Jarhead (2005)

Jarhead (the self-imposed moniker of the Marines) follows "Swoff" (Gyllenhaal), a third-generation enlistee, from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty, sporting a sniper's rifle and a hundred-pound ruck on his back through Middle East deserts with no cover from intolerable heat or from Iraqi soldiers, always potentially just over the next horizon. Swoff and his fellow Marines sustain themselves with sardonic humanity and wicked comedy on blazing desert fields in a country...

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Movie Review

Although Sam Mendes doesn't make many movies, when he does make one it is almost guaranteed to be a masterpiece. Jarhead is no exception. Drastically different from his last two films, Road to Perdition and American Beauty, Jarhead brings the intensity of Full Metal Jacket and combines it with Mendes near perfect story telling and visual styles. Based upon the memoir of the same name written by Anthony Swafford (Gyllenhaal's character) the film takes a realistic look into military life, showing the ups and downs, the homesickness and most of all the waiting. Perhaps only Sam Mendes could make a war film that not only is not about war, but that does not have one battle, not one shot fired by the ground troops. This film is a film about people. People that are placed in some of the most difficult situations imaginable. Full movie review »

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Comments

Anonymous says:

December 9, 2005

i was in combat myself the new battle, and even as though ours has lasted longer then the first, the movie was pretty much a summing up of our conflict as well. which leads me to believe that it is an accurate depection of modern war.

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Anonymous says:

November 7, 2005

It was horrible. I went in expecting something totally different. If anyone cares, I was there also, waiting to do my duty along with my Marine brothers and didn't see what he trying to sell the public at all.

Because of his success with American Beauty, I think people expect more from him, but to me this stinks of a man who is trying to justify his own failure at something. SOME do have meltdowns in hard times but that is true in many careers, NOT just the Corps. It galls me that the general public will be fed this movie and believe that it represents the armed forces accurately. Not everyone is cut out for this work.

That aside, it was also a movie that left you expecting something more. I sat there the whole time waiting for the story to kick in.

Again, a feeble attempt by someone who should stick to fiction and not try to justify a poor decision on his part by making a movie that casts a bad light on us all.

Seriously, don't even waste your money.

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Anonymous says:

November 6, 2005

Don't kid yourself -this is a filthy, disgusting movie. It is not representative of the greater population of solid military men. This movie was made to have an opportunity to include filth in every sense of the word. Mendes ought ot hang his head in shame! Just a DISGUSTING, WORTHLESS movie!

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