Jarhead

Every year I get the honor of being able to watch the Oscar race unfold
from a critical point of view. I view every film with the final goal of
Oscar in mind. This year, like many of the previous years, I have found
most films lacking in worthiness of the coveted trophy. This was my
mind set for this current year until I saw “Jarhead.” The release of
this film appears at the beginning of “Oscar Season” and might
eventually be overshadowed by other dramatic movies, but for now this
one gets my vote.

Sam Mendes crafts this masterpiece from a book by former Marine Anthony
Swofford. Swofford wrote about his many experiences in pre-Desert Storm
as well as his actually fight in Kuwait. Mendes, like most of his other
films, focuses more on emotions rather then action to drive the message
home. This message is one for all Americans and pays homage to the
soldiers that have been fighting for centuries for our beloved country.
Sounds cheesy doesn’t it? I thought the same thing until I saw the film
masterfully unfold before my eyes. Mendes is able to take this
autobiography and turn it into a powerful cinematic masterpiece that
will keep you wanting more.

The film follows Swofford, played
by Jake Gyllenhaal, on his psychological journey through war. He begins
in boot camp where he is almost immediately picked to have the honor of
being a Marine sniper. Marine snipers are some of the most feared
cold-blooded killers on the planet and not to mention a little crazy. I
would be crazy too if I had to look into the eyes of the man I was
about to kill before slowly pulling the trigger. Through his training
we meet his instructor Staff Sgt. Sykes, played by Jaime Foxx which
helps guide him through the experiences of war. Swofford’s sniper
partner is Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) who upon arrival in Kuwait has
discovered that he will not be able to reenlist when he gets back home.
All of his life he has lived to be a Marine, unlike Swofford who just
wants out. Swofford is asked by Sykes to look over Troy and to make
sure that he does not screw up, but in actuality for most of the film
it seems like Swofford is the screw up.

Once in Kuwait the
story begins to focus more on the psychological side that the Marine’s
experiences while having to patiently wait for the fighting to happen.
We see their minds slowly unfold while they experience boredom, wives
and girlfriends cheating on them and extreme heat. All of these wrapped
together ensure for several laughs, but also a lot of thought once you
leave the theatre. Mendes does a wonderful job of weaving the story
together to show you the intricate and delicate mind of a sniper. The
ironic side here is that the psychological aspects of the film and the
experiences of Desert Storm cut much deeper because there never really
was much fighting.

The cinematography is amazing. The film
was mainly shot in the Imperial Valley which lies between San Diego and
Los Angeles. The valley has a large sweeping desert and vast open
spaces which Mendes is able to turn into something rather magnificent.
Besides cinematography, I feel that Gyllenhaal and Mendes will receive
Oscar nods this year. Gyllenhaal is really beginning to make a name for
himself and starting to prove to audiences everywhere that not only
does he have the looks, but also the amazing talent to play almost any
type of character and do it very well.

My thoughts – This
film is not an action movie, so if you are looking for one please do
not go see this. I only mention this because several people in the
theater with us made comments throughout the film on how much it sucked
because it lacked action. I think that these idiots were too stupid to
realize the deeper meaning and did not understand the type of films
that Sam Mendes has become most known for. They meaning is lost on them
and in turn they try and ruin it for others because they just simply
don’t understand. So, if you want a deep, complex, thought provoking,
well acted, amazing looking film…this is definitely the one to see.