American Sniper
Adam’s Verdict 5/5
The latest film about the war in Iraq is a powerhouse of action, emotion, raw human feelings, and personal struggle. Clint Eastwood expertly directs Bradley Cooper in one of the best performances of his career. The movie in unapologetic and hits all the right notes to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, and talking for weeks on end.
Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is a determined young man from Texas. Raised by an incredibly intense father and taught to view the world in black and white Kyle is drawn to the challenge of the Navy Seals. His determination and perseverance pay off as Kyle becomes the deadliest sniper in United States history. Kyle tries to lead two lives throughout the majority of the film. He is first and foremost a soldier. He meets Taya (Sienna Miller) in a bar after becoming a SEAL and the two get married shortly after. After Kyle deploys for the first time he is unable to fully come home to Taya and his children. The story alternates between Kyle being laser focused and doing whatever he can to win the war in Iraq and serving his country. At home he is the opposite. His mind wanders, he is physically present but never mentally.
The movie follows Kyle through multiple tours and multiple trips home. The formula never feels repetitive and the story never drags. When Kyle is deployed the action is thrilling and his intensity is palpable. He becomes a legend and is even referred to as such by the men he serves with. Kyle never seems to see himself as a legend, a hero, or anything beyond a soldier like everyone else. He is an incredibly effective weapon against the enemy and every shot he takes is a mental burden. Taking a life isn’t a burden, not for the most part, for Kyle but it isn’t always clear what shots need to be taken. Cooper conveys this internal struggle when it needs to be there and can turn it off instantly for the shots Kyle would have taken without a second thought. As previously mentioned. The movie paints the world in very stark black and white contrasts for Kyle.
The scenes at home are interesting and very well developed as far as PTSD and feeling out of place even though that is where people feel an individual should be. Many soldiers come back and feel out of place. They don’t necessarily miss the battlefield, but the battlefield has changed them. For all the brilliance in Cooper’s intense performances as Kyle as a soldier the same quality and depth in acting is portrayed for the polar opposite emotions of detachment and distraction.
The conflicting versions of the man make for an incredibly compelling story. If American Sniper wasn’t about a war but about an advertising executive, baker, or shoe shine boy it could be just as interesting with the incredible depth Cooper portrayed in the main character.
Eastwood has had an incredibly long and diverse career. Both in front of and behind the camera. He is no stranger to war movies but has never once been guilty of glamorizing violence. The soul he put into Flags of our Father’s and Letters from Iwo Jima is ever present through all of American Sniper’s modern day war setting. Some of the emotional chords struck me even harder since the war in Iraq is much closer to my generation than that of World War II. The black and white morality Kyle seemed to see the world in is a common theme in war movies, in Eastwood movies, and shows the duality inside every soldier perfectly.
The sound editing and cinematography are perfect. The camera never shies away from what is important. The camera doesn’t rely on fast jump cuts, shaky angles, or ‘found footage’ like techniques to hide the violence. Violence is a part of war and realistic violence is certainly part of this film. The weapon sound effects are less Hollywood stylized sounds and more harsh cracks and bangs. The sound track is present but handled with all the care necessary to not cheapen the tone of such a dramatic movie. The picture quality is outstanding. The desert is a callous and gritty place, that shouldn’t mean that the video quality needs to match it. A vibrant bright picture where every grain of sand can be picked out, ever pour on the character’s faces in close up. The movie utilizes modern movie technology to grip the audience even further than the perfectly written script and doesn’t short on the visuals even though the film is about a man’s inner struggle.
It’s hard to talk about American Sniper without some form of controversy coming up. This paragraph is entirely opinion based and I’ll keep it short. I am talking about Chris Kyle, the character from Eastwood’s movie. I did not know the real Kyle. Whatever opinions are floating around are based on opinions of others. Whatever liberties the film took with the man’s life and legend don’t matter in the context of a movie review. The movie is outstanding, the acting is top notch, the effects are perfect, and the direction shows every bit of Eastwood’s considerable experience. Personal feelings on a human being you, the reader, didn’t know aside. This is an incredible movie. Don’t assume to judge the character based on a real guy, go and see the movie and decide for yourself.
Review via sitdown-shutup.net
