Elissa Collopy
eac001@marietta.edu
Clint Eastwood’s film “American Sniper,” which has accrued more than $200 million after its MLK-weekend opening and week thereafter, has proven to be a phenomenal American war story.
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle wrote a book in 2012 on his experiences overseas as well as back home, after which Eastwood created a film to follow the true attitude of Kyle and his experiences. Kyle was killed in Feb. 2013 at a Texas gun range by a fellow Iraq war veteran, Eddie Ray Routh, who was dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
After reading Kyle’s novel, I was compelled to see the movie shortly after its release—and I was not disappointed.
In terms of the narrative, action, emotion and performance, it differs from any prior war movies by pulling viewers closer to the actual war experience than any before. Actor Bradley Cooper transformed himself into the real-life hero, Kyle, who was the sniper with the most kills in history and was fondly referred to as “The Legend” among platoon mates and other soldiers.
The portrayal of Kyle by Cooper was spot-on according to Kyle’s widow, Taya Kyle.
“It was like watching Chris in many, many ways,” she said in an interview with the LA Times. “I walked away in awe.”
This film focused on the personal life of a service member and his family and brutally exposed the divide that often happens between service members and the rest of society. The film does not, however, address any political issues, which adds to the simplicity of the film in following one man’s journey and heartache through his four tours as a SEAL.
Cooper spoke out about the film’s controversy at a Washington D.C. screening, according to the LA Times.
“This movie was always a character study about what the plight is for a soldier…It’s not a political discussion about war,” he said.
This has been the only movie I have attended in theater where the crowd exited the theater in complete silence. This was the type of silence that occurs when you’re self-reflecting, where even the slightest noise seemed wrong. Eastwood helped with the overall mood by running credits without supplementary music, which is rarely seen in the movie industry and forced viewers to face their emotions about the film.
Overall, this film was heart-wrenching and a true depiction of what those who serve and their families deal with every day, as well as leaving viewers haunted by the scenes on screen of war violence.
I would highly recommend the viewing of this film to everyone. Its power is in its simplicity. It’s quick and rough like an 8-second bull ride—right down to the way the film ends.
