Jarhead
Universal Pictures | Release Date: November 4, 2005
7.1
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 285 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
196
Mixed:
54
Negative:
35
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
8
Semperfichick20Dec 31, 2011
Most of the people who have had something negative say about the movie are most likely stuck up civilians who always get what they want. To actually relate to this film you have to be a jarhead yourself. I found this movie very comfortingMost of the people who have had something negative say about the movie are most likely stuck up civilians who always get what they want. To actually relate to this film you have to be a jarhead yourself. I found this movie very comforting because I can relate to it. No marines wear suits like that in 112 degree weather but that didn't detract my view of the movie. I gave this movie an 8 because marines go through things like that including suicide. Good job representing the devil dogs. Oorah!… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
10
JamesM.Nov 6, 2005
I am surprised that this didn't recieve a better score than it did. A huge majority of the reviews that I've read say how 'terrible' the film is because it has no huge forward motion into action or anything. But, excuse I am surprised that this didn't recieve a better score than it did. A huge majority of the reviews that I've read say how 'terrible' the film is because it has no huge forward motion into action or anything. But, excuse me, but Isn't that the whole idea? I'm sorry, but I loved the fact that this was an actionless war film. Not all war veterns see action all the time like in some other war films, so it's a relief to see some change in the genre. I recommend this movie to anyone who doesnt have a problem with a near actionless story. If you come in to this film looking for a good action film, you're going to be bored. If you go in to it looking for a character driven story, then you'll enjoy it.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
8
The3AcademySinsOct 20, 2017
This is a film that does not pull its punches when it comes to visualizing all aspects of war. It really gets the terror and despair but really broke new ground when it came to showcasing uneasy camaraderie and ESPECIALLY showing boredom.This is a film that does not pull its punches when it comes to visualizing all aspects of war. It really gets the terror and despair but really broke new ground when it came to showcasing uneasy camaraderie and ESPECIALLY showing boredom. Jake Gyllenhal gives an incredible performance, and the great script and visuals will leave an impression on you.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
7
glommanMay 21, 2020
It's a pretty solid movie depicting the horrors of war in a very cynical light. What I missed, though, was some sort of clear objective or better written characters with actual development, instead everybody behaves in the same melodramatic,It's a pretty solid movie depicting the horrors of war in a very cynical light. What I missed, though, was some sort of clear objective or better written characters with actual development, instead everybody behaves in the same melodramatic, but still very brunt, way over the entire movie.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
10
walou213Dec 16, 2019
how could it be rated 58 by paid critics is crazy, no doubt why it get a 71 from users : it's literally one of the best war movie.
In my opinion, it is as good as a full metal jacket at showing war through the screen. I mean real war, not rambo.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
5
Onlyclassicvg1Jun 3, 2022
surprised that this didn't recieve a better score than it did. A huge majority of the reviews that I've read say how 'terrible' the film is because it has no huge forward motion into action or anything.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
3
JoeB.Jan 29, 2007
If they were trying to show the boredom of war, they succeeded pretty well, because this movie is pretty boring and pointless. Very little entertainment value. Boy, I sure hope the real Marines aren't really like that.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JeroenV.Jan 4, 2009
The actors are great, the music is great, the atmosphere is great and the movie is great.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JakeE.Nov 5, 2005
Good performances in a movie that was a bit outstretched and needed more action. Interesting aspect on the war however. More the war that went on in the soldiers minds.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
IronC.Nov 7, 2005
At first, this movie was funny as hell! It made me laugh. A lot of masterbation jokes...then they hit the desert... I felt sick after this part in the film. Not from the action in it. In fact there really was no action in this film. It was At first, this movie was funny as hell! It made me laugh. A lot of masterbation jokes...then they hit the desert... I felt sick after this part in the film. Not from the action in it. In fact there really was no action in this film. It was the mind set of the Marines and what they saw in the Gulf that messed with me. They wanted to kill. That messed with me. The pills they had to take, the burning oil wells, that horse, the endless air strikes, this movie had such powerful cinematography/imagery in it... If you went to see an action film, I recomend Black Hawk Down or something like that for modern warfare movie cause JARHEAD is a mind-f...… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
ChrisNov 7, 2005
Wow...this movie blew me away. I am not all that surprised that the US Media is panning the reviews. They really want to see "war" don't they? Well, this is far deeper than that.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
DavidMar 21, 2006
The movie evoked no emotions in me. Pointless and plotless.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JoeJul 4, 2007
Talk about missing the point. In an age of hi-tech weaponry the soldier's role is something of a grey area - a point the film makes with some visual muscle.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
SteveW.Aug 15, 2007
i clapped at the end of this movie - i thought it was interesting in not following a predictable script and faithful to the plethora of information that was in the book, i think those who read the book would appreciate the movie better. And i clapped at the end of this movie - i thought it was interesting in not following a predictable script and faithful to the plethora of information that was in the book, i think those who read the book would appreciate the movie better. And yes the detailing of male sexuality in the military is not for everyone's delicate ears, but it happens and probably a lot more obscene than this.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FranH.Nov 10, 2005
I have many family members who have or are serving this country. I thought the movie was on target. I'm glad it was'nt blood and guts or making any political statement. Leave that to Michael Moore. Jake rocks.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
LaurenW.Nov 14, 2005
I thought this was a great movie. Any arguement that there wasnt enough killing completely missed the point of the movie. Unfortunately people like that are the reason that film makers feel the need to explain the movie at the end.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AlexandraK.Nov 20, 2005
When the movie ended people just sat a staired in aww... Now that's an amazing movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RickK.Nov 4, 2005
It's funny how the only 2 "negative" reviews by "professional" critics ARE negative because of minute details they don't care for. Being in OIF in the Army I saw Iraq first-hand, not from a movie theater whining about not enough It's funny how the only 2 "negative" reviews by "professional" critics ARE negative because of minute details they don't care for. Being in OIF in the Army I saw Iraq first-hand, not from a movie theater whining about not enough butter on my popcorn like the critics who didn't like this movie. The moral of this you ask? It's simple: don't talk sh.t about something you don't know about aside from a movie you watched.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
GregM.Nov 5, 2005
Those who are complaining about the lack of action in this movie seem to be missing the point of it. If you want action, go see Chuck Norris. The picture demonstrates what war has become: impersonal, distant, so much so that those who Those who are complaining about the lack of action in this movie seem to be missing the point of it. If you want action, go see Chuck Norris. The picture demonstrates what war has become: impersonal, distant, so much so that those who trained for it find they have nothing to do in it--that it's all happening miles away. That in fact they are unnecessary. And we actually sympathize with them when their only triggerpull is foiled--very absurd. Gyllenhal is great, and Saarsgard even better. He is bound, I think, for great things. It is not a revolutionary movie on the scale of Apocalypse Now, but it is worth seeing, unquestionably, and is far better than rated here.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
DoctaNov 5, 2005
It might not have a very clear point about anything, and it isn't really all that original, but it's extremely entertaining nonetheless. The script is hilarious and the performances do it justice.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
AndrewK.Nov 7, 2005
Boring. This movie has such a lack of a plot. Its one of those films where they try to pull off showing you just a bunch of stuff that happens, without any clear storyline to carry it along. Obviously, when it comes to real life, we Boring. This movie has such a lack of a plot. Its one of those films where they try to pull off showing you just a bunch of stuff that happens, without any clear storyline to carry it along. Obviously, when it comes to real life, we don't have perfect little conclusions to different parts of our lives, but I think that that's a good reason not to turn some true stories into movies. I don't know about the actual book, because it might have had a much more clear plot. Or not a plot, really, but at least more of a sense of closure. A lot of people on here have been railing at the REAL critics for saying not enough happened during the film, and mistaking this to mean that the critics were expecting it to be an "action" film. Honestly, I don't really care for action films. And if I thought that that was all this movie was going to be, I might not have gone to see it (though I do like war films, as long as they have some kind of meaning; this film had neither action OR meaning). On the bright side, many of the actors did a tremendous job with a less than brilliant script. Its not to say that the movie isn't entertaining at times, but it just leaves you feeling empty at the end, and unsure of what you're supposed to take away from it. Yes, there is the argument that the whole idea is that a lot of these guys didn't actually get to do ANYthing in the Gulf War, but that's no excuse for a lack of a real story. There are a lot of loose threads that could have been made into something more to help better translate the feelings these soldiers felt about not really doing much. Every time an occasion like this comes up, it doesn't lead anywhere. David Denby, of The New Yorker, noted that the characters are mysteries. There is obviously something bothering each of them, but we never get to find out exactly what. The end of the film is extremely anticlimactic. The film didn't have a political statement to make, nor did it need to. When one soldier starts to bring up politics, another chastises him saying, "F*** politics. We're here now." I took this line to be like an aside from the writer, or maybe even Sam Mendes, as if to say, "That's not what this movie is about. This movie is about the soldiers." Except it… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
PaulC.Nov 7, 2005
The movie is bad. And worse, boring. The fact that there is only about 5 minutes of combat (grenades exploding all around our heroes,no gunfire) is bad enough. However, when the story drags down and the characters are lifeless and The movie is bad. And worse, boring. The fact that there is only about 5 minutes of combat (grenades exploding all around our heroes,no gunfire) is bad enough. However, when the story drags down and the characters are lifeless and emotionallly absent, it really makes for a bad film. A waste of 9 dollars. Avoid at all costs!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
PeterG.Dec 6, 2005
I wish I never saw this movie because I lost respect for Sam Mendes. American Beauty was brilliant. Jarhead is flat, narcissistic, contrived and totally overdone. I guess now that Sam is a Hollywood big shot he has gotten a bit to impressed I wish I never saw this movie because I lost respect for Sam Mendes. American Beauty was brilliant. Jarhead is flat, narcissistic, contrived and totally overdone. I guess now that Sam is a Hollywood big shot he has gotten a bit to impressed with his own ego. Wreched movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
PeteMay 5, 2006
Just plain horrible. Language and disturbing content pretty accurately spelled out on the cover. It's not entertaining at all.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
ClarisseP.Jun 12, 2006
A wonderful, funny, exciting movie ! We don't see movies against war nowadays and this one is brillant!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
SandwichOct 1, 2007
It kept my interest, if only because I was hoping for a scene or maybe a line that would get me thinking. It never did. Visually, it was well done. Intellectually and story-wise it was complete garbage.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
JohnS.Jan 24, 2007
A poor, dull film. Nothing happens in this film. The worst true story ever. It is a concept which can't be done well in a film. The characters are loud and annoying. It deserves a much lower score.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
Marine0621Feb 2, 2010
Sorry America if your appalled. Yes we make dick jokes, yes most women don't make it and YES we do a lot of stupid shit when we are bored. More real than America was ready for.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
SteveS.Nov 1, 2005
I thought the movie was excellent, and captured the essence of the book very well. My wife hadn't read the book, and having seen the movie she wants to read the book too; she liked the movie a lot too. People expecting a giant war movie I thought the movie was excellent, and captured the essence of the book very well. My wife hadn't read the book, and having seen the movie she wants to read the book too; she liked the movie a lot too. People expecting a giant war movie may be disappointed, but they should know better -- the war was Desert Shield and Desert Storm, after all. The real story is the overall experience of being a Marine, through arrival, training, peacetime military, buildup to war, battle, and return to civilian life. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting is very good. He has a convincing intensity. Peter Sarsgaard is very good also. Jamie Foxx doesn't get a lot of screen time, but his part is important, and he is excellent. Chris Cooper has little more than a cameo, but he plays it well too. The directing is excellent; Sam Mendes picked up lots of awards for _American Beauty_, and he has done another fine job. The cinematography is impressive too. The screenplay does a great job of matching the mood of the book, which was a huge seller in 2003. Given the timing of the movie, during another war in the same country as the one featured in the book and movie, some people might expect a political message. There is practically none at all. It's not about why the Marines were sent off to that war, it's about their experiences as Marines, particularly Swofford's experiences. Some people may take away a political message, but if they do they're reading their own attitudes into the movie, because the movie is strongly apolitical. The one Marine in the movie who brings up political issues is shouted down by the others. The sole exception is wartime censorship; when the media visit, the soldiers are annoyed that their censorship orders go absurdly beyond protection of military information.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
davidNov 15, 2005
Dude hollywood should be ashamed.the marines in this movie r portrayed as a bunch of immatures, sex cravin. desecratin, whinin a holes. i know marine that dont and never did act like this.u will never see a troop act like this that dont all Dude hollywood should be ashamed.the marines in this movie r portrayed as a bunch of immatures, sex cravin. desecratin, whinin a holes. i know marine that dont and never did act like this.u will never see a troop act like this that dont all need to be pistol whipped.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
CappaDosteNov 1, 2005
One of the worst scripts ever written--pointless, boring, disconnected... the movie felt endless.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
JoelC.Nov 2, 2005
Take it from a vet of the gulf war era, this movie kix buttocks.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
DavudW.Nov 3, 2005
Mendes delivers a riveting movie experience. The first half of the film is fantastic. It loses it's way in the second half and is too long. Lacking a decisive end that the audience would appreciate, it nevertheless mimics its subject by Mendes delivers a riveting movie experience. The first half of the film is fantastic. It loses it's way in the second half and is too long. Lacking a decisive end that the audience would appreciate, it nevertheless mimics its subject by being ambiguous about a military exercise in futility. A military trained for a type of war that has passed it by technologically. Memorable scenes and moments that will stay with you for a few days.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RussellL-HNov 4, 2005
Please go see this movie. It has no agenda other than to honestly tell the personal cost of war. I was moved emotionally; challenged intellectually; and angered politically. Amazing. Powerful.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
RobertN.Nov 5, 2005
Some parts of the movie were funny but mostly, this movie is a waste of time. The script and plot are not very solid the whole way through...the climax is very disappointing especially. This movie never picks up pace at all. This is Some parts of the movie were funny but mostly, this movie is a waste of time. The script and plot are not very solid the whole way through...the climax is very disappointing especially. This movie never picks up pace at all. This is fundamentally an anti-war movie that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth after seeing it. The trailer did look pretty neat and if you have a stomach for unnecessary violence and sex from a negative perspective on war, you can go ahead and rent it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JessicaNov 6, 2005
From the begining one can easily tell that this movie is not like any other war movies. It opens with action and not of war but what Jake Gyllenhaal's character endures as he has " mad a wrong turn on the way to college". This movie From the begining one can easily tell that this movie is not like any other war movies. It opens with action and not of war but what Jake Gyllenhaal's character endures as he has " mad a wrong turn on the way to college". This movie contained some of the best shots i have ever seen and even tho many will agree that the movie was slow through the middle to the end then i would have to say the film accomplished exactly what it wanted. To show the disappointment and the experience of waiting. It almost is a metaphor. Great performance by gyllenhaal showing his crazy side once again… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
ChadS.Nov 6, 2005
Too much music, perhaps, in certain scenes when silence would've better described the boredom of a Desert Storm soldier? When Tony(Jake Gyllenhaal) cracks from all that sand-induced ennui, it's a little jarring because T. Rex is Too much music, perhaps, in certain scenes when silence would've better described the boredom of a Desert Storm soldier? When Tony(Jake Gyllenhaal) cracks from all that sand-induced ennui, it's a little jarring because T. Rex is entertaining us as he descends into madness. But "Jarhead" ends intriguingly because the narration(presumably lifted from Anthony Swofford's memoir) seems to be at odds with the filmmaker's attitude towards this new generation of war veteran. The filmmaker places a Vietnam veteran on the soldiers' homecoming bus, which has the effect(intended, I think) of making Gyllenhaal's narration at the end sound overblown. "Jarhead" is simultaneously too mainstream and ideologically subversive.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MikeM.Nov 7, 2005
These mixed reviews are crazy talk, and baffling coming from film critics who one would think would appreciate something a bit less formulaic. the fact that jake gyllenhal's character is reading camus' "The Stranger" throughout theThese mixed reviews are crazy talk, and baffling coming from film critics who one would think would appreciate something a bit less formulaic. the fact that jake gyllenhal's character is reading camus' "The Stranger" throughout the movie should illustrate the pure absurdity of the situtation, as the experience of the soldiers in the Gulf War are equated to the experience of unfathomable persecution. Very existential, excellent performances, beautiful cinematography that can only be appreciated on the big screen.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
ChrisM.Nov 7, 2005
Has some good lines and a few good scenes...but otherwise a bland, boring, incoherent mess filled with just as bland, boring, and incoherent characters.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
AdrianaM.Nov 7, 2005
I agree w/ James M. No need to make another "bloody" sensationalized war movie. It was really interesting to see a whole other perspective, especially on a war that seems to be having a longer more hideous real-life sequel, now.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
MarkS.Nov 7, 2005
This is one of the WORST military movies, and a complete disgrace to the marine corps, and our government. Besides the fact it has no story line and a dumb ending, the film is useless. Don't waste your time, money or brain on this This is one of the WORST military movies, and a complete disgrace to the marine corps, and our government. Besides the fact it has no story line and a dumb ending, the film is useless. Don't waste your time, money or brain on this one---remember I told you so....not even worth seeing on video if they let you have it for free---SERIOUSLY!!! This is a stupid, liberal, hollywood jerk off film.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AJSimsNov 7, 2005
Wonderful...Best movie ever made.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JoshNov 8, 2005
What are these downvoters talking about? This movie was surprsingly apolitical.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JakeF.Dec 3, 2005
Breathtaking. Moving without being maudlin.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
JorgeM.Oct 29, 2005
I really enjoyed this movie. The action was good and it had a great story. i recommend that if you are into war movies that you definnitely go see it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
KevinE.Oct 30, 2005
Nothing short of spectacular. Jarhead pulls all the right kind of emotional punches. Amazing Performances by Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Chris Cooper, Lucas Black. But a truly sensational oscar calilber performance by Jake Gylenhaal. Mendes Nothing short of spectacular. Jarhead pulls all the right kind of emotional punches. Amazing Performances by Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Chris Cooper, Lucas Black. But a truly sensational oscar calilber performance by Jake Gylenhaal. Mendes never fails to amaze me. After only 3 films he can be consider a living Directing ledgend. This may not be his best film, but it'll definatly be the best of the year… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ArielG.Feb 2, 2006
I really loved this movie. Great cast, everyone played their parts well. Another great direction from Sam Mendes. It had comedy and drama. Not much action though, so please don't go into the theatres expecting a thrilling action I really loved this movie. Great cast, everyone played their parts well. Another great direction from Sam Mendes. It had comedy and drama. Not much action though, so please don't go into the theatres expecting a thrilling action shoot-em-up movie or you'll be disappointed. [***SPOILERS***] It was a very graphic and unflinching look at the marines in training and fighting in the first Gulf War. Not just the physical aspects of war, but also the psychological and emotional (the desert heat, sleeping in sand holes, unfaithful partners back home, the futility of their mission, no right to free speech, censorship to the media, initiations, the loss of comrades, etc). I didn't see it as anti-war propaganda at all. I recommended this movie for those who are interested in seeing what it is like in the military, from the point of view of a former marine.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
CJFeb 26, 2006
A reasonable film, but by no means anything spectacular. Some unnecessary and unexplained scenes were partly at fault for it being a tad weak, coupled with its huge, long-winded build up, and hugely disappointing anti-climax.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
J.S.Feb 5, 2006
Terrific. Sadly overlooked by the academy...at least for best cinematography. I have a feeling it'll be more appreciated in a couple decades or so...when the soon-to-be legendary Mendes releases a box set. Remember...Apocalypse Now was Terrific. Sadly overlooked by the academy...at least for best cinematography. I have a feeling it'll be more appreciated in a couple decades or so...when the soon-to-be legendary Mendes releases a box set. Remember...Apocalypse Now was mixed reviewed when it was first released.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
NickS.Mar 17, 2006
Jarhead is not perfectly executed, but that fact is neglible in rating. It is many profound and poignant statements on many contemporary issues. If you're lazy or only half-interested while watching film you will probably fail to Jarhead is not perfectly executed, but that fact is neglible in rating. It is many profound and poignant statements on many contemporary issues. If you're lazy or only half-interested while watching film you will probably fail to realize it's about much more than just the profound effect of war on a human being. It is equally about the man before this change, and about the state of his society. Naturally, these themes can also strongly be found in the director's previous work, American Beauty. And a note to those unsure: the depictions in the film are accurate. The filmmaker was actively directed by two former marines, one who served in Vietnam and another who IS the main character in the film (and wrote the memoric-ish book the film is based on).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
SeamusS.Mar 19, 2006
As much as I disagree with the rating given by the New York post, it's all to easy to agree with the fact that it IS infact a plotless movie. The idea of a coherent war film doesnt really show it's self so much as the poetic As much as I disagree with the rating given by the New York post, it's all to easy to agree with the fact that it IS infact a plotless movie. The idea of a coherent war film doesnt really show it's self so much as the poetic meditiation on the war in ourselves and the reflection on the idea that many did not fight the real enemy there. The movie is full of sublties and those, may be hard to catch for those if one goes into the movie expecting a kind of Kelly's Heroes romp. Now, I'd like to point out for everyone who's arguing details like 'they didnt do this or that' that, this was based pretty faithfully on a Memoir by a soldier who actually fought in the war. I'd say it's pretty dead on. And what's an anti-war war film as a statement without it's surealism and bleak, sometimes comedic nods. I'd like to point out the infamous sequence in APOCOLYSPE (prolly spelt it wrong) NOW in which a mass is being held in a veitnam village while takes burn the huts behind the priest. There's also the great M-I-C-K-E-Y sing along in The Full Metal Jacket that cant go without taking note. In all, it's no classic so much as it's a period peice. A filmmaker now has taken a bold statement against the war in Iraq without sounding annoying and making it something that's visually arresting. Yeah, on an off note, if this movie was rated on Cinematography alone, it'd get a 4000 out of 10.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
AnthonyR.Mar 28, 2006
Alright they should off let him have that kill.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
PatC.Apr 10, 2006
Poor imitation of recent memorable war movies. Seems to attempt to show our ineptitude in war, but this is more about ineptitude in movie making. Poorly edited to boot. Makes one not want to support our troops. Bring on the terrorists - Poor imitation of recent memorable war movies. Seems to attempt to show our ineptitude in war, but this is more about ineptitude in movie making. Poorly edited to boot. Makes one not want to support our troops. Bring on the terrorists - I'm sure their lives are much more fulfilling.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
TashaC.Apr 22, 2006
The fact that a supposedly TRUE story lies outright using urban legends and BS situations is not the least of this movies problems. Every marine corps wife wasn't unfaithful as the movie tries to portray...every marine wasn't a The fact that a supposedly TRUE story lies outright using urban legends and BS situations is not the least of this movies problems. Every marine corps wife wasn't unfaithful as the movie tries to portray...every marine wasn't a pants wetting thief. This is just the absulutely WORST "true" account I have ever seen. Married to a MARINE who proudly served in Desert storm.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JamesB.Apr 6, 2006
This is a very realistic movie. War isnt all heroism and grand battles. Much of it is just as this film depicts it. Great performances by Foxx, Sarsgaard, and especially Jake Gyllenhaal.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
JeanC.Aug 11, 2006
it's a good movie, it's rare that we see this kind of film, it's brilliant! i loved JAREHEAD. Also, the actors are very good!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
ALEXA.Nov 1, 2005
Masterpiece.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
HM2(FMF/SW)Nov 16, 2005
Obviously Brian G doesnt understand that the whole point of the movie is about the marines waiting to fight and not getting to. The moving around the desert aimlessly looking to fight an enemy they never saw. As for the comments about mis Obviously Brian G doesnt understand that the whole point of the movie is about the marines waiting to fight and not getting to. The moving around the desert aimlessly looking to fight an enemy they never saw. As for the comments about mis portrayal of marines. I work with marines being a Corpsmen with them and the general census is in a warzone you lose all manners and you say what you wanna say and act how you wanna act. Because all that matters is you do your job and do it right. This movie is fantastic and i recomend it to anyone. It is not your normal "blood guts gore everyone dies in extravagent ways" movie. But a movie truly portraying war. It's not political in the sense of anti-american views, but political in the sense to make you think about war differantly.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RCNov 18, 2005
Excellent. I'm glad someone had the wits to make a film such as this. This is a new type of war film in it's own right. If you think if it more like a documentary rather than a feature film, then you'll enjoy it more.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ZakT.Nov 26, 2005
I thought the movie was excellent.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
PauldeRevereNov 3, 2005
A gripping and intense movie that, unlike what most people probably expected through nearly a year of this movie's studio hype, doesn't choose to make a statement of its own about war ("THE war," the one we're in now), the A gripping and intense movie that, unlike what most people probably expected through nearly a year of this movie's studio hype, doesn't choose to make a statement of its own about war ("THE war," the one we're in now), the U.S. Marine Corps or the Gulf War. "Jarhed" may tell us that the Gulf War was "fucked up," but most of us go in already knowing that. If there's any statement to be made through "Jarhead," its purely in context and not subtext-- be you a civilian or a soldier, pro-war or anti-war. In the way of its other contemporaries, ("Three Kings" and especially "Gunner Palace") "Jarhead" balances the reality of war and the surreality of a mind subjected to war in a film with rich visuals, tour de force acting and "realistic," some would call underwhelming, dialogue. I call it a triumph. It is, in a word, as "real" as fictional filmmaking gets.… Expand
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8
MikeK.Nov 4, 2005
Interesting to see the non combat side of a war. It was important to lace each of the soldiers with thier own personal background stories to make it more realistic. After seeing a lively film such as this, I understand how someone might Interesting to see the non combat side of a war. It was important to lace each of the soldiers with thier own personal background stories to make it more realistic. After seeing a lively film such as this, I understand how someone might oppose the war, but how can one not support the soldiers who fight it?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
DoranW.Nov 4, 2005
The reasoning for a bad review for this movie: "muddled." Nothing about this war, nor the book this great movie was based on, was clear. Gyllenhaal, Saarsgard are quite strong here. Foxx is just phoning it in.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
KellyD.Nov 5, 2005
Found it realistic. There is more to more than shooting a gun.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
BillyS.Nov 5, 2005
Start with the stark coldness of Kubricks "Full Metal Jacket", then add the visual poetic beauty of Malicks "The Thin Red Line", take away the righteous glory of fighting a war for freedom in Speilbergs "Saving Private Ryan", mix it all Start with the stark coldness of Kubricks "Full Metal Jacket", then add the visual poetic beauty of Malicks "The Thin Red Line", take away the righteous glory of fighting a war for freedom in Speilbergs "Saving Private Ryan", mix it all together to get the lonely emptiness of fighting a war for oil in Sam Mendes's "Jarhead". An instant classic in any genre, as a war movie without a political agenda- a precedent. BRAVO!… Expand
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10
DavidA.Nov 5, 2005
The Best movie I've seen this year. I think it reflects a soldiers life and shows that you don't have to kill to make a good movie. Even though I do love action movies. I recommened everybody to gosse this movie it's awsome! The Best movie I've seen this year. I think it reflects a soldiers life and shows that you don't have to kill to make a good movie. Even though I do love action movies. I recommened everybody to gosse this movie it's awsome! You won't regret it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
BrianG.Nov 6, 2005
I left this movie headed for a psychologist. This was the most depressing movie I have seen in a long time. It is basically a bunch of men wondering aimlessly around the desert looking to kill something and never actually getting to do that. I left this movie headed for a psychologist. This was the most depressing movie I have seen in a long time. It is basically a bunch of men wondering aimlessly around the desert looking to kill something and never actually getting to do that. It reminded me of Three Kings without the action. My vote it to wait for this one to come out on video.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
SamS.Nov 6, 2005
Captures all aspects in perfect unicin of the Gulf War. Understands it is not a big was and captrues that in every scene. Brilliant, touching, and powerful interactions and preformences between all actors. Shows realistic and political Captures all aspects in perfect unicin of the Gulf War. Understands it is not a big was and captrues that in every scene. Brilliant, touching, and powerful interactions and preformences between all actors. Shows realistic and political aspects of the Gulf War. A slap in in face to military wives, that is true, but that is the only fault of this supurbley acted, incredibly beautifal film. Jamie Foxx and Jake Gylenhall are only two examples of wonderful actors. Peter Sarsgaard diserves a oscar.… Expand
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10
JanetteY.Nov 6, 2005
A war movie without actual war combats, and yet with the ability to rattle the audience's emotions and to propel profound suspense and intensity. It brilliantly unearths the uncontrollerable changes g to human personities and traits A war movie without actual war combats, and yet with the ability to rattle the audience's emotions and to propel profound suspense and intensity. It brilliantly unearths the uncontrollerable changes g to human personities and traits with respect to situations. A great film for character study and the cast of actors bring stunning credibility to their roles. Never a dull moment and absolutely mesmerizing! A superbly edited film, too.… Expand
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9
SusanM.Nov 7, 2005
A really great movie, I think it was probably a pretty accurate depiction of what a lot of soldiers went through in the Gulf War. The acting was awesome and the dialogue was smart. Go see it!!
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9
RickiseidmanNov 7, 2005
Perfect non-fiction companion to Three Kings.
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9
LouisF.Nov 7, 2005
This is a very good film which is neither a new Full Metal Jacket or Platoon, though it takes direct cues from them. Like them, it illustrates the dirty and cruel aspects of the military, but concentrates more on the futility of war by This is a very good film which is neither a new Full Metal Jacket or Platoon, though it takes direct cues from them. Like them, it illustrates the dirty and cruel aspects of the military, but concentrates more on the futility of war by presenting the profoundly deceptive experience of a small group to whom the training and brainwashing left only one desire: to kill. The fact that the only death shown on screen is an accidental suicide highlights the general irony. The movie captures very well the state of waiting and eagerness of the soldiers, though it is true that their psychology remains quite obscure and their relationships flat. The effects and directing are well balanced and the meditative and anti-climactic final act is poignantt. The prologue and epilogue, granted, are standard.… Expand
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7
MarkB.Nov 7, 2005
Just before sending the boot camp recruits, training completed, off to the Persian Gulf, their superiors screen the famous "Ride of the Valkyries"-themed helicopter attack sequence from Apocalypse Now, in order to get them psyched up for Just before sending the boot camp recruits, training completed, off to the Persian Gulf, their superiors screen the famous "Ride of the Valkyries"-themed helicopter attack sequence from Apocalypse Now, in order to get them psyched up for combat...and then shut the film off. They needn't have bothered; the naive young Marines (or "jarheads") could've sat through the rest of Francis Ford Coppola's seminal Vietnam War classic (up to and including the legendarily bizarro Marlon Brando/Martin Sheen talkathon) and the guys would still have been heavily pumped for blood because, as Dallas Observer reviewer Robert Wilonsky insightfully observed, the action sequences in war movies have a visceral, electrifying effect that all the antiwar messages and subtexts in the world can't undo. (This is also why unscrupulous real-life salespeople quote Wall Street, Glengarry Glen Ross and Boiler Room as gospel even though all three are deeply moral films that detest their protagonists' sleazy behavior...and why prison inmates love crime movies and CSI reruns despite the fact that crime almost never pays in these works.) It's already been stated in many places that Sam Mendes' deeply disturbing but highly satirical film is structurally very similar to Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, except that the drill instructor (Scott MacDonald) is (deliberately, I think, on Mendes' and screenwriter William Broyles Jr.'s part) a lot less larger than life than Jacket's R. Lee Ermey--or Louis Gossett Jr., for that matter, and there are no pathetic, overweight screwups to provide diversion for the others. All that the recruits know about war they saw in the movies, and just as Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July signed up for Vietnam because of the patriotic rush he got watching John Wayne films, so many of these kids jumped in because they wanted the sensations they saw in Platoon or Apocalypse. But the main sensation they ended up experiencing was boredom (even the Mideast terrain they and we see is nothing but white, grey and beige!); this film is the two-hour cinematic equivalent of the famous cartoon/T-shirt/bumper sticker in which one vulture says to the other vulture, "Patience, my a-s! I'm gonna kill something!" Thematically, the war movie that Jarhead finally resembles the most is M*A*S*H (the hard-edged Robert Altman movie, of course, not the sentimentalized TV version) because the practical jokes that the boys pull on each other to ward off insanity become more and more elaborate and mean-spirited...to say nothing of increasingly desperate and even homoerotic, right down to symbolic gang rapes and deliberate attempts to scare off, repulse and offend the few women that appear and to break up each other's relationships with wives and girlfriends back home. I really liked the way that the characters (an excellent cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, in a career-redefining role; the multitalented Jamie Foxx, proving that last year's Oscar was no fluke, and best of all Peter Sarsgaard, erasing memories of his absurd characterization in Flightplan) realistically took turns being alternately voices of sanity, total psychos and total jerks. The final 10 minutes may strain a bit too heavily for profundity and poignancy, especially since Mendes and Broyles (adapting Anthony Swofford's book) have already asked the central question of Jarhead so powerfully and provocatively: which is worse, to train young men to become killing machines and then turn them loose...or to turn them into human weapons and then never allow them to go off?… Expand
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0
SteveL.Nov 7, 2005
This movie was terrible, should have been rated X, purely political to disgrace our country and those that serve.
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3
GregS.Nov 7, 2005
What a terrible film for the USA to offer to the fundamentalists and terrorists to exploit, to show US troops as animals, to show young US marines as pigs. How low and absurd.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JOhnG.Nov 8, 2005
This movie is good. The fact that there is no combat, or lack of political topics is there for a purpose. It has nothing going on for a reason. I saw this movie with my father, a US Military Veteran. He helped me understand that the constant This movie is good. The fact that there is no combat, or lack of political topics is there for a purpose. It has nothing going on for a reason. I saw this movie with my father, a US Military Veteran. He helped me understand that the constant waiting, Dear John letters, and bore is the way the military (and the Middle East) is really like. Much like the characters explained, my father felt like nobody cares what they really do out there. And people still don't care if they think that a 1st person of a marine is boring. Well worth the time...… Expand
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9
RichardNov 9, 2005
Apparently, most viewers wanted a bang-bang shoot-em up war film. Unfortunately, the first gulf war wasn't like that, as this film makes perfectly clear. As for those complaining about the film's politics, I have no idea what they Apparently, most viewers wanted a bang-bang shoot-em up war film. Unfortunately, the first gulf war wasn't like that, as this film makes perfectly clear. As for those complaining about the film's politics, I have no idea what they are talking about since there is virtually no discussion of politics in the film at all!. I found the film engrossing and wasn't bored at all. Well worth the money.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JaredSSNov 9, 2005
Fantastic. A perfect examination of how our current generation perceives war. And judging by these reviews, it did it's job. The "waiting" to kill the "enemy" is much more gruelling than the actually killing of the "enemy" these days. Fantastic. A perfect examination of how our current generation perceives war. And judging by these reviews, it did it's job. The "waiting" to kill the "enemy" is much more gruelling than the actually killing of the "enemy" these days. I'm glad somebody finally made a war movie worth seeing...it'd have to be the first war movie to offer a unique perspective in quite some time. Gyllenhaal is surprisingly superb. Mendes scores again, he's headed for Kubrick stature. Just wait until he does "Sweeny Todd" Oh...and Andrew K....you're so right. Maybe now everybody will wait to see what you say before posting their OWN opinions about anything. God forbid them to not agree with you. A good way to "knock" a film is to take what somebody else THOUGHT about it and pretend that it derived from the very same place your opinions come from. Stop wasting your time.… Expand
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4
richardg.Dec 11, 2005
READ THE BOOK... It is much better, and the movie doesnt capture everything the book has to offer. The movie is pointless and has no meaning to it. In the book, several things drive the soldier crazy, the letters that were sent to him, the READ THE BOOK... It is much better, and the movie doesnt capture everything the book has to offer. The movie is pointless and has no meaning to it. In the book, several things drive the soldier crazy, the letters that were sent to him, the meetings with different people, the bonds that the built were all there. The movie misses several important things. The book goes back and forth before the war and after the war and during the war, and give your his life. The movie captures the dull side of it and it is a damn shame.… Expand
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7
VeejayDec 23, 2005
Good character study. Wasn't your typical war movie which was a good thing...actually tried to do something different.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AlexA.Oct 31, 2005
the courage to be ambivalent. really a masterpiece that will only get better as the years go by.
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0
1stsgtCampbellJan 12, 2006
This movie is complete and utter fabrication and exageration. The author is a pathetic excuse for a Marine. He was a S-BIRD at best when he was lucky enough to actually wear our uniform. In my 22 years of first hand experience in our beloved This movie is complete and utter fabrication and exageration. The author is a pathetic excuse for a Marine. He was a S-BIRD at best when he was lucky enough to actually wear our uniform. In my 22 years of first hand experience in our beloved Corps, I never witnessed the unprofessional acts portrayed in this cup cake movie. Jamie Fox couldn't pass for a boot corporal, much less a 0369 Staff Sergeant. He'd get ate alive in the enlisted ranks. This movie was not accurate and a very poor attempt to make a buck off the country's most selfless warriors. I am ashamed for the author.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
GrantN.Jan 16, 2006
Many people will dislike this movie solely because they came into it expecting an action movie and its not. It shows what the first Iraqi war was really like for a soldier and was one of the best movies of the year.
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8
PaulM.Jan 23, 2006
The take on the indescretion of wives and girlfriends has a point as sharp as a knife. I truly believe that the experiences of these soldiers, the horrors and wasted time, really send the message that these peoples lives are being twisted The take on the indescretion of wives and girlfriends has a point as sharp as a knife. I truly believe that the experiences of these soldiers, the horrors and wasted time, really send the message that these peoples lives are being twisted and exploited for, the majority, no good reason.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
SophieFeb 28, 2006
I thought Jarhead was one of the best films that has been showing over the summer (aus). Some of the scenes were stunning - the oil, the openess of the desert. I think it portrayed some of the parts of the army well and it did not deserve I thought Jarhead was one of the best films that has been showing over the summer (aus). Some of the scenes were stunning - the oil, the openess of the desert. I think it portrayed some of the parts of the army well and it did not deserve some of the major slashings that it received from some critics.… Expand
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3
SeanT.Mar 11, 2006
I am appauled by this movie. I am also afraid! I hope our young men are not the psychotic immoral group that they are portrayed to be in this movie. God help us if they are...and if they are being trained the way they were depicted to be in I am appauled by this movie. I am also afraid! I hope our young men are not the psychotic immoral group that they are portrayed to be in this movie. God help us if they are...and if they are being trained the way they were depicted to be in this film.… Expand
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9
MichaelL.Mar 14, 2006
Do not go in expecting Saving Private Ryan or anything action. I applaud this effort in filmmaking. It shows the dullness of today's war effort when troops are not on the front line. You leave the movie the way swofford leaves the war: Do not go in expecting Saving Private Ryan or anything action. I applaud this effort in filmmaking. It shows the dullness of today's war effort when troops are not on the front line. You leave the movie the way swofford leaves the war: disappointed. but that's the reality isn't it? that's what makes it so good.. you feel the exact emotions of swofford throughout.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
DanC.Mar 18, 2006
Enjoyable and engrossing film. The book was better, but then, it usually is. The top-notch acting is enough to carry this film, which is well-worth seeing, if not perfect.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
AdamNov 4, 2007
I have read several of the reviews that have been written about this movie and it seems that most of the complaints are that marines wouldn't act that way or that it wasn't action packed. Well, I have had many discussions with I have read several of the reviews that have been written about this movie and it seems that most of the complaints are that marines wouldn't act that way or that it wasn't action packed. Well, I have had many discussions with Marines that were actually there and for the most part everything that happened in that movie was accurate. The only scene that was confirmed from the veterans that I talked to was the movie that contained a unfaithful wife. Even though that scene wasn't fully confirmed, some of the veterans did actually hear about things like that happening, so I would suspect that it is possible that actually did happen. Now in regards to the action, the Veterans that I have spoken with saw very little to absolutely no action during the war. It was not a bloody war like World War II or Vietnam. It was mostly fought by tanks and aircraft, as depicted in the movie, the ground forces saw almost nothing but the aftermath of the tank's and aircraft's devestation. Looking at this movie as it should be looked at, especially since the original book that the movie was based on was written by a Veteran of the war, this movie is amazing. Watch this movie if and only if you want to see a great depiction of what actually went on in the desert during that unfortunate conflict.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
SteveT.Jan 31, 2007
This movie is boring. I had more fun when I got my wisdom teeth pulled.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
Guy!May 13, 2007
This movie wasn't funny or exciting, it was DISGUSTING!!!!! Are marines really that obbsessed with sex?!?! Plus: this movie goes nowhere, it just takes place in a camp where nothing happens. I watched this movie hoping for something This movie wasn't funny or exciting, it was DISGUSTING!!!!! Are marines really that obbsessed with sex?!?! Plus: this movie goes nowhere, it just takes place in a camp where nothing happens. I watched this movie hoping for something like Saving private Ryan or WIndtalkers, and I got the story of a pack of wild animals living in the desert. Don't make the same mistake I did, and don't watch this movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MattDNov 12, 2005
One of the best movies i've seen in years. Intense, interesting and brilliant. Don't expect Saving Private Ryan thou. Nothing Exciting Happened In The Gulf War!
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3
MikeB.Nov 14, 2005
Greatest recruiting tool ever for bin Laden. The marines are shown disrepecting Islamic dead and veiled women. God help us if this is shown overseas. The marines received no good publicity from this flick; Islamic extremist will have a field Greatest recruiting tool ever for bin Laden. The marines are shown disrepecting Islamic dead and veiled women. God help us if this is shown overseas. The marines received no good publicity from this flick; Islamic extremist will have a field day with this movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
michaell.Dec 23, 2005
Liked it, creative and different, visually exciting.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
LexSep 17, 2010
Story follows a scout sniper of the U.S Marine Corps, Swoff (Gyllenhaal), from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty. Swoff and his fellow Marines, who have been trained to kill, find themselves in a brutal situation, fighting a warStory follows a scout sniper of the U.S Marine Corps, Swoff (Gyllenhaal), from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty. Swoff and his fellow Marines, who have been trained to kill, find themselves in a brutal situation, fighting a war they dont understand for a cause they dont fully grasp. FULL REVIEW: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/567447/reviews/?movie=9044… Expand
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7
TokyochuchuSep 6, 2013
Jarhead is a decent psudo-war movie. It isn't overly preachy or gung-ho. It just... Is. Perhaps that is very apt because the film is actually quite distant and detached. Everything seems just out of reach from the marines of Jarhead.Jarhead is a decent psudo-war movie. It isn't overly preachy or gung-ho. It just... Is. Perhaps that is very apt because the film is actually quite distant and detached. Everything seems just out of reach from the marines of Jarhead. Nether-the-less, Jarhead is fine surrealist entertainment.… Expand
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6
jimmytancrediMay 29, 2011
Sam Mendes has made a precious movie about the war in Iraq showing the side that nobody had curiosity to deepen and that had everything be tedious and boring. The film has an absurd psychological strength, makes us think of as human enough toSam Mendes has made a precious movie about the war in Iraq showing the side that nobody had curiosity to deepen and that had everything be tedious and boring. The film has an absurd psychological strength, makes us think of as human enough to extremes when it comes to war, how the values change significantly and the life that never makes it all erased. Great movie and worth seeing.… Expand
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8
drlowdonAug 27, 2023
Anthony Swofford enlists as a marine in the late 80’s, and having undergone his training, finds himself sipped out when the United States becomes involved the Gulf War.

An anti-war film at heart, Jarhead’s low-key approach to war and darkAnthony Swofford enlists as a marine in the late 80’s, and having undergone his training, finds himself sipped out when the United States becomes involved the Gulf War.

An anti-war film at heart, Jarhead’s low-key approach to war and dark sense of humour brilliantly capture the sheer absurdity of war.… Expand
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6
TyranianOct 7, 2019
Pretty dark war film with lots of cynicism but pretty well-made and acted. A bit depressing.
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8
StevenFMay 31, 2013
Jarhead pulls back all the things we might just think we know about war, and tells a tale of the most dangerous aspect of any soldiers adventure...themselves. Many questions are asked and often answered as Jake Gyllenhaal's Anthony "Swoff"Jarhead pulls back all the things we might just think we know about war, and tells a tale of the most dangerous aspect of any soldiers adventure...themselves. Many questions are asked and often answered as Jake Gyllenhaal's Anthony "Swoff" Swofford is welcomed in unique fashion to "the suck", the Marines in 1989 on the brink of war.
Jarhead is very different from any war film you will see, because it isn't really a war film, its a character-driven tale of personal growth, life decisions and an insightful journey through the eyes of those walking endlessly through the desert, waiting for something to happen. Its full of colourful characters, sparkling wit and plenty of bored soldiers talking crudely and finding endless time to wait for war.
Swoff is a sniper, and he never truly understands what made him sign up for the Marines, he narrates his way through different aspects of his life leading up to that one moment that he can remember and bring away with him from his day in the Gulf.
We are introduced to various members of Swoff's sniper team, including Troy (Peter Sarsgard) who is a confident yet quiet character, contrary to Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx), a sharp-tongued, hilarious yet focused and determined veteran, putting these men through their paces.
The true tsle and plot of the film is not the wider scope of war or political agenda, but a selection of characters and how they adjust to life away from home, the prospect of being in danger and the personal motivation that drives these people to react to things the way they do, and how they handle not just being a soldier, but simply living and how their own personalities pass over onto the battlefield.
Jarhead is an expertly character oriented film, sure there is some excellent set-pieces, but this is very much a dramatic telling, a journal if you will, of one persons journey, so don't expect an all out action extravaganza. But the way the narration goes, the film does sometimes seem to embellish the prospect of becoming a soldier of any kind, and the amount of humour can sometimes lead it to almost appear too comical for its dramatic context.
But that aside, the performances are excellent and varied to the point of unique qualities. Sykes loves what he does, and truly shows it, Troy also loves it but prevents himself from pursuing it, and Swoff just can't quite work out what he wants, perfectly put across by Gyllenhaal.
A true art of a film, not trying too fool the viewer, but giving them a point of view.… Expand
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