(Above: Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, preparing to take a shot.)
This is sort-of-spoilery, but the film is based off of pretty well known real-life events, so I figure a few spoilers here-and-there is okay. I don't go too much into detail beyond conveying the film's message.
This is sort-of-spoilery, but the film is based off of pretty well known real-life events, so I figure a few spoilers here-and-there is okay. I don't go too much into detail beyond conveying the film's message.
American Sniper is a 2014 film (released wide in Jan. 2015) about Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in U.S. history.
This film had been in the works well before Kyle had ever died, with David O Russel and Steven Spielberg being attached to direct the project until Clint Eastwood was given the go-ahead after Spielberg's script was considered too costly.
Despite production troubles (not to mention the sudden and tragic death of Kyle himself in 2013) the film got made, and stars Bradley Cooper as the titular sniper.
The film seeks to document Chris Kyle's life, and does so in a fairly erratic way by frequently making jumps. We start with the pictured scene above with him preparing to make his first kill, and before he makes the decision on whether or not to pull the trigger, there's a lengthy flashback showing his early life.
We learn he's raised by a traditional conservative family and that as he grows up he lacks much aim in his life. When he sees an embassy get bombed, he takes the opportunity to join the military and feels he needs to protect his country. After rigorous training and meeting who would later become his wife, he sees 9/11 unfold on his television screen and becomes more motivated to fight than ever before.
This motivation eventually begins to consume him. Throughout the film, he becomes eaten away by acts of violence that occur. Either by him having to kill children roped into war, or by witnessing utter brutality at the ends of the enemy. He's found his calling in life, but it's slowly destroying him.
Each new tour he goes on eats away at him more, and it eats away at his family life because his wife is raising their children alone. Despite this, the audience can understand why Kyle is doing what he does in the film. He feels obligated, and truly believes that he's protecting his country and comrades.
Bradley Cooper has a wonderful display of emotions in this film, making him the honest highlight. Not to discredit the film as a whole, as the directing is pretty spot on, but the film manages to drag in a few spots. These aren't too negative since Cooper is more or less constantly present in the film, and it's just frequently astounding how much of a genuine job Cooper does conveying Chris Kyle.
As per the film basically showing his life, I feel like Eastwood plays to the audience's expectations on some level. Most viewers understand that Kyle dies, and the film gets more and more intense as it goes on. Kyle becomes more and more unstable, and the biggest tragedy is that when he finally finds a calling in life helping others in a way that doesn't eat at him like war does, he ends up dying.
That's the common element between most of the most brutal and tragic elements to the film - war caused them. Whether it's civilians dying in the streets, whether it's Kyle's friends dying to gunfire, or whether it's Kyle himself dying trying to help others with PTSD, the common element is that war is the cause.
The film never really has to say it, but it's one of the more poignant anti-war films I've seen as of late. Eastwood tends to be able to craft films in a way that's easy to grasp but still relatively subtle (Unforgiven) and American Sniper is no different.
8/10. Cooper gives a wonderful performance with a full spectrum of emotions, and Eastwood rarely spares a moment in crafting the message of his film, down to the end credits. I recommend it, though mind the content warning.
As per the film basically showing his life, I feel like Eastwood plays to the audience's expectations on some level. Most viewers understand that Kyle dies, and the film gets more and more intense as it goes on. Kyle becomes more and more unstable, and the biggest tragedy is that when he finally finds a calling in life helping others in a way that doesn't eat at him like war does, he ends up dying.
That's the common element between most of the most brutal and tragic elements to the film - war caused them. Whether it's civilians dying in the streets, whether it's Kyle's friends dying to gunfire, or whether it's Kyle himself dying trying to help others with PTSD, the common element is that war is the cause.
The film never really has to say it, but it's one of the more poignant anti-war films I've seen as of late. Eastwood tends to be able to craft films in a way that's easy to grasp but still relatively subtle (Unforgiven) and American Sniper is no different.
8/10. Cooper gives a wonderful performance with a full spectrum of emotions, and Eastwood rarely spares a moment in crafting the message of his film, down to the end credits. I recommend it, though mind the content warning.
To address the controversy surrounding the film:
I don't really like to discuss political things, but I feel kind of inclined to jump to the film's defense a bit here in what it's intending. I think a lot of people seem to interpret it as "Pro-x" when it really is a pretty ambiguous film in terms of its portrayal of Kyle. The movie certainly isn't pro-war in any capacity, though people who don't watch many of Eastwood's films might not catch that narrative. I mean, I recently saw Unforgiven, so I'm well aware that Eastwood can put a lot of dedication and time into crafting something very morally ambiguous.
As for Kyle himself, I don't like that the issue has been spread black and white. I see some people calling him a psychopath, and others calling him a hero. I don't think it's fair to call him either, and just to consider him another victim of war. He had extraordinary talent as a soldier, and that should be recognized, but I think the film made a big point that he wasn't some superhuman and was deeply afflicted by his experiences in the Middle East. That was a major point of the film. No matter how amazing at combat you are, you can still be mentally vulnerable.
The film pays respect to him without making him some mythical heroic figure and also recognizes that war is bad. Rather than simply conveying that with a little dialogue, though, Eastwood and Jason Hall manage to convey that scene-by-scene in an increasingly intense film. It's a complex issue, and that's exactly how it's laid out. I don't understand the controversy behind this movie or the debate behind it. It's not an outstanding film, nor the best war film out there, but it's still a good piece of work that doesn't deserve the political dichotomy tainting it.
As for Kyle himself, I don't like that the issue has been spread black and white. I see some people calling him a psychopath, and others calling him a hero. I don't think it's fair to call him either, and just to consider him another victim of war. He had extraordinary talent as a soldier, and that should be recognized, but I think the film made a big point that he wasn't some superhuman and was deeply afflicted by his experiences in the Middle East. That was a major point of the film. No matter how amazing at combat you are, you can still be mentally vulnerable.
The film pays respect to him without making him some mythical heroic figure and also recognizes that war is bad. Rather than simply conveying that with a little dialogue, though, Eastwood and Jason Hall manage to convey that scene-by-scene in an increasingly intense film. It's a complex issue, and that's exactly how it's laid out. I don't understand the controversy behind this movie or the debate behind it. It's not an outstanding film, nor the best war film out there, but it's still a good piece of work that doesn't deserve the political dichotomy tainting it.
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