The Mark of Cain

The film opens with Private Shane Gulliver marching toward a court-martial, signaling the legal reckoning to come. The mood is tense as he faces accusations and the weight of his actions looms over him. The scene establishes the frame for the moral questions the story will explore.

Gulliver and fellow soldier Mark Tate arrive in Basra, Iraq, where they are briefed by their commanding officer. The base briefing sets expectations to treat the local population with respect, hinting at a clash between ideals and the realities of war. The scene introduces the protagonists in the conflict zone.

During a patrol, insurgents ambush the unit, and they witness Major Godber killed while attempting to rescue a private. The chaos underscores the dangers of the environment and the emotional strain on the soldiers. The loss destabilizes the unit and foreshadows subsequent actions.

Following the ambush, the troops learn insurgents came from a nearby village and decide to detain suspects there. The shift from combat to detention marks a transition from engagement to punitive measures. The environment blurs the line between lawful operations and civilian targeting.

At the base, soldiers are instructed to hand prisoners to the Royal Military Police, but anger over their major's death drives them to beat, torture, and sexually abuse the detainees. Gulliver captures photographs during the torture, recording the crimes. The sequence exposes the moral collapse of the unit under stress.

Corporal Gant pushes a reluctant Tate to participate in the abuse, and Tate ultimately complies after bullying. Gulliver's role grows as he photographs the acts rather than intervening. The dynamics show peer pressure and moral risk among soldiers.

After the operation, the soldiers return to civilian life and the photographs re-enter Gulliver's private life. He shares the images with his girlfriend, who is shocked by his actions. The discovery triggers repercussions beyond the military environment.

Gulliver's girlfriend reports him to the civilian police after seeing the pictures. The cross-border implications of the crimes become a legal matter beyond the Army. The report initiates the formal investigation that will lead to charges.

Gant, Gulliver, and Tate are arrested by the Royal Military Police on the crimes depicted in the photographs. The unit's internal complicity becomes a matter of record. The arrests shift the story from battlefield actions to legal accountability.

Gant is fined for his role, while Gulliver and Tate face court-martial. The legal process reveals divergent consequences for the participants and sets up the central moral conflict. The proceedings threaten to uncover broader complicity within the unit.

Before the court's decision, Tate kills himself, a devastating consequence of the exposure and guilt. The act underscores the human cost of the war crimes and the strain on soldiers under pressure. The tragedy intensifies the narrative's stakes.

Gulliver pleads guilty to the charges, yet chooses to name Gant and the others rather than taking all the blame on himself. The speech reframes the events as collective wrongdoing rather than a single failure. The courtroom moment crystallizes the film's critique of complicity and moral responsibility.

After returning to his cell, Gulliver is beaten by fellow soldiers and then imprisoned. The violence underscores the dissolution of any remaining camaraderie and the harsh consequences of the unit's actions. The film closes with Gulliver in confinement, reflecting on the costs of war crimes.