Review of American Sniper (2014) by Carter K — 25 Jun 2015

This film is disappointing on several levels- certainly one of Clint Eastwood's more simplistic in terms of direction and message. If Unforgiven was a powerful revisionist Western, American Sniper is a regressive war film wearing patriotism on its sleeve and celebrating heroism and nationalism without being the least subtle, challenging or even thoughtful about it.

The only time it comes to life at all is in a couple of battle scenes. The directorial approach is mostly paint by numbers, and the performances are flat, one-dimensional and unrevealing. The establishing scenes of his youth and training as a Navy Seal are perfunctory and dull.

It doesn't help that Eastwood chose Bradley Cooper to play the main character. Cooper is an undistinguished actor who can't seem to inhabit the character or make him compelling. Eastwood has worked with great actors in the past, from Morgan Freeman to Hilary Swank, and Cooper isn't even close to being in that league.

The character of Chris Kyle is portrayed as a shallow patriot whose core beliefs are only challenged briefly and ineffectually a couple of times in the film, and both times he seems incapable of showing inner conflict or self-questioning about either the war he's fighting or the God he claims to believe in.

I didn't find the character either credible or interesting, but it's hard to tell how much this is the fault of the actor portraying him. Eastwood has done some great work, including Million Dollar Baby and The Bridges of Madison County as well as Unforgiven.

American Sniper doesn't belong in that company or even in the same county with them.