With the release of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' looming, it seems fitting (as it can be) to have a quick look at one of the finer war films to come out since the end of the Gulf War.
This film is so fine in fact, that I tend to often overlook the fact that it is directed by a Brit. And not just any Brit, Mr Winslet himself, Sam Mendes ('American Beauty', 'Revolutionary Road', 'Away We Go'). With strong performances from Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and deserved Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, this is a film that relies on the solidarity of it's cast and the strength of it's script rather than the blood and guts of it's predecessors.
Having grown up as the son of a USAF Tech Sergeant who served during Desert Shield, I can testify to the emotions and attitudes conveyed by the cast of Jarhead. While my father was never sent to the Middle East, the patience and frustration on display in this film still resonate with me to this day. As shown through the marines' broken relationships with family and friends back home, the time spent pitting scorpions against each other, playing American football in chemical suits and masturbating took its toll on more than just the soldiers. The time spent not firing a single shot affected every relationship in these boys' lives, as well as their relationships following the end of Desert Storm (which lasted all of five days).
This frustration, this testing of wills and of patience although painted well by Mendes, is brought to life by the remarkable Peter Sarsgaard ('Garden State', 'Rendition' and more recently the Sundance success 'An Education') who manages to own the film using nothing but the simplicity of tone. While his fellow Marines really do come across as the definition of 'jarheads' (especially Swofford, despite his emotional complexity), Sarsgaard's Troy seems a far more intellectual character, even if he isn't. Who knows? It could be experience rather than intellect. Either way, Troy's often monotonous drone leaves a lot to be interpreted in regards to how he actually feels about anything. With Gyllenhaal's Swofford, you get his heart on his sleeve. He is the central character, so it's only fair. The same applies to the straightshooting Sykes (Foxx), and loner O'Donnell (played by Brian Geraghty who appears more recently in the phenomenal 'The Hurt Locker').
Some might say that Sarsgaard is just playing a war-torn version of himself, and they would be correct, but his style and grace fit the role of Troy perfectly. His drone compliments the boredom of Desert Shield (the whole point the film is trying to make), and his penultimate scene with Gyllenhaal and 'President' Dennis Haysbert is one of the more moving pieces of cinema that Mendes has ever crafted. The culmination of 175 days of bullshit all comes crashing down in front of you, and in a split second Sarsgaard becomes a modern gem.
'What difference does it make?'
This film is so fine in fact, that I tend to often overlook the fact that it is directed by a Brit. And not just any Brit, Mr Winslet himself, Sam Mendes ('American Beauty', 'Revolutionary Road', 'Away We Go'). With strong performances from Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and deserved Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, this is a film that relies on the solidarity of it's cast and the strength of it's script rather than the blood and guts of it's predecessors.
Having grown up as the son of a USAF Tech Sergeant who served during Desert Shield, I can testify to the emotions and attitudes conveyed by the cast of Jarhead. While my father was never sent to the Middle East, the patience and frustration on display in this film still resonate with me to this day. As shown through the marines' broken relationships with family and friends back home, the time spent pitting scorpions against each other, playing American football in chemical suits and masturbating took its toll on more than just the soldiers. The time spent not firing a single shot affected every relationship in these boys' lives, as well as their relationships following the end of Desert Storm (which lasted all of five days).
This frustration, this testing of wills and of patience although painted well by Mendes, is brought to life by the remarkable Peter Sarsgaard ('Garden State', 'Rendition' and more recently the Sundance success 'An Education') who manages to own the film using nothing but the simplicity of tone. While his fellow Marines really do come across as the definition of 'jarheads' (especially Swofford, despite his emotional complexity), Sarsgaard's Troy seems a far more intellectual character, even if he isn't. Who knows? It could be experience rather than intellect. Either way, Troy's often monotonous drone leaves a lot to be interpreted in regards to how he actually feels about anything. With Gyllenhaal's Swofford, you get his heart on his sleeve. He is the central character, so it's only fair. The same applies to the straightshooting Sykes (Foxx), and loner O'Donnell (played by Brian Geraghty who appears more recently in the phenomenal 'The Hurt Locker').
Some might say that Sarsgaard is just playing a war-torn version of himself, and they would be correct, but his style and grace fit the role of Troy perfectly. His drone compliments the boredom of Desert Shield (the whole point the film is trying to make), and his penultimate scene with Gyllenhaal and 'President' Dennis Haysbert is one of the more moving pieces of cinema that Mendes has ever crafted. The culmination of 175 days of bullshit all comes crashing down in front of you, and in a split second Sarsgaard becomes a modern gem.
'What difference does it make?'
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