Jarhead- Review

I've seen a lot of war films but this one really hit me as something entirely different. It has parts of what you'd expect from a war film: locker-room talk, mateship and a variety of strong male personalities that an audience usually can identify with. However, it's so much more than machine gun fire, casualties and hostages. It isn't entirely political either and focuses more on a visual experience to further project what life in a war zone is really like through the eyes of a marine.

It is also based off a memoir with the same name by U.S Marine Anthony Swofford (played by Jake Gyllenhaal).

Bored, without friends and feigning an illness as a way to avoid responsibility, Anthony Swifford finds himself at a Scout Sniper course after being noticed by the Staff Sergeant. Like Anthony, the men at Camp Pendleton are awaiting transport to the Arabian Peninsula after Iraq invades Kuwait in 1990.

Before I get to Jake, I want to make special mention of Peter Sarsgaard as Corporal Alan Troy. He originally flew under my radar and I wasn't sure whether his character would offer much of a development in the beginning, however that all changed towards the middle and end of the film. There were little moments of fire, such as when he used vocal force to keep the squad in line or when he displayed sensitive and genuine qualities but it wasn't until we saw him as Anthony's spotter that he really cemented his role. There was anger, tears, fear and frustration and he combined all of those emotions to make for one incredibly tense scene. He truly worked to showcase how war affects people differently and how much pressure is needed before someone snaps.

Jake obviously did very well with his role, but I don't think it was his best performance. I'm not entirely sure why I felt that way and as emotive as this performance was, it didn't really come up to par with his other performances. However, his character progression was incredibly paced and thought-out. We got to know more about his portrayal of Anthony through narration and even pieces of imagery in dream-like states. He too worked to convey how war impacts people differently and how one recovers afterwards.

On an unrelated note, Chris Cooper appeared in this film briefly and was a chance at seeing him once again collaborate with Same Mendes (American Beauty) and Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky).

I much preferred the technical elements of this film. From having a fun soundtrack, to the visual imagery. There's one particular scene where Anthony's reflection shifts in a mirror and making him uncomfortable, he vomits out a sea of sand which relates to his current living arrangements. At particular parts the green screen became a little obvious, however the general setting was beautifully captured and in true Mendes fashion, rolled with a colour palette.

As I was saying at the very beginning, it really isn't like any other war movie that I've seen. It aims to focus on the people within the story that is being told and explores the boredom, misery and a life swallowed by battlefield before returning home to a life with moderate sanity and without the drumming of machine gun violence and explosions. There were times when it felt influenced by other war films, such as Full Metal Jacket with it's comedic wit, but then develops into its own.

For a unique look at war from a perspective that arrived home from war unscathed, definitely consider Jarhead. It's suspense outweighs action but plays on psychological value.

Score: 7/10.