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The film opens with a wide establishing shot of the environment which appears to be dry and sandy yet snowy in the mountains, telling us this section of the movie is in a foreign country. In the distance, several trucks are speeding down the dirt path leaving clouds of smoke behind them. The camera angle then changes to the same level as what appears to be army trucks as they drive towards the camera. Upbeat music is also introduced, making the army's purpose in this foreign country appear aggressive, as the trucks are armed with men at the turrets. The camera angle then changes to a low angle, showing the trucks pass by with a sense of authority, and then cuts to a vehicle mounted shot, following a truck closely, showing the man at the turret gun looking aware, already building tension as the audience doesn't know what to expect.
The camera then changes to inside the truck, where an unsteady camera shows several soldiers looking around awkwardly at each other. The camera lense pulls in and out of focus on Downey’s glass of scotch and a young soldier, almost as if to compare the two. We are then introduced to the owner of the glass of scotch, a sharply dressed man looking out of place amongst the soldiers, however clearly the most authoritative character as it becomes clear that he is the reason for the soldiers’ shifty eyes. The unsteadiness of the camera allows the audience to feel as though they are in the truck with the soldiers, the constant changing of the camera angles to show close ups of several of the soldiers establishes a sense of intimacy with them. There is also no lighting coming from within the truck, the key lighting is outdoors which creates a gloomy environment inside the truck.
The focus is still on the driver of the truck when the truck in front of them explodes, making it seem more shocking. The music immediately stops and the comical feel of the movie disappears and it becomes a thriller. The camera becomes even more unsteady as tension levels rise within the truck, the soldiers shouting and the sound of gunshots also build the tension. The camera angle changes to outside the truck, a much sunnier environment where the woman exiting her vehicle is shot, a shock to the audience as we had just been introduced to her character.
In order to create a sense of chaos and helplessness for Downey’s character, the camera is constantly moving and changing angles to show soldiers dying around him. He shouts ‘give me a gun!’ which is met with the response ‘stay in the car’, to portray Downey to be completely helpless. Downey then runs through several explosions and when face to face with a bomb with his name on it, the camera reverses several times to express his shock and disbelief. After the bomb goes off and Downey is lying helplessly in the dirt, he reveals his wound to the audience as the camera zooms out, much like his consciousness is leaving his body.
