American Sniper was similar to many other war movies of the
past, such as Saving Private Ryan or The Hurt Locker. However, one striking
difference is that it is without the pro-American patriotic glory that is in
other war movies. That being said, it is not an anti-war movie in any way. The
movie, based on the biography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, was more of a testament
than a statement. It is a tragedy that
highlighted the dangers of war on the frontline and at home in the states.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie has already become the highest grossing
U.S. war film of all time.
The movie
follows Chris Kyle from his youth growing up in Texas, to his four tours spent
in Iraq shortly after 9/11. Portrayed by Bradley Cooper, Chris Kyle was a
Christian, rodeo-loving cowboy and what his father called a “shepherd dog.” As
shown in the movie, even at a young age Chris Kyle felt he had a duty to
protect those he cares about. A scene in the early part of the film shows Kyle
fighting off a bully in defense of his younger brother. While he protects his
other brothers, usually in a bleak and lonely tower or rooftop, Kyle gains the
reputation of a military legend by racking up 160 confirmed kills. Kyle
immediately experiences the mental hardships inflicted by the devastating
theater of war by having to snipe a mother and son who attempted to sabotage
Marines with a live grenade. You see his eyes blankly stare through his rifle’s
scope; his mind wounded from something not even training could have prepared
him for.
While his peers commend him for his work, Kyle remains humble and stands
firm that his work is nothing noble, but that it is his duty and it is what he
must do in order to protect his fellow soldiers. He is a man of few words, as seen in interviews such his interview with Conan in 2012. As he returns tirelessly to
Iraq for a third and a final fourth tour, tensions increase with his wife as
she questions why he keeps returning, a question we don’t directly receive. It
wasn’t for the thrill or glory of war, but perhaps the feeling of a need for
Kyle to return to face the demons that sit in the Middle East. As Kyle sits in
the middle of an approaching sandstorm, he proclaims to his wife that he is
finally ready to come home. Reintegrating into civilian life is just as hard as
training for Kyle. Sounds of war, machine guns, explosions and the cries of the
wounded haunt him as he sits with his wife and two children.
This movie was not intended by
director Clint Eastwood to be a political statement. It’s the story of a man’s
life in the midst of a war that echoes the public opinion similar to the Vietnam
War. It’s a side not many of us are too familiar of seeing in regards to our
generation’s drama of the Middle East. We are used to seeing speeches, gunfights,
and explosions on the news; but this movie is a softer side of a long war that
has arguably defined the early 2000’s. Chris Kyle’s struggles on tour in Iraq
as well as at home are similar to many soldiers who come home and unfortunately
struggle to reintegrate into society. Regardless of your political views, I
believe American Sniper was not a testament of modern U.S. military
achievements but rather a tragedy highlighting the tolls that this war takes on
our soldiers.
No comments:
Post a Comment