The simplest answer is this: it’s complicated. The Siege of Jadotville depicts the real-life happenings of September 1951, in which 155 Irish United Nations peacekeepers were deployed to Jadotville, a remote outpost in the-then Katanga State, wherein they were assaulted over six days by numerous Kantangese soldiers – some estimates as high as 5,000. Jamie Dornan plays the Irish Commandant Pat Quinian in this dramatic re-enactment, as directed by Richie Smyth.
What I’ve found astounds most people immediately about this story is the fact that not one Irish soldier was killed in this siege. Interestingly enough – as I’ve recommended this movie to other people – most are sitting on the edge of their seat throughout, wondering when it could happen. Yet after six long days of fighting, the Irish contingent ultimately surrenders – and though some are wounded, all the protagonists make it home. This is a bit of an uncommon thing to see in a war film. But the Siege of Jadotville is depicting a very uncommon conflict, steeped in political tensions and an overall harsh critique of the United Nations’ ONUC (English: United Nations Operations in the Congo) strategy.
Now, this isn’t an in-depth dissertation of the UN’s global affairs philosophy, nor is it a high-budget summer action blockbuster. Jadotville strikes somewhere right in between here: it’s just enough intrigue to make the viewer interested in the historical aspect, and the conflict is small-scale enough to be in a localized way. I’ll admit that some of the action elements were a little over the top, but some of the most unbelievable stuff in the film is what actually occured.
And that’s where Jadotville really finds its stride. There are many old war stories like these. Stories that have never been re-examined or depicted through modern lenses – either because they’re too small-scale for Hollywood, or because they’re too politically volatile. The Irish fighters in this story were derisively called the “Jadotville Jacks” for decades, and it was only last year that the battalion was formally recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts.
If you find wartime history interesting – especially the rarely-referenced nooks and crannies of it – you’ll enjoy the Siege of Jadotville. It’s a fascinating film about an even more fascinating story, which will end with you asking the question, “Did that really happen?”
