Nicholas Williams

Megan Leavey is a film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite that is based off a true story that focuses on the relationship between Marine Megan Leavey and her bomb sniffing military combat K9 Rex. Megan is assigned to train Rex after he bites his previous handler and puts him out of commission. Megan and Rex develop an unbreakable bond which leads to them becoming war hero’s and saving many lives. When Megan gets out she struggles with PTSD and also being separated from Rex. She attempts to find a way to retire him and bring him home. The themes in this film are war, combat, and companionship.

The film uses signs, symbols, and language to display the relationship development of Megan and Rex. Early in the film when Megan and Rex first meet she is scared of him which is mainly due to him being an aggressive dog and does not really want anything to do with him. When Megan decides she wants to become a dog handler she is given an ammo crate to practice with. Once the she says she wants to become a dog handler the story foreshadows Rex becoming her dog in the future, due to her being afraid of him, but also because Rex is the dog she has had the the most interaction with so far. This film highlight intertextuality because the film is based off of a true story, and there is also a book about the story between Megan and Rex.

The formal elements viewers can see with this film is cinematography by how they chose to film the scenes as well as the audio that is used in them. Handheld camera is used a lot in the combat scene of this film. As Megan and her team are out on the mission the camera is very shaky and consistently moving. This is also displayed after they get blown up with an IED, and as they move towards the houses and engage in combat with the enemy while having to retreat. The audio that is used adds to the scene as well, and to the viewer’s experience. One example of how the audio is used is when Megan and Rex are blown up and as she is on the ground the audience hears what she hears which is a high pitched ringing. The production elements contribute to themes and the story by making viewers feel they are front row watching Megan’s story unfold.

The director’s intention with this film was to show the real story of Megan and how she became a war hero. It was to also to show the relationship she developed with Rex from not wanting anything to do with him when they first met to building an unbreakable bond with him, and to show the struggles and PTSD Megan goes through once she gets out of the military and when her and Rex become separated.

Film reference: Megan Leavey (R) dir. Gabriella Cowperthwaite (2017); 116 mins.