Jarhead Review

        This is the second Sam Mendes film that I have seen. He’s an already established director who revitalized the James Bond franchise with his film Skyfall. As well as making one of the best war films that I have seen earlier this year with 1917. Jarhead is one of those movies that came out during the mid-2000s that got mixed reviews. I feel that it was supposed to be the 2000s version of Full Metal Jacket, but what most critics and audiences saw was a film showing a degeneration of a soldier wanting to kill. Years later, having sat down and watching it on Netflix when it was available, Jarhead is Sam Mendes’ underappreciated war film.

1. Story

        What most people don’t know is that it’s based on a true story. Written by U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford when he wrote his memoir Jarhead, the film is somewhat a faithful adaptation by showcasing Swofford played by Jake Gyllenhaal when he signs up with the Marine Corps and his disappointing experience being deployed in the Middle East as part of Operation Desert Shield. 

        This is way different than any war movie that I have seen. Gyllenhaal plays Swofford as a man who has gone through hell in basic training. He eventually finds his calling when he joins Sniper Classes at the behest of Staff Sergeant Sykes played by Jamie Foxx. He impresses Sykes and both are joined with their squad to the Persian Gulf. 

        Throughout the film, Swofford and his battalion wait impatiently at deployment to see the action that most of them are waiting for. Meanwhile, we get to see how the soldiers deal with their long-distance relationships with their significant others. Although, it’s the most tragic and unfortunate things to happen to the Marines.  

2. Killing Time at Camp

        As I mentioned before, Swofford and his team are waiting in their camp to see some action. This is the main highlight of the film since, it’s probably the most realistic depiction of being in the military. Like when the news is doing coverage on Camp Pendleton, the soldiers are playing football to pass the time. When the cameras are trained on them, they do sexual acts which are condemnable to Sykes. 

        I think just seeing the soldiers stuck around their camp and doing various things to pass the time is interesting. It’s refreshing since any preconceived idea of a war film would have the battles be the main highlight with little attention to the characters. Here, Swofford and the group are craving for action since they were hyped by their Lieutenant Colonel played by Chris Cooper. 

        The most gut wrenching to see is when we see one of the soldier’s wife cheating on him. It happens when the group put on the movie The Deer Hunter. As the movie starts it cuts to his wife and another man making love. Causing the soldier to cry and yelling that he wants to go home. Swofford looking concerned, immediately says he wants to watch the impromptu porno again. 

3. What Makes War Films Great

        I touched upon this aspect briefly, but I feel that I should elaborate more on the issue. With war films like Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge being highly acclaimed films isn’t the fact that it was a full-blown action movie. When you have movies like Act of Valor that has actual soldiers playing the film version, it becomes boring since it’s derivative and comes across as jingoistic.

        What makes the two films I mentioned and Jarhead successful is dealing with the human drama in the midst of war. Seeing them have doubts and going through the motions of losing a friend. In this case, wanting to see some action and becoming a killing machine in name only makes Swofford waiting to finally have this moment. 

        He does, but it’s taken away. When him and his spotter played by Peter Sarsgaard arrive at an airbase, he is excited to finally have his moment. It’s ruined when the Major arrives and calls in a airstrike. Swofford almost fights him but eventually let’s go. He sees the base blown by the fighter jets and goes back to camp dejected. 

4. The Ending is Depressing 

        The ending gets its own tab since it’s the most depressing thing I have seen in any film. The troops finally arrive back in the United States. The people are cheering but the soldiers don’t look like the celebratory type. A Vietnam veteran gets on the bus to and congratulates them. In the end it doesn’t matter. 

        What follows is a series of scenes that show what the soldiers are doing back in civilian life. Swofford has it worst when he visits his girlfriend. Earlier, he learns from the camp that it’s never a good idea to have a girlfriend while being deployed. He calls his girlfriend but can’t accept the fact that he’s being cheated on. He visits her house and his greeted by another man. The music is only punctuated by just how everything is just somber. 

        What’s being communicated is that they could have just had regular lives if they weren’t involved in the conflict. In any event, Swofford looks back and thinks back at his time in the desert. He wants to have his moment again but can’t. It’s ingenious since there’s a sense of patriotism in these films but in this one, the viewer is left to asked is “Was it all worth it?”

5. Overall

        Sam Mendes’ film deserves to be watched. It offers an interesting perspective of a soldier who wants to see the action but doesn’t have a chance. To me, it’s a refinement of Full Metal Jacket by having an entire movie dedicated to one soldier. Perhaps why this movie was mixed was that it may have came in an earlier time. I think now is the time to have a film where we have an actionless military film. It should be watched but there are moments where you just want to shut it off due to the depressing nature. 

        Jarhead gets a four out of five.