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Jarhead (DVD, 2005)
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The producers had a great idea with this film, but in the end they didn't quite succeed. In my view, the goal of this film was to create a war film that lies somewhere in between the antiwar movies like `Born on the 4th of July' and the gung-ho type stories such as `Saving Private Ryan' or even the 40's war movies. The image of military service and the reality are two very different things. Some find that they take to the military life quite easily, but for others, it is tedious and unfulfilling. It is this last aspect of military service that is presented in this film. We follow the main character through basic training, through scout sniper school and into the desert as part of Operation Desert Shield, after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Several numbing months later, they are ready to go to war, march into Saudia Arabia & Kuwait, and the war is over before it started without anyone having fired a single shot in anger. Everyone is left with the feeling that their perseverance was, in the end, a complete waste of time and energy. My rating is 2 1/2 of 10 StarsRead full review
Between the very catchy song, Kanye West's Jesus Walks and the "Hoorahs",you may have thought Jarhead would be a hard-driving blood and guts war movie. It's anything but. While there is some graphic violence, this is much more of a character piece. Director, Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) bring his moody sensibilty to a htoughtful and compelling movie. Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko) is excellent as a young man finding out what it really means to be a modern day marine. The screenplay is based on Anthony Swafford's best-selling book about his experiences in Iraq and Kuwait. This is a very good film, but it's slow development and thoughtful pacing may not be for everyone.
This film is about a Marine Sniper, his men and the time they spend waiting for the war to begin, the overwhelming boredom, and the anticipation of dying. This is not your typical war movie. It takes place prior to and during Desert Storm/Gulf War Era. The Marine and his men are sent overseas, and for months are left in the desert with pretty much nothing to do, they get bored, some on the the brink of insanity. When they do see "action" it is thwarted by technology that works too well and some that does not work at all. If I have some time I will see it again and I can not say that about most films I have seen.
This dark and brooding psychological case study does not a war movie make. If I were to make a quick comparison of director Sam Mendes' work it would have to be with "The Deer Hunter." This writer who served three combat tours in Vietnam has the experience and credentials to say that "Jarhead" lacks the realism of Oliver Stone's "Platoon" and does a disservice to former Marine Anthony Swofford's novel from which the film was taken. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the main protagonist and is unable to display a persuading enough performance to save the film. When it comes to investing the purchase price in "Jarhead" I'd recommend you put your money in a Mason Jar and save it for a more realistic war film — like "Platoon," or even "Henry V" — you'll get more return for your money.Read full review
Great Film, Iv seen it before and it will never get old. Shipped in two days and works perfect. Based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait. The film begins with voice-over narration on a black screen, as Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) waxes philosophic about a Marine whose hands forever remember the grip of a rifle, whatever else they do in life. Swofford is then shown in a U.S. Marine Corps boot camp, being taught by D.I. Fitch (Scott MacDonald). After finishing boot camp, "Swoff" is dispatched to Camp Pendleton in 1989, where he is subjected to a prank played on him by the senior Marines. This involves branding onto him the initials of the United States Marine Corps, USMC, with a hot iron. He faints upon sight of the iron. After regaining consciousness, he is told that the senior Marines had switched the hot iron with another room temperature iron. He is greeted coolly by Troy (Peter Sarsgaard), who says to him, "Welcome to the Suck." Swofford comes across the charismatic Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx), a Marine "lifer" who invites Swofford to his Scout Sniper (formally the Surveillance and Target Acquisition) course. After arduous training sessions that claim the life of one candidate, he becomes a sniper and is paired with Troy, who becomes Swofford's spotter. Shortly after, Kuwait is invaded by Iraq and Swofford's unit is dispatched to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Desert Shield. Although the Marines are very eager to see some combat action, they are forced to hydrate, wait, patrol the nearby area and orient themselves to the arid environment. When some field reporters appear, Sykes forces his unit to demonstrate their MOPP suits in a game of football, even under the 112 °F (44 °C) heat. While the cameras roll, the game develops into a rowdy dogpile, with some Marines playfully Mimicking sex acts. Sykes, embarrassed by his platoon's rude manners and poor discipline, removes the cameras and crew from the area; the Marines are later punished by being forced to build and take down a massive pyramid of sandbags in a rainy night. During the long wait, some of the Marines fear their wives and girlfriends at home will be unfaithful. A public board displays the photos of women who have ended their relationships with members of the unit. Swofford himself begins to suspect that his girlfriend (Brianne Davis) is, or will soon be, unfaithful. The most public and humiliating of these befalls Dettman (Marty Papazian), who discovers an innocent looking copy of The Deer Hunter on VHS sent from his wife, which the men are all seated to watch, is actually a homemade pornographic movie tape of her having sex with their neighbor, apparently made as revenge for an unspecified act. BUY THIS MOVIE!Read full review
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