While many people serve in the Armed Forces, the vast majority of the people living in the United States have no idea about what happens on a day to day basis for the men and women of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. The movie Jarhead does a commendable job shinning light on the less glamorous aspects of being in the service.
Most Americans form their opinions about life in the military by war movies, war novels, and second or third hand information. Life in the service is glamorized and put on a pedestal for all the wannabes and never-beens to see in all its high definition and Dolby Digital Surround Sound glory. Movies often focus on the climatic battle that changed history, neglecting the events leading up to the main event. Blackhawk Down in particular does a very good job depicting a battle, but it does not show what went on before the bullets start flying. Jarhead can be thought of as the human interest story of war.
Jarhead a movie directed by Sam Mendes (of American Beauty and Road to Perdition fame) is based on the novel written by ex-Marine Anthony Swofford. The movie takes place around the time of the first war in the Gulf, Desert Storm and eventually Desert Shield.
The story centers on Marines sniper Swoff (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is not unlike many people in the military. He is a young man searching for his identity. Like many other young men he decides that he would get his taste of adventure and join the Marines. Swoff does not have dreams of becoming a career officer, and is content in being an enlisted grunt, taking orders and carrying them out. Unfortunately, like many young enlisted personnel, he soon becomes bored with the complacency of daily life and gets himself into trouble.
While most of this trouble is innocent horseplay (or "grabass" as my old Platoon Sergeant used to say) some of it needs to be put into check, and that is where Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx) steps in. SSG Sykes, like his real life counterparts in the NCO (Non Commissioned Officers) is a professional soldier that loves his job, his country, and his Marines. While his love for his Marines is often shielded by his persona of being a badass, it nonetheless shines through at points in the movie. All the Marines in the movie find themselves in August of 1990 excited about the possibility at finally going into combat, and that excitement leads them to believe that their “war†will be a quick matter. On the plane to Saudi Arabia the general consensus is two weeks and they will be home, but that soon changes after entering "The Suck".
"The Suck" soon goes from days, to weeks, and eventually months. The Marines are stuck in the sand with nothing to do, and often find themselves in trouble. This trouble leads the Marines of Jarhead into many problems before the bullets start flying.
When the war actually begins there is not much action, although the audience always feels like they are only an instance away from something happening. The Marines yearn to see the "pink mist" but the only chance that Swoff and his spotter Troy (Peter Sarsgaarad) to finally fire their weapons is cut shut by an excited staff officer. The moment soon passes and the two Marines find the war over and their one chance at the "pink mist" over.
While Jarhead is a war movie without a war, it is a war movie with a soul. It touches on many of the aspects that are left out of other war movies. It has also been touted as an anti-war movie because of its release while there is a new war going on in the Gulf. It did not present itself overtly anti-war, although there are some overtones of anti-war, mainly in the graphic representation of the highway of death leading from Kuwait to Iraq. While this is a graphic scene, it nonetheless is accurate in the death and destruction presented.
To enjoy Jarhead enter the movie knowing that you are seeing a drama and not a war movie and you will enjoy it. Unfortunately for many viewers, the previews, teasers and trailers make Jarhead look like the next Blackhawk Down when it is nowhere close. So, if you want to see a war movie about Desert Storm watch Three Kings, if you want to see a movie about life in "The Suck" see Jarhead, just ask any service member that served in Desert Storm; it was the months in the sand that they remember and little else.
"Jarhead" opens November 4, 2005 and is rated R. Drama, War. Directed by Sam Mendes. Written by William Broyles Jr., Anthony Swofford. Starring Dennis Haysbert, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black, Peter Sarsgaard.
