Posted on 01/16/2015 7:49:10 PM PST by EveningStar
I’ve seen just about every film about the Iraq War ever made. I’ve produced and associate produced a few. I even appeared in one (for about a millisecond). And without a doubt, “American Sniper” is the single best work of film about the Iraq War ever made.
Now, it’s not the most complex film. Not the deepest film. Not even the most provocative. But in terms of storytelling, action, emotion, production and performance, attention to detail and especially the frighteningly accurate soundscape, there’s been nothing else close that’s been made since my platoon entered the war in Iraq in 2003. It’s a cinematic bull’s-eye.
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
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I can’t wait to see this movie. What an amazing man, what an amazing family. God Bless Chris Kyle, his legacy, and his family
This will be the first film in a decade I’ll pay full price for.
My nephew did 3 tours of Iraq. A sniper missed him by inches. He dug the bullet out of the wall as a souvenir.
what is this .. #3 ... #4 .. ?
I do not know about this movie but over the years I have watched many military or war movies. I often wonder why the ‘technical consultants’ do not teach actors how to salute properly!
I agree...just saw it.far better than I thought. And the place was packed. Very accurate story.
I wonder why they can’t get an Army veteran to critique the stupid mistakes they make before they put them on film
Saw it this afternoon. Gripping. Cooper was amazing. He really made the movie. Filming was terrific. You felt like you were there. Kyle was a complex person and Cooper portrayed that well.
A warning: language was a bit rough for those who are offended by that. Graphic violence was less than I expected and I’m pretty squeamish about that.
My daughter did two tours - one outside of Balad, Iraq, and one safe and sound in Kuwait. She actually had a good experience in the abandoned fort which had to be refurbished for their use. Her first assignment was to set up the communications system.
I never knew ... !
Just saw the movie and loved it.
The guy playing Chris Kyle was great, and they really conveyed what it was like, the stress on folks, and showed them handling it like real men.
They definitely changed real operational details into representative composites (which I really like - maintaining operational security) while still keeping it real. Like they make an al queada sniper into a particular villain for the whole movie, and they finally have it out dramatically in Sadr City. I’m guessing he was a composite character for the purposes of good story-telling. No doubt they did identify and hunt down particular enemy snipers, but Sadr City is not a place where a Sunni al queada guy would have had a very long operational run.
I think that it is good that they disguised particulars like that, and I did not ever get frustrated during the movie by some unrealistic crap, or some heavy-handed political point - I thought that it was a great representation, and full of realistic action. It was poignant how they showed the effects of stress without making guys look like pussies or psychos.
Great action movie, and you come away feeling proud of our troops.
I did note at the end of the movie, the crowd was unusually quiet, a bit like after seeing Schindler’s List. Some folks stood there for a bit, like they were thinking of saluting, or standing at attention, like they were moved to pay tribute.
Saw the movie last night with my son-in-law who has served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Huge audience, and the next show was lined up an hour ahead.
It really brought home the stress they see, particularly from lengthy and multiple tours - both the soldier and their families.
All I can say regarding the end of the movie was that the audience shared a quiet, deserved reverence for a great American hero. I agree - the only comparison of the audience reaction is Schindler’s list.
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