American Sniper
Year: 2014
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Rating: R
Run Time: 134 Minutes
Let me start off with saying that I am a military veteran, serving in the Marine Corps for 8 years. My opinion on this blog is meant to be unbiased and give you, the reader, a clear idea of what movies entail and what they are all about. This movie however has hit home for me. It takes a lot to get under my skin, especially for a film, but when one comes along, I respect it. There are other critics and movie goers out there that did not enjoy this film and saying it is propaganda to a war we should have never been involved in and not giving credit to the story of Chris Kyle. I will tell you, that when a military man or woman gets called to war, it is not a choice whether or not they agree with it, they are sent there, because they CHOSE to be in the military unlike the other 99.5% of Americans (Eikenberry & Kennedy, 2013), This movie is not a propaganda film or anything of the sort; it is a movie about a man who volunteered to defend his nation when we all saw what happened in 2001. It is to remember a man who accomplished something incredible with his ability as a sniper and his love for this great Nation. Just remember that men and women like Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle give you the freedom and right to hate or love this film.
This movie was an incredible story of what Chief Petty Office Chris Kyle went through to become the Sniper that he is known for today. In the last decade, I feel we have seen less fictional war stories in Hollywood and more true stories coming to theatres. With the attraction of constant news cycle and social media, stories like this one can be told. This movie is a chronicle (or as much as you can fit into two hours) of America's most lethal sniper Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle. Yes, there was Hollywood thrown in there, but the film could not have been directed by a better man than Clint Eastwood. Mr Eastwood is long known for his rolls in military films back in the 70's and 80's, and for his respect for the men and women who serve. Having been in Iraq around the same time the "shot" took place, this movie really captured what it was like to be over there and the changes that took place from his first tour to his final fourth tour.
The movie starts with a very compelling entry of the choice a sniper has to make when protecting fellow troops. This is a choice many of us couldn't make, yet in a time of war, especially in a place where there are no limits to how they can attack, the decision of life or death has to be instantaneous. The movie progresses following how Chris Kyle started his life as a cowboy and how he decided to join the Seals as well as follows him on his four tours in the Iraq War. The great thing about this movie is that is shows how each time he went, the changes that were around him. It also portrays the story of his life back on US soil when after his life changing events. The story is very compelling and very edge of your seat kind of thriller. His story is very compelling and you have to remember that this film is based on true events that many of us have experienced.
Bradley Cooper played this roll extremely well. After watching some interviews with Chris Kyle, you can see how well Bradley Cooper portrayed his real life character. The filming sequences are very well put together and action sequences can be rather intense. For those of you thinking it is fake and that isn't how it really is, of all the war movies I have seen, this one is very realistic. One of the most realistic scenes is the sand storm. Yes, they are really like that.
I give this movie 4 out of 5 incredible sniper shots. When you go to see this, you have to understand that it is an intense war movie and not what you would call a "feel-good" movie. It is a true story of a Navy Seal and you have to have that in your mind when you see this. Whether you are pro war or not, you have to have respect for the men and woman that have defended your right to have an opinion. Many veterans and fallen heroes all have incredible stories but not all will get their story told on the silver screen. This movie is a fantastic tribute to a great American hero, who saved countless American troops lives from the building above.
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