Genres

Visitors Review

humdida 2012-05-24 23:58:13

not bad

I thought Jake Gyllenhaal was very good in his role. Jamie Foxx didn'tsell his role as well,(although I think he's a good actor).the story does a pretty good job of showing you the trials(physicallyand mentally)of the enlisted marines. the story had some moments whereit really made you think but other times I thought the story was flatand boring. I found myself moving in my seat more than a fewtimes,which means I felt the story dragging.over all I would suggest you see this movie,but only for a matinéeprice.my better suggestion would be for you to watch FULL METAL JACKET. Ibelieve this movie better portrays the full gamut of emotion and actionin a marines life.this movie will be much more entertaining for you.respectfully, just an opinion

simpletonistic 2012-05-24 11:04:31

Inside a Jarhead

There is a very poignant scene at the end of Sam Mendes' adaptation ofAnthony Swofford's Desert Storm memoir "Jarhead." In this scene abus-load of marines are shown returning home from the first Gulf War,the USA-spearheaded liberation of Kuwait. The marines are beingcelebrated via your run-of-the-mill parade down Main Street, USA. Astheir bus rolls slowly down that street an older, disheveled,weather-beaten veteran, wearing what seems to be his original, U.S.Marines-issued khaki jacket, suddenly boards the moving bus. Stammeringbut coherent he imparts his congratulations to the returning marines,repeating the motto of the US Marine Corps, "Semper Fi" ("alwaysfaithful"), repeatedly. After shaking hands with a few of the marinesseated in the forefront of the bus he asks if he can take a seat andride along with them. Though no one answers him directly he takes aseat behind the bus driver.Throughout this scene Mendes carefully monitors the reaction of "Swoff"(Jake Gyllenhaal), the 20-yr-old "jarhead" whose story we've followedsince his enlistment into the US Marines. His immediate reaction is oneof surprise. No doubt, like the other marines on the bus, initially hewasn't quite sure as to who the guy was or what his intentions were.But, once the veteran made it clear that he wanted only to congratulatethe returning marines on their good work, Swoff's initial alarmeddemeanor settled into a shifting feeling of horrified embarrassment. Embarrassment because during his short three-month stint serving as asharp-shooter he never shot his rifle. Horrified because despite thissharp-shooting inactivity, and lack of authentic combat duty, he stillmanaged a nervous breakdown and a hearty dose of post-war syndrome.With but a few glances at the troubled veteran Swoff innatelyunderstood that, for all intents and purposes, he hadn't been throughmuch at all. Certainly nothing compared to what the veteran hadsurvived. Yet, Swoff's brief war experience had permanently dented hispsyche.How one reacts to that scene will tell you much about whether or notthey liked this film, which is, ostensibly, the story, not a war story,about a 20-yr-old US Marine and his experience with the US Militaryduring Desert Storm. Those who liked the film will probably have somedegree of empathy for the veteran and Swoff. Those who did not like thefilm will probably believe that both got what they deserved when theyembarked in their respective military endeavors. I believe this to betrue because "Jarhead" is not a war movie, nor a political film, nor apolemical film, nor an ensemble film that follows a few characters ingreat depth. As simple as the title infers, it is the story of oneperson: Swoff. You'll either empathize with him or you won't. Take himor leave him. (Just as simple as that, in the story, his girlfriendback in the state drops him like a three foot putt.)This is not to say that Mendes' film lacks other qualities. Towards thelatter part of the film his depiction of the Marines advancing acrossthe desert towards a handful of oil-spewing, blazing oil refineries isspectacular. Touching too the arrival of an oil-slicked,short-of-breath, soon-to-die horse that Swoff gently strokes before thehorse staggers off into the desert. Mendes also depicts the bombedruins of a seemingly endless procession of civilian-packed vehiclesthat were singed via a precision military strike. The ghastly remainsof that violent act cause Swoff to vomit.I found Swoff's story, and Mendes' depiction of it, mildly compelling.After all, this is the coming-of-young-age story of a 20-yr-oldenlisted in a stereotypical, close-knit military society encouragingevery testosterone-fueled emotion, dream, insight, action, and reactionimaginable. We've seen this tale told in countless "war movies," from"Full Metal Jacket" to "Meatballs." Mendes should have spared us thederivative training sequences and focused more on ancillary expositiongiving us more insight in Swoff: what makes him tick, his family, etc.Instead we are left to take Swoff, as is, in the present time. With notmuch to go on I found it hard to empathize with him. War is hell. Heshould have known that training for it and waiting for it would be hellin the suck as well.

Joshw-7 2012-05-24 12:01:26

Nothing like the Marine Corps

As a Sergeant of Marines, this movie is an insult to my Marine Corps. Acivilian may believe this movie; A Marine would have some strong wordsfor the screenwriter. The Marine Corps is an honorable and disciplinedorganization. The Marines are the most effective military organizationin the world. To truly understand the Marine Corps, you have to be aMarine. Becoming a Marine was by far the hardest thing I haveaccomplished. I love my Corps and I would rather someone spit in myface than believe this over dramatized, Hollywood movie. Withoutspoiling this so-called movie, I'll say this 10% is true, 80% isfiction and 10% is previews and credits. Hollywood must believeAmerican's are fools, for releasing such a disrespectful portrayal ofThe Marine Corps. Semper Fi

jay_hovah703 2012-05-24 02:47:45

All wars are different...all wars are the same...

I was very surprised by how good this movie was as my original opinionwas based on all the negative feedback from the press and Sam Mendescomment about Americans not being able to comprehend this movie.I watched it, and I agree. Thats not to say if you are an American youwon't understand this, but the structure, moral ambiguity, and feelingsit leaves one with at the end are a far cry from Armageddon. This isthe first "American" war movie I've seen in awhile that does not oozepatriotism and does not inform the viewer that you are watching theright side of history. In my opinion, this will (and does) makeAmericans uncomfortable as we (I'm American) are not normally givencomplex situations where we have to be our own moral compass. This isnot traditionally how we have been taught to think. And this movie doesnot try to wrap it up in a neat little package for us to feel goodabout at the end of the movie as our fat little fingers finish off ourextra large, extra buttery popcorn. It hit me like a ton of bricks about half way through that this moviewas basically an existentialist story. I have not read one review thatnotes that Swofford was reading Camus at the beginning of this movie.It wasn't just to inform the reader that Swofford was "smart." It wasto give you the context of the remainder of the film. For most of themovie there are bleak themes of humanity, a lack of action, moralambiguity, and simple to no sets. Most of the movie I squinted becausethe backdrop was sand. Doesn't this remind anyone else of "Waiting for Godot" by Beckett or"No Exit" by Satre? Anyone? Anyone? A war movie without war. There is acomment in the movie about how others are moving on in their life whilethe soldiers wait in the desert. Their existence has become subjectiveto themselves, a classic Existentialist thought. The Gulf War was thesetting for this story, but ultimately has nothing to do with it. Theirare much broader ideas, like humanity, compassion, and the nature ofman.One drawback to this movie is the director allows for politicalundertones to seep through. I don't agree with people who state thismovie simply lays the facts on the table. Towards the end of the moviesomeone states "I don't ever have to come back to this G*dD*mn countryagain!" At which point we are supposed to scoff because, we all knowwhat happens 15 years later. One character is constantly bemoaning thefact that we are simply "protecting our nation's oil supply." Thatfeeling was predominant in the most recent fighting in Iraq. But Iremember the general consensus was that Saddam Hussein was a realthreat when he invaded Kuwait in 1991. Thats why at the end of theconflict George Bush the first had some of the highest popularityratings since the metric was created. I think its lazy to try to laythis conflict out in such simple terms (Well, you may, if as a directoryou don't complain that Americans won't understand the movie because ofits complexity, but then push your own arguments in such simple terms).This movie is worth a watch and I think it could be deconstructed overand over on different levels. I would start by reading the book.

Robert J. Maxwell 2012-05-17 05:45:28

Jarheads Can Take It.

There's a scene in which Swofford and his fellow Marines are watchingthe scene in "Apocalypse Now" in which the Vietnamese village isattacked by napalm-bearing helicopters and the gooks are all blown topieces in a shower of bullets and jellied gasoline. The Marines arecheering wildly and the killing. They couldn't be happier that thenatives are being fried. That's what's supposed to happen to the enemy.They missed the whole ironic point of the scene, of course. The worldis simply not a Biblical one of clear good and evil. But if they missedthe point, it's not simply because a lack of sophistication and adesire to destroy is part of their adolescent nature, but because theynow belong to a system that reinforces that view.I think I kind of missed the point of THIS movie myself. I'm not surewhy it was made because it doesn't tell us much that's very new. Thescenes in boot camp, I'm absolutely certain, were vital to thedevelopment of Swofford's character and those of his colleagues butit's not very new. We've seen it before in movies like "Full MetalJacket." Not that it's filled with clichés -- the bragging Texan, theBrooklyn wise guy. Those are absent. It's just that there's nothingmuch to replace them. A football game that must be played in heavychemical suits in 110-degree heat for the TV cameras looks, sounds, andprobably is real enough, at least until the Jarheads start ripping offall their clothes while the cameras roll. Other incidents, like a truckfull of parachute flares that explodes accidentally on Christmas Eve,are a little weak in credibility although, okay, maybe it did happen.The film shows us that the Marines are bored to distraction whilewaiting to be deployed in a combat area. There is an interestingdescription of how latrine waste is dealt with. But it's a little moredisgusting than it is funny. The antics of the bored aren't very funnyto a mature audience either. And there's very little drama.Jake Gyllenhaal I don't find to be a very appealing actor, although Ihaven't seen him in anything else. Peter Skarsgaard is fine, and so isthe staff sergeant.Chris Cooper, as a cheer-leading officer, is GENUINELY funny becausehe's not trying to be. He asks his troops something like, "What do wedo with the enemy?" "Kill 'em!" "I must be going' deaf because I can'tHEAR you!" "KILL 'EM!" "Eww, now I got a real (erection)." The movieneeded more scenes like this. The first time most of us probably heardthat routine -- I can't hear you! -- was either in second grade or at asummer camp in the Poconos. And here are these bemuscled Behemothseagerly playing the same game, so steeped in a subculture that promotesblowing heads off and producing "the pink mist" that they don't realizethe reptilian level at which their brains operate.That's not to demean the Marine Corps. We need a Marine Corps, and inorder to do the job they may have to do they must be trained to do thatjob without hesitation, in the unswerving belief that it is the rightthing to do, the Biblical thing to do. And they're not "retards" ordummies who are easily brainwashed either. I taught at Camp Lejeune fora few years and was never disappointed in their cognitive abilities.The problem isn't with the Marine Corps or with the young people whobuy into the organization's values but with a larger and deeper systemthat makes the Marine Corps and its members necessary. It's a systemrooted in human nature that knows no national boundaries and doesn'trecognize uniforms.But that raises Big Questions that a movie like this, of essentiallyethnographic ambition, isn't designed to deal with. The spirit of Camushovering overhead notwithstanding, the movie is careful to avoidcontroversial considerations. Skarsgaard says, "**** politics. We'rehere, and that's that." What we get out of this movie is a picture ofday-to-day life as it was for Swofford. And the photography issplendid. Otherwise, it left me a little unfulfilled.

banterbubba 2012-05-17 03:37:28

An insult to Marines and to the Corp.

After reading pretty many good reviews and seeing the trailer, we wentto see Jarhead. About half way through the movie, we got up and left. Iwasn't a Marine, served in the Army, but I have a bunch of respect forthe Marines, and this movie showed absolutely no respect whatsoever forthe institution or the men and women that serve. It was an insult. Ican't believe that anyone gave it a good review. It made Marines out tobe a bunch of confused losers. We currently have an all volunteer forcethat consists of some of the finest trained and motivated personnelthat have ever served. They deserve much better than to be portrayedlike this. Shame on everyone who had a hand in making this movie, andshame on the people who tout it as a hit.

Landon Allen 2012-05-16 05:46:51

Not too much action, not a problem

If you're looking for two hours of explosions, detached limbs flyingthrough the air, and blood and guts, then don't see this movie. Youwill be disappointed. "Jarhead" is not your typical war movie. Manygreat war movies of the past tell stories of soldiers almost goinginsane because of the violence and death they have been cast into. Thisfilm shows how being in war with the lack of any action at all can havethe same effect."Jarhead" digs deep into its characters as it follows their quest forglory and war through Desert Storm. This quest begins to become anobsession as the soldiers are driven to their limits by boredom ofwaiting for their time to fight and the paranoia that their wives andgirl friends at home are being unfaithful. Jake Gyllenhaal plays TonySwofford, a marine sniper who, like his fellow soldiers, only wants alittle taste of war to make up for all the miserable training he hasgone through. "Jarhead" follows his psychological struggle through thishell on Earth. As he and his platoon camp in the deserts of SaudiArabia, they find themselves engulfed in pointless repetition. Theypatrol the open desert looking for nothing, they practice shooting atnothing and their only sources of entertainment include a wall hangingwith pictures of soldiers' wives and girlfriends who have cheated onthem, perfecting the art of taking their rifle apart and putting itback together, and above all, a lot of masturbation. One of my favoritescenes is when a big group of soldiers are in a screening room watchingthe scene from "Apocalypse Now" where the Huey's bomb the life out of aViet Cong camp. The look on the characters' faces resemble a child whohas just seen Santa Claus flying across the sky in his sleigh.When the war finally starts, the only action that comes for them isbombs dropping from so far away that the enemy cannot be seen and allthe soldiers can do is hunker down in their holes. Finally Swofford'schance comes when he and his spotter are sent on a mission to find andkill two Iraqi officers. Just as he has one officer in his sights he istold that he cannot shoot because an air strike is coming instead. Hisspotter, played by Peter Sarsgaard, begs for Swofford to be given theshot. When they are denied he finally breaks down in tears. I have tosay, before "Jarhead" Jake Gyllenhaal had never impressed me in anyrole he had played. He turns it all around this time with an amazingperformance, as does the supporting cast including Sarsgaard and JamieFoxx as Sgt. Sykes.This film shows an ironic side to war. Being forced to fight can kill aman, but not being able to fight has its effects also. "Jarhead" showsthat every war is different but even if you don't fire one bullet, waris war and it sticks with you forever. As Swofford says "Every war isdifferent, every war is the same."

redeagle717 2012-05-15 20:56:02

Wonderful Cinematography- False Story

This movie is a bunch of bullshit. The Marines are shown as a bunch ofperverted bastards who are brainwashed and are stupid. I've got news-just because one egg is rotten, it doesn't mean the whole dozen is.Basically, they show the Marine drill as abusive and not tolerable byany ordinary person. You know what? This is just a diss on the Marines.Who said boot camp was easy going for any branch of our military. Themessage is just not 100% true about our Marines. Overall, I believethat Jamie Foxx was and is the bomb and is very likable. The way thefilm is shot is very good and since I admire the Marines I like thisfilm, not the message of the film, because I do not believe that theMarines are the only ones that are like this. 8/10.

Lebowlski 2012-05-15 09:57:58

average movie about the war life of a US Marine Sniper with better camera work

The movie about a man who joins the US Marine Corps and "becomes"assigned to be a scout / sniper joins the Gulf.My main comment on this movie is that the story was rather empty. Lowcharacter development and no true depth. In contrast i would recommendFull Metal Jacket. Some scenes used in Jarhead even come directly fromof this movie! If you want to see a movie about the war-life of theAmerican soldier that movie is way better (not considering i know whatthat life is of course).A plus on off the movie was the way it was shot and the excellentsettings! beautifully done. Anyways, an average movie that you do notneed to see, but is a nice way to use up some of your otherwise uselesstime.

jax1491 2012-05-15 00:39:56

Ridiculous.

Unless you enjoy watching EXTREMELY horny twenty year old men curse ateach other for two hours, do yourself a favor and skip this movie. Thismovie has absolutely no substance at all and is very crude. I'msurprised this movie slipped by with an R rating. It is hinging onNC-17 if you ask me. I expected a heart-wrenching tale of a group ofmen fighting for our country and dealing with war. Instead, I wastedvaluable time watching a group of buffoons talk about sex. I know for afact that real marines DO NOT act like this. All I can say is thank godfor Fergus. He's the only one of them with a bit of dignity. No oneunder 18 should watch this movie.

johnnyboyz 2012-05-13 20:27:21

Intermittedly interesting look at the calm before no-storm-at-all in Gulf War One, which weeps more for the loss of oil than the loss of life amidst many other frustrations.

Poor Jake Gyllenhaal is in the desert and going mad in Jarhead. Thereare no Arabs to shoot and no girlfriend around to penetrate over thecourse of the long, hot and dusty tour he's doing over there duringGulf War One in Sam Mendes' 2006 film. What is Jarhead other than aslightly annoying film about rather annoying people itching to engagein warfare and spend their time indulging in frat-boy infused humour?The film is a dead zone if you came looking for an interesting look atwhat it was like fighting on the frontline of The First Gulf War, theair of relief acting as a faux smoke screen over the sense offrustration towards the end when the troops realise the war is over andsome of them never even got to fire their weapon; never even got tofeel the manly sensation of having killed someone. So much so that thefilm needs to rely on a veteran of the Vietnam War to join them on aparade vehicle once they're back home so as to raise our awareness, orremind us, of what war is actually like when it becomes obvious thelast hour and a half may have been a little tough, but guys in the U.S.Marines have had it far worse in the past.Jarhead's a bit like that, scattered and unfocused in tone and overallattitudes to its subject matter; as if Mendes himself, a director Ilike a lot, identified how lacklustre the source material really is andtried to tiptoe around that fact. The film is unashamed in its callingto mind past items so as to tell us what war was REALLY like; itsimagery persistently calling to mind past war films of old in theclearing out of the squad toilets alá Platoon; the clear referencing toFull Metal Jacket in the boot camp training sequences and thegenerality of how that is structured along with the frontline action;the oral referencing to Apocalypse Now in the Ride of the Valkyriesmusic the troops boom out of their speakers and the worst instance ofwhich sees the opening few seconds of 1978's The Deer Hunter beginplaying on a television, before inexplicably cutting to a homemadepornography movie of one of the squadies' partners with a neighbour.Such is the film's attitude to its study: the worry about what'shappening back home and the instabilities of these people's home-lifeover the difficulties and harsh realities of wartime service. For abetter film about the stagnant perspective of conflict, check out 2007Israeli film Beaufort. Gyllenhaal is indeed the lead, a certain Anthony Swofford who is in asniper regiment in The Gulf, and being a sniper, the film has an excuseto shoot everything down his scope, so he's able to 'look' ateverything through it and there's that sense he's 'looking' through hisscope and 'observing' everything around him first hand in a firstperson perspective. Swofford has very few decent memories of life; atroubled childhood and not an awful lot going on in the early years ofhis life, he sees the Marines as a sort of second chance or re-birthinginto another life or world. His raw and relatively unflinchingintroduction to this life is by way of a dopey slow motion christening,the spreading of dirt and grime over his forehead and facial area as heinforms us his combat experience "has begun".Jarhead initially looks through pro-war tints at the idea of war andthe prospect of warfare, by the end I think most of the troops arestill the same. War's treated as if it's something to look forward toin regards to these people with their "go get 'em" attitudeaccompanying a generally upbeat, pacey aesthetic the piece carries. Bythe end, it turns out to be something that came very close to happeningbut, annoyingly for them, didn't quite materialise: it's there; itcomes (to a degree) and then it goes – so what? By the time theboot-camp sequences are over, Jarhead slots down into a groove ofwaiting and stewing; the troops forever angry at the lack of action andwomen as well as the painstaking attempts to relieve boredom bystrenuous routines of having to clean one's rifle amidst other menialevents they didn't travel there to do. The problem here that the filmmakes its points very quickly, Jarhead being one of those rare warfilms that asks for pity from the audience for its characters withoutany of them ever really having faced any warfare. How would those that liked it have taken to a piece similar to thisthat revolved around young troops, American or otherwise, about toembark on the D-Day campaign? What about a WW2 film set on the Easternfront about young trigger-happy, pro-war Russian troops about to siegea German stronghold to a bumpy, upbeat aesthetic with sprinklings ofcrass comedy before ending as the siege begins? We'd feel a littlerobbed, like we'd spent 'x' amount of time with unpleasant people andthen it ended. Maybe WW2 is too much of a taboo, but clearly there's noproblem in documenting tours served in Gulf War One in this manner.Whatever the reason, the film is a celebration of soldier machismo andresilience in a location the film goes to painstaking lengths to paintas really hostile and tough. At the end of The Thin Red Line; Platoonand Saving Private Ryan, we are asked to weep for men young and oldwhose lives are forever changed in their experiences; at the end ofJarhead, we are supposed to feel for dumb-dumb in their attitudes Yanksoldiers whose tours in the desert has instilled them with a faux senseof accomplishment and provides them with stories to tell that areinfused with a pseudo sense of accomplishment, and it doesn't work.

xredgarnetx 2012-05-13 01:35:12

Anti-war?

It's hard to decide whether JARHEAD, ostensibly about the Gulf War, ispro- or anti-war. What it really is about is the day-to-day life of aMarine, and that includes an awful lot of sitting around, waiting forsomething to do. Hurry up and wait, I believe is what they call it.Like sitting in the doctor's office for an hour, waiting to be examinedfor three minutes. But these guys never even get their three minutes.Even during the height of Desert Storm war, the Marines in this picturefind they have little or nothing to do, as the war always seems to betwo steps ahead of them. In this telling, based on the memoirs ofex-Marine Anthony Swofford, it turns out to be an air war, and our boysare stuck on the ground. In the end, the film is really aboutpersonalities, and for better or worse we have seen these samepersonalities in a hundred other war pictures. The best of those flickshas been and remains the first half of FULL METAL JACKET. Watch JARHEADfor Jake Gyllenhall as Swofford, a very different character from DONNIEDARKO, his best known role. Gyllenhall's costar, Jamie Foxx as aplatoon sergeant, turns in a pale imitation of Lou Gossett in ANOFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. Chris "Twin Peaks" Cooper has a cameo as acommanding officer, but isn't given anywhere enough screen time toregister. Dennis "24/Allstate" Haysbert shows up for about 10 secondsas another officer.

Jason J. W. Lisenchuk 2012-05-08 23:11:44

Flat and Uninspired

I agree with the initial reviewer that the cinematography andperformances are solid. However, my praise must stop there.Most strikingly, the pacing of this film is painfully slow, especiallyduring the first hour which is wasted on needless exposition and setup.This would be tolerable if the film had more to say or show that hadnot been heard or seen already.The first Gulf War could certainly be an engaging subject, especiallyjuxtaposed against the current quagmire in Iraq, and the larger contextof US foreign policy in the region.The film is neither artistic, cerebral or entertaining. Although thereare references to the The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now, it would beembarrassingly inappropriate to mention these films in the same breath.In fact, if I were to rate the film internally against these greatworks of art, I would have to score it closer to a 2 or 3. It is anunfortunate miss for an otherwise talented director.Francis Ford Coppola, where are you when we need you?

MichelleMyBell22 2012-05-08 10:02:23

See Jarhead

War movies of any kind always get to me and I can't quite explain it. Ionly have one personal friend actually fighting in Iraq at themoment...but other than that no direct ties. I usually cannot watch warmovies - like Full Metal Jacket and TigerLand I couldn't finish becausethey disturbed me so much. But I digress....this movie was amazing. Notbecause it was anti-war or pro-war. It just simply told what the worldof one marines life was like. It made you think and it made you feel.And to know that your sitting in the theater all comfortable knowingyou'll go back to your own home and its going on right now. People aredoing that and worse RIGHT NOW. I cried during and after the movie.That last line 'We are still in the desert.' was amazing. Mentally (forthose who are home from serving there) and for those who arethere....wow. It was what it was. I think it just layed it out thereand you take with it what you will. I took so much away from it andHIGHLY recommend it to anyone from any political background. Sorry ifthis was rambly but I just got back from it and have so many thoughtsrunning through my head still....

lilballa08 2012-05-05 00:46:16

jarpenis

don't even waste your time with this. describing this as garbage is aninsult to the term garbage. i can find no redeeming point to this movieas a sober person. the voices are annoying, the music makes no senseand sounds like the "director" just played random CD's on his stereo inthe background, and what is up with the random photos of Useless SGrant interrupting the movie, the tired (and unoriginal attempts attelling jokes), and especially the snide remark to Joel Schumacherabout how he should've gotten a copyright? maybe if i was very drunk orhigh, or with lobotomized hospital patients, i may find some smidgen ofhumor in this. i'd give this a 0 if IMDb went so low. this looks likesomething some unemployed geek did in his garage one weekend andshould've stayed there. complete and utter crap.

sdesinc 2012-05-04 13:35:19

One of the best and true to life movies about the U.S. Marine Corps and war.

I rented the "Jarhead" video just to see what the movie industry had tooffer these days about the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), and war. (I am aretired Naval Officer with 27 years of service, several tours of whichinvolved service with Marine Corps elements.) Boy, was I surprised! Atfirst I had to work around the language, including the frequent use ofthe "F___" word. Because of that, I almost quit watching it about halfway through. But, I stuck with it, and am very happy that I did.Subsequent to my first viewing, I purchase my own copy of the "Jarhead"DVD, as well as the book upon which the movie is based - "Jarhead" byAnthony Swofford ("Swoff"), available at Amazon.com.The movie relates the USMC experiences of "Swoff", first in USMC BootCamp, then in his training to become a 'sharpshooter with a STA("Surveillance and Target Acquisition"), scout snipers platoon, andthen his 6 months deployment in the 1990-1991 Gulf War against Iraq.Surprisingly, the movie script adheres to the real-life story in thebook, with only slight variations. As I watched the movie, I becamemore and more entrenched in the unfolding life of a Marine "Jarhead".BTW, the term "Jarhead", is derived from a Marine's uniform haircut(very close on the sides and with about 1/4 - 1/2 inch on the top),which when viewed from the rear, literally looks like a jar with a lidon the top! The sometimes amusing events & occurrences in the Saudi &Kuwaiti desert are numerous, and very realistic, and do 'keep one onthe edge of his seat', as they unfold.I have seen this movie 4 times, and plan to view it often. Because ofthe exceptional portrayal of the movie's 'hero', by "Jake Gyllenhaal",I did a search on the internet and found that there is quite a largegroup of fans who have an ongoing conversation about Jake and his moviecareer. To my surprise, I discovered that he is one of the two co-starsin "Brokeback Mountain", the DVD of which I have also purchased, andwatched. (I had originally chosen not to watch this movie because ofits bad rap as a "Gay Cowboy movie".) I have since watched every moviein Jake's career, but still count his role as "Swoff" in "Jarhead" asstill his best and most poingent.If you are into realistic and gripping 'war' movies, with out all ofthe side 'crap' that Hollywood often includes in such movies (e.g.,most of the movies about Vietnam), then I strongly recommend you rentor buy your own copy of "Jarhead" Believe me, it will stick with youfor a long time.

Tracy3686 2012-04-27 18:42:45

I absolutely loved it.

This movie was incredible. My boyfriend had wanted to go into themarines a year ago. I refused to let him. When he saw the movie hethanked me and realized that while it is an honor, it is psychologicaland physical torture. I am so sick of the movies that glorify being asoldier. Thank god one comes along that tells the TRUTH. Oh and Jakewas hot so that didn't hurt any..lol. Jamie Foxx was awesome as alwaysand Peter Saarsgard was good as well. I was so into the movie I dditneven realize it had been 2 hours. My favorite part was when hes in theSanta hat LOL. The next day hes got a wicked hangover...I thought theseboys got away with quite a bit however..i don think the real marineswould put up with that crap.

buschenlightened 2012-04-27 02:47:46

an unique film from a tired genre

This is an important film to any fan of war films. The true story, toldfrom the memories of Anthony Swofford ( very well portrayed by JakeGyllenhaal) is an eye opener, a window into the way life of in themilitary. To see the way "Swoff" changes from a kid fresh out of highschool, eager for opportunity to an in compassionate, barely sanesoldier of war is genuinely shocking. What makes it more unique is thatit this isn't a movie of action and violence, it's about the mentaltoll a soldier takes during war. The film is well directed by SamMendes, who's direction, reminiscent of Paul Greengrass, brings theappropriate grittiness to the movie. Peter Sarsgaard's performance as"Troy" really stood out as well. The emotional struggle he goes throughadds another dimension to the film and at times took my attention fromthe main character. Jamie Foxx's performance as Stf. Sgt. Stykes wasalso very good, as that authority figure who acts tough but who'svulnerability shows during rough moments. Any fan of war picturesreally owe it to themselves to see this. It's a sobering portrait ofthe war inside a soldier's head as well as the conflict around them.

gonzo_440 2012-04-25 02:48:49

An Excellent film!

I rented Jarhead not knowing exactly what to think. I had wanted to seeit in theaters but was told not to. I was also told to not pay anyattention to the trailer because the trailer for Jarhead makes it seemlike an action war movie. THIS IS NOT AN ACTION WAR MOVIE. If you wanta war movie with a lot of fighting go get Black Hawk Down! Jarheadfocuses on the character of Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) and thepsychological turmoil that he goes through during his tour in the Gulf.The film displays exactly what goes on in the minds of the soldierswhen the really have nothing to do.The movie was simply brilliant. Sam Mendes did a phenomenal job withthe direction. The shots in the desert and breathtaking and the shotswith the burning oil fields are astounding. The acting in the film isalso terrific. Peter Sarsgaard does an exceptional job playing Troy.His emotionally portrayal of this characters adds incredible depth tothe film. Jamie Foxx (who I normally hate) also did a great job. He wasconfident in his scenes but also displayed sympathy towards the men inhis squad. But the film truly belongs to Gyllenhaal. He is able todemonstrate the incredible change his character underwent throughoutthe film. There are a number of scenes where Gyllenhaal just explodesand simply takes your breath away. With films like this, Donnie Darkoand Brokeback Mountain, Gyllenhaal is showing why he really is one ofthe best actors of this generation. He will be around for a very longtime!! Jarhead is an excellent movie that moved me greatly. GO RENT ITNOW!

ExpendableMan 2012-04-24 16:53:13

Sam Mendes goes to war

The indelible stamp of the classic Vietnam war movies are all overJarhead, the new movie from Sam Mendes, writer of American Beauty andRoad to Perdition. From the opening boot camp sequence that couldn't bemore in debt to R Lee Ermey's turn as the drill sergeant in Full MetalJacket, to the boys in the platoon psyching themselves up for the firstGulf war by watching the helicopter attack sequence in Apocalypse Nowand joyfully singing along to 'Ride of the Valkyries.' However, thesimilarities end there, for rather than being a Vietnam movie set in adesert, Jarhead is an altogether different beast.It tells the true life story of Anthony 'Swoff' Swofford, (a fantasticJake Gyllenhall), a twenty year old marine sniper who gets shipped outto fight the Iraqi army and the experiences he has there. Rather thanbeing met by all-out carnage and bloodshed though, Swofford findshimself faced with many long, boring months sat out in the desert withnothing but his platoon mates for company. Once there, he finds himselffalling into a routine of sleep, eat, exercise, masturbate and sleepagain, all the while waiting for a war that when it finally does come,is over in a heartbeat ("four days, four hours and twenty minutes, thatwas my war"). It is no surprise then that tempers become frayed andfrustrations come to the surface in many ugly ways (Swofford findshimself ranting at a fellow soldier at one point while sticking an M16into the terrified man's face) and the end result is deeplyuncomfortable. These are men bred for war, who didn't get to have one.In this respect it's certainly an intriguing watch and to add to theexperience, the cinematography is stunning. The desert shimmers withsuch radiance you can almost feel the heat rising from the screen andthe sight of a blazing, oil drenched field is a veritable feast for theeyes.If a criticism can be levelled at Jarhead though, it would be that itdoesn't have a strong political message. Sure, the American militarymachine is glorified in the first half then ruthlessly savaged in thesecond as men who are bred to kill break down in tears or go mad, butgiven the current political climate, many will certainly feel let downthat there aren't more stabs at the nature of the modern day Iraqsituation. Peter Saarsgard may provide a angry tirade about how they'refighting for oil, not people, but it's a brief shot in a film thatotherwise asks the viewer to draw their own conclusions.