Upamanyu Biswas
After Jack Reacher travels to Washington, D.C., to meet up with Major Susan Turner in 2016’s action-thriller ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,’ he is immediately trapped in a conspiracy that turns him and the latter into known fugitives. The pair find themselves navigating the inner halls of Fort Dyer, the base of internal operations run by the Military Police, where, instead of being on the right side of the law, they are charged with murder. The setting highlights the politics, corruption, and secrecy that have led a cabal to operate from within. As a result, its impact on the narrative becomes pivotal when the two central characters abandon their posts and clean up Fort Dyer in their own way!
Fort Dyer: A Fictional Military Base
Fort Dyer in ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’ is a fictional base that cannot be found in reality. It was created by Lee Child, who penned the 2016 eponymous novel that became the source material for Edward Zwick’s action thriller. In the narrative, Fort Dyer is described as a military base close to the Pentagon, where the Military Police hosts its operations, including the detention of prisoners. Reacher and Turner experience this firsthand after they are both arrested for murder and brought into the detention facilities in the establishment. The titular protagonist has to look for a spark of inspiration to escape from his captivity, fearful that he and Turner will become collateral damage for those looking to maintain the status quo.
Even though the base crafted by Child does not exist in real life, a military base known as Fort Myer can be found in reality. Initially named Fort Cass, the base was founded during the American Civil War and is situated in Arlington, Virginia. In 2005, the National Historic Landmark was renamed Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Despite sharing a similar name, Fort Dyer and Fort Myer are entirely distinct entities. In the case of the film’s base, it is shown to be the headquarters for the Military Police, which is fictionally conceived to some extent. Therefore, any connection between the two bases is superficial at best.
New Orleans, Louisiana, is the primary filming location of ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.’ Zwick revealed in an interview that it took a lot of work to set up the three narrative settings of Oklahoma, Washington D.C., and New Orleans in one location. The scenes featuring Fort Dyer were shot in the Big Easy, and iconic landmarks of the country’s capital city were added later. Ultimately, the fictional base plays a significant role in the early parts of the narrative, illustrating the obstacles faced by Reacher and Turner as they confront a threat within the organization.
Read More: Jack Reacher: Is Hotel Dauphin a Real New Orleans Hotel?
You must be logged in to post a comment.