BY: ORANGECHAIR
It couldn’t be Oscar season without controversy or hype and American Sniper has quickly brought both to the table. Clint Eastwood’s most recent film is based on the true story of the man deemed to be the world’s deadliest sniper, Chris Kyle. This film was very similar to the Hurt Locker (2008) but cultivated more controversy and mixed feelings because it is the story of a real man. It was a well shot film with a subject matter to cultivate endless conversation.
Based on the book American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History written by Chris Kyle, the novel’s title explains the basic plot of the film. The story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) begins with a momentary blip of his childhood, a single scene the speaks volumes about how Chris Kyle and his brother Jeff Kyle (Keir O’Donnell) were raised. The story then follows Chris as he trains to be a Navy SEAL sniper. He meets and marries Taya (Sienna Miller) before he is sent to Iraq. Kyle’s remarkable skill and accuracy with a sniper rifle makes him a quick legend. Despite having two kids and growing more and more distant from his family, Kyle finds that he has a harder time leaving behind war than his family and completes four tours. The film ends as Kyle tries to rebuild his relationship with his family and acclimate to life stateside.
It was very difficult to decipher how to feel about this film. On one hand there are scenes where Chris Kyle is thanked for all the men he saved and his only response was that he was haunted by all the men he could not save. This scene all but defines Chris Kyle as a hero. On the other hand there are many scenes where the war itself and killing seem to affect the main character like a drug, as if he is completely addicted to killing every person he is told or sees as an enemy. The film seems to act as if the world is black and white or as if each person in the world fits into two categories: ally or enemy. Chris Kyle’s main goal throughout the film is to save Americans which is admirable but that virtue is stripped away as it is realized that anybody that stands in the way, knowingly or not, is expendable including the family trying to simply have their father/husband home. The film presents our very grey world through they eyes of someone who sees it in black and white and in my opinion, that view is terrifying.
Beyond the material in the film, controversy has leaked out in the form of public response. Rather than focusing on some of the heroic acts Chris Kyle accomplishes in the film or the struggle the man has leaving war, some of the public has used this film to vilify the Muslin religion. This film is not an attack on the Muslin religion, it is an attack on war itself. Eastwood himself defines this film as anti-war. My opinion is that people are horribly misunderstanding this film and are not paying attention to the truth of what is being said. This was a film that was supposed to make the audience realize the horrors of war affect people in ways we cannot even imagine. I found it to be very difficult to watch and cannot believe how this film could be so misinterpreted.
This film was nominated for 6 Oscars. It earned itself a Best Picture nomination, Bradley Cooper earned a nomination for Best Actor, Jason Hall was nominated for Best Screenplay and the film was also nominated for Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. This was a very well done film but I do not believe it will take home Best Writing, Best Actor or Best Picture. I support its nomination for Best Picture but cannot vote for it to win. While watching American Sniper I couldn’t help but think “I remember this movie when it was called Hurt Locker.” The acting and directing were great but the story and message was already given during the Hurt Locker in 2008. Ultimately this is an 8 out of 10 film for me, something to watch, analyze and learn from but not the Best Picture of 2014.
Gold and Silver Listvision 