Review of American Sniper (2014) by Mel G — 26 Sep 2015

"AMERICAN SNIPER" -- AN ANTI-WAR FILM. From January 21, 2015. As regular Regal Cinema customers, Gracie and I earlier earned a free movie pass and saw "American Sniper" this afternoon for US$8 (senior price). I wanted to see it in IMAX, but we had to be someplace by 6:00 p.m. In the process, we saved US$28, which paid for our dinner-to-go from Jowli's, a Filipino restaurant in Fresno.

We went to see the film after the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to avoid the crowd. The multiplex theater audience was a decent number for a work day.

Clint Eastwood may be known for spaghetti Westerns and the "Dirty Harry" series. He is, however, a hyphenate Oscar winner twice: Best picture producer and best director for "Unforgiven" (1992) and for "Million Dollar Baby" (2004). Perhaps better known for his politics (Republican), he has more than face-value anti-war credentials for "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1974), "Flags of our Fathers" and "Letter from Iwo Jima" (both 2006), and "Gran Torino" (2008). And, although he as director was half-snubbed, Eastwood's Oscar-nominated best picture "American Sniper" is anti-war through and true.

Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) was a true-to-life hero who served four (4) tours in the Iraq war theater. So was a made-up but no less true counterpart sniper named Mustafa ("an epithet of Muhammad, meaning the Chosen One"). Chris was an American hero, and so was Mustafa (Syrian, according to screenwriter Jason Hall) a Muslim hero. In theatrical terms, Chris was protagonist to Mustafa's (Sammy Sheik) antagonist.

Much to-do is made about the 160 confirmed snipes by Chris, but what about Mustafa's? As television host David Letterman would say, "This is why the rest of the world hates us, Ladies and Gentlemen," we're so good at self-promotion on our way to the bank ("American Sniper" made a record-breaking MLKJr long weekend box office of US$105M).

The reality is snipers lead parallel lives. They may belong to different teams, but they are motivated by the same fear. The American goes to the Middle East, because he does not want to confront the enemy in Middle America. The Syrian says, "Since you're in our midst where you're not wanted, I am afraid I need to kill you before you kill my fellow Muslims.".

"American Sniper" does not ask a political question such as, "What are (we) (you) doing in Iraq?" Rather, it uses a recurring theme in a world of parallels, and this was before the era of social media. Several scenes show Kyle using wireless equipment to keep in touch with his family stateside. At least a couple of times (by a woman, then by a man), cell phones are used to contact Mustafa about the American presence: "Get ready to snipe.".

Perhaps this is all too subtle. "American Sniper" on the surface looks pro-war, non-questioning and duty-driven. God or -- if you like taking sides -- the devil is in the details. Producer-director Eastwood and writer Hall, who adopted the screenplay from Kyle's memoir, follow the narrative arc. While "American Sniper" is a biopic (man versus himself), the war backdrop (man v. man) is resolved when Sniper A kills Sniper M. Is that the resolution? Of course not.

There are two (2) other literary conflicts: Man v. society and man v. nature.

Society dictates we go where the fight is. The fear of a U.S. war theater is not all together without basis. Perhaps it's just a matter of time.

Our basic nature dictates fight or flight. When someone, say, a regional sniper, is in the fighting mode, is there really a place for flight? Not only are we all earth-bound, we all are just a bullet away to be below ground.

And, so, we need to resolve this conflict ourselves. To call in or to call out when violence in all its forms is used? To kill or be killed; rather, to snipe or NOT to snipe? To take sides or NOT to take sides, considering we are all human?

War is violent. We cannot be violent and be anti-war. War is pro-violence. And, if we are pro-violence, does it really matter what our race, national origin, ethnic background, religion or lack of, gender, sexual orientation, age, mental capacity, physical capability, or social and economic standing is?

Isang bala lamang tayong lahat.

Who is trigger-happy now?

Please take great care of yourself, everyone, and thank you for all you do. Love,.

Mel & Gracie.