Yeah, I was busy watching movies this week. Serenity on Wednesday and Jarhead on Saturday. Jarhead reminded me quite a bit of Full Metal Jacket (that’s a good thing).
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Anthony Swofford, a young kid who got lost on his way to college. Before long, Anthony is recruited into sniper training by Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx) where eventually he and a handful of others would emerge as an elite Marine sniper team. Of course, no war movie is complete without the war. Shortly after completing boot camp, Iraq invades Kuwait and hundreds of thousands of US troops are deployed to the Middle East, including Swofford.
Once deployed, the Marines wait. It takes more than 4 months for any significant combat to begin. Boredom and problems on the homefront set in and the Marines have a difficult time coping. When war finally does begin, the ground troops are mostly left to sit and watch as the bombs fall from the sky. Even when there is ground action, it’s all in the dark as the Marines plod through a desert covered by smoke from burning oil wells while being rained down upon by oil showers.
I really enjoyed Jarhead. It isn’t a feelgood movie, much in the same way Full Metal Jacket wasn’t. Don’t expect to come out of the movie holding hands and singing coom-bye-ya (or however you spell that). It also isn’t gory, so don’t expect Braveheart or Saving Private Ryan-esque scenes of battle. Instead, watch this movie and appreciate all the things our troops endure in the name of preserving our freedom.
PS - I predict “welcome to the suck” will be one of the more popular quotes from this movie. It works in so many situations.
PPS - Marines are a proud bunch (perhaps to a fault), so I’ve updated the text to reflect the fact that the characters in the movie are Marines and not soldiers.
Quick correction on your movie review of Jarhead, you mentioned they were solodiers. They were Marines not soldiers, by you calling them soldiers you offend Marines. I am a Marine, could you please correct this.
Thanks,
1st Lt. Marine
Marine, yes…you’re correct. My usage of the word soldier was incorrect. I misunderstood it’s meaning as only relating to someone in the Army. I always figured it was general to people in the armed services.
Regarding it offending Marines being associated with the Army, get over yourself. You’re all on the same team.
Ryan, Marines are a breed of there own. Far from a soldier.
Semper Fidelis,
Sgt Aguilar
USMC
Ryan your a shit head
Sgt Aguilar, quick correction of your review of my person. You mention that I am a shit head. I am (in fact) an asshole, not a shithead. By calling me a shit head you offend all shit heads.
Marines may be a breed all their own, but that doesn’t make a soldier any less honorable of a person. They face the same risks as Marines. That’s the only point I’m trying to make.
hey im here to say that i just like the book and the movie.