Jarhead: A Film Review

Many films cover the Vietnam War, and even more cover the World Wars. However, Jarhead is one of the only movies I can recall seeing that focuses solely on the Gulf War, and it's the only film I have seen that covers the war in any accurate detail. Jarhead follows the life of a young soldier named Anthony 'Swoff' Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) through his various stages of existence in the cruel and hostile Iraqi desert, switching from brave soldier to war-crazy lunatic all in a short time. The film is both highly entertaining and thought-provoking.

Swoff: That's Vietnam music. Can't we get our own music?

I was slightly dubious about Jake Gyllenhaal's ability to play a wartime soldier when I first heard about this picture. It's not that I think his acting is terrible. He didn't strike me as very built or tough, and he seemed a bit too tender for this kind of role. But after seeing the film, I can say that he did the part perfectly. His performance is versatile, and I think it is one of his best. Jamie Foxx's performance as Staff Sergeant Sykes is exceptional, and I think the rest of the cast did a pretty good job.

Swoff: A man fires a rifle for many years and he goes to war. He comes home and he sees that whatever else he may do with his life like build a house, love a woman, change his son's diaper but he will always remain a jarhead.

Jarhead captures the essential nasty, gritty nature of war. Still, it also captures the underlying confusion, frustration, and boredom that seemed to define the Gulf War. The film aptly shows how the different soldiers deal with the stress of being away from home. It also shows them in various stages of aggression, denial, insanity, and genuine acts of bravery. Overall, the cinematography and imagery are breathtaking, the script is well-written, and the film works well. While this is undoubtedly not as phenomenal a war film as Born On The Fourth of July, it still holds its weight and stands out in the genre.

Swoff: Every war is different, every war is the same.

As an infantryman and combat veteran, I can tell you many "hurry up and wait" moments can feel like they go on forever. Jarhead depicts that perfectly. I recommend this movie. Sure, it has its Hollywood moments, but it also shows the tedious, repetitive, mundane routines warfighters face while deployed in a war zone.