Review of Jarhead (2005) by Jerry R — 08 Aug 2012

Jarhead made me realize how common and cookie-cutter other war movies are. The ideal war picture was established a long time ago with John Wayne leading his platoon to glory on the sands of Iwo Jima. That was World War II. Jarhead takes place in a very different kind of war under very different circumstances. It takes place during Operation Desert Storm and focuses less on romantic adventure then on the soldiers themselves.

What sets the movie apart is that there are no real battle scenes. There is high drama but it is contained within a small band of soldiers who are waiting in the heat to put their training to some use. These are young men, full of energy and an overinflated sex drive who are stalled while waiting to get the command to do something anything. Day after day, night after night, boredom overcomes them as they try desperately to find some way to keep themselves occupied.

The movie is based on the autobiographical book by Anthony Swofford and the movie sees the war through his eyes. Anthony (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is a bright kid who is pushed through basic training, then given sniper training and then sent to a sand pit in Iraq with the promise that his training will have him picking off the enemy one by one. "I wanted the pink mist" he says in narration as he shoots a target between the eyes.

Swofford's best buddy is Troy (Peter Sarsgaard), his spotter who has personal demons that are only revealed over time. Also in his platoon is Kruger (Lucas Black), a redneck kid who is overly - and unwisely - vocal in his protest of this conflict. Ferguson, a bright kid who screws up when he switches assignments with Swofford. Fowler (Evan Jones), a loudmouth who is easily offended. Vargas (Daniel Cortez) who just want to get home to see his newborn son. And Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx) who looks over his charges. He isn't the standard barking D.I. but a smart man who tries to make them understand the gravity of their situation. Each character has their own personal trait and are not just the ordinary colorful band of misfits.

The disillusion of the soldiers is the slow realization that they have been thrust into a war that doesn't need them. Desert Storm was not a war that needed ground soldiers. Air support was the way in which this battle was fought. Unlike the men who pushed forward to claim ground in previous wars, this one had simple bombing runs that could wipe out an entire regiment with one pass. Plus, this was a different kind of enemy. Unlike Hitler's army that fought to the last man, Saddam Hussein's republic guard gave up quickly and the soldiers on the ground were unnecessary. What comes of the men waiting for their orders is the boredom and frustration of young men with fire in their bellies to get the job done only to discover that there is no work for them to do.

Jarhead was directed by Sam Mendes who is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. He made American Beauty about the last year in the life of a man whose family hates him. He made Revolutionary Road, about a young married couple coming apart under the weight of their unsatisfied lives. He made Road to Perdition about a hitman whose son discovers what he does for a living. Now comes Jarhead, about a group of soldiers who slowly realize that they aren't going to get to do what they've been trained for. What these films have in common is that they are all portraits of frustrated individuals who come to the realization that the world isn't quite what they thought it was.