers (Image: Netflix)
A film telling the story of a real-life military engagement in which Irish troops performed an extraordinary tactical feat is being called “one of the best war movies” around. The “must-see” feature is now available to stream on Netflix.
In 1961, a small contingent of 155 Irish United Nations peacekeepers, commanded by Commandant Pat Quinlan, was sent to the strategic mining town of Jadotville to protect its inhabitants during the Congo Crisis.
Outnumbered nearly 20 to one and facing heavy artillery, mortar fire, and a Fouga Magister jet fighter, Quinlan’s men dug extensive trenches and brilliantly repelled wave after wave of assaults over five days.
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Despite their extraordinary tactical feat, the survivors returned home to institutional humiliation. The Irish military establishment suppressed details of the battle, and the men’s bravery went unacknowledged for decades until historical revisionism led the Irish government to officially vindicate them in 2016, presenting them with a Presidential Unit Citation.
The film stars Jamie Dornan as Commandant Quinlan (Image: Netflix)
The feat was named The Siege of Jadotville, after which the 2016 film was named – directed by Richie Smyth and starring Jamie Dornan as Commandant Quinlan, as well as Emmanuelle Seigner, Jason O’Mara, Mikael Persbrandt and Mark Strong.
Commandant Quinlan’s real-life grandson, Conor Quinlan, plays one of the Irish soldiers in the film, adding yet another layer of realism to a film audiences already found impactful.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the siege of Jadotville has a positive score of 75% approval, one fan applauded the film for being “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!”
Viewers praised it for its realism (Image: Netflix)
Another called it 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 praised the production for not glorifying war, but instead showing “what happens to young men on the ground when politicians fail.”
A reviewer wrote: “Amazing true story of real-life heroes. Great movie, well-told story, great acting. A must-see.”
Lastly, one gave it five stars, saying: “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 now available to watch on Netflix.
