Day Zero (2007)

Intro
"Day Zero" is a thought-provoking drama movie directed by Bryan Gunnar Cole released in 2007. The film challenges the audiences' notions about war, bravery and individual convictions by concentrating on the story of 3 friends who are drafted to serve in the military.

Plotline
Set in an alternate America where a modern version of the military draft has actually been reinstated due to global crisis, "Day Zero" presents to us three lead characters-- Aaron Feller (played by Elijah Wood), George Rifkin (Chris Klein), and Dixon Piper (Jon Bernthal), who are all purchased to report for duty within 30 days (Day Zero).

The 3 friends, living easily in New York City, each face an alarmingly imminent military stint, drawing a stark contrast to their lives as an author (Feller), an attorney (Rifkin), and a taxi driver (Piper). The film tracks how each of the characters faces the imminent reality of war, their responses, in addition to the impact on their relationships.

Character Development
Being the most philosophically tormented of all, Feller, a reclusive author, struggles with the circumstance of serving a cause which he doesn't believe in. Rifkin, in the middle of wedding event preparation with his bride-to-be, fights with the moral issue of an approaching war. On the other hand, Piper welcomes the call to arms in a pursuit to leave his dead-end task and a sense of personal inadequacy, seeing it as an opportunity for reinvention.

Dispute and Resolution
Their differing point of views on the draft and interaction with the looming duty and problem considerably evaluate their friendship, producing friction and divide amongst them. As they face their day zero, each of them should decide whether to get away, battle, or decide in a surprising and symbolic manner.

Conclusion
"Day Zero" is a haunting sociopolitical commentary that significantly explores the personal effects and the ethical and emotional intricacies of war. The movie focuses around the pain of moral choice and the indivisible responsibility attached to it. What's highlighted in the story is that the draft-- figuratively representing any significant crisis-- is not simply a political issue, but something that filters down into the roots of uniqueness, character, and life decisions.

General Reception
While the film received mixed evaluations upon its release, it was largely praised for the effective efficiencies by the lead actors. Its screenplay, despite periodically doing not have depth and subtlety, was acknowledged for the profound and important concern it dared to ask: What if the draft were renewed, and you were hired? This concern fundamentally stirs up a psychological storm in audiences, making them reconsider their concepts of flexibility, task, option, and sacrifice.

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