Jarhead: La Fin de l'innocence

In 1989, Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) is getting trained in a U. S. Marine Corps boot camp by the choleric, hard-boiled Drill Instructor Fitch (Scott MacDonald). After finishing boot camp, "Swoff" is dispatched to Camp Pendleton. Anthony Swofford talks us through his Marine training and service in 1991 Gulf War, is also about an institutionalised man in existential meldown. Anthony is approached by Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx), a Marine "lifer" who invites Swofford to his Scout Sniper course. He is selected to be trained as a sniper and paired with his roommate Troy (Peter Sarsgaard), who becomes Swofford's spotter. Every man fights his own war !. Welcome To The Suck !

This is the story of a 20-year-old boy in the war of Iraq, a life that has little to do with what the newspapers and television offered. It's not often that a film captures exactly what it must have been like for a person to live through the Gulf War as a soldier, but Jarhead partially succeeds. The focus is on a youth who yearns to do what's expected -Are we ever going to get kill anyone ?. The movie's strong suit is vagueness, presenting combat as a semi-surreal state of ignorant expectation and dislocated experience. These warriors loll in the desert awaiting action or attempting to make sense of its consequences. Apart from a few caustic asides about oil and censorship there's barely a glance at life outside the barracks let alone any contemporary resonance.

It is contemporary war seen from the surface with the images of oil wells burning in the night, like comets fallen from the sky, there were recruits laughing and reveling, and full of enthusiasm, and at the same time frightened by the idea that the battle could surprise them behind the next dune or hill. However, the infernal situation in which they live is compensated with their eternal loyalties, camaraderie that nothing could break, unlikely friendships, creating a brotherhood of 'Jarheads' who have sworn eternal fidelity. A gripping and powerful story packed with hard-hitting experiences , drama comedy and many swearings and bad language.

Well starred by Jake Gyllenhaal who began his film career with ¨City Slickers¨ by Ron Underwood. After that, he made ¨Donnie Darko¨, ¨Bubble Boy¨, the drama ¨Moonlight mile¨, a disaster film: ¨The day after tomorrow¨and the interesting thriller ¨Zodiac¨. Achieving his greatest success with the highly awarded ¨Brokeback Mountain¨for which he obtained an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. He's well accompanied by a good cast such as: Peter Sarsgaard, Scott MacDonald, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black, Kevin Foster, Brian Geraghty, Dennis Haybert and Chris Cooper.

This wartime picture was well directed by Samuel Alexander Mendes , though with no too much originaly. Sam Mendes was born in the United Kingdom as part of his family of Portuguese descent. In 1996 he filmed "Company" for television, a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Thanks to his admiration for his adaptation of ¨Cabaret¨ music. Which won several Tony Awards, Spielberg gave him the opportunity to begin a film career when DreamWorks produced American Beauty in 1999, winner of the Oscar for best picture and best director. Sam Mendes is a good director who has made some successful films played by important actors , such as : Jarhead , American Beauty , Revolutionary road , this Road to perdition and two Bond movies : Skyfall and Spectre . Rating: 6.5/10 . Above average. Well worth watching . Essential and indispensable watching for Jake Gyllenhaal fans.

The saga Jarhead is made up of: ¨Jarhead¨ (2005) by Sam Mendes with Jake Gyllenhaal, Scott MacDonald, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black. ¨Jarhead: Field of fire¨(2014) by Don Michael Paul with Cole Hauser, Stephen Lang, Bokeem Woodbine, Esai Morales , Jesse Garcia, Jason Wong, Josh Kelly.¨Jarhead: The siege¨ (2016) by William Kaufman with Scott Adkins, Charlie Weber, Dante Basco , Romeo Miller, Erik Valdez, Sasha Jackson, Dennis Haysbert. ¨Jarhead: Law of Return¨ (2019) with Devon Sawa, Amaury Norlasco, Amos Taman, Nicholas Aaron, Robert Patrick .

At last - a movie that simply shows it like it is... No "Rambo" superhero-idiotic-nonsense; no overdone, melancholy, attempt at cinematic artistry at the cost of authenticity - such as is found in "Platoon", "FMJ", "Apocalipse Now" and "Deerhunter" - to name a few overrated war movies.

Finally a movie which captures the FEEL of being a Marine in the eighties... the sights, the sounds, the events - all brought back vivid memories. As the scenes unfolded, I found myself thinking "... I remember when that happened..." over and over, because my service somewhat paralleled Swofford's own, and I was aware of - if not a witness to - certain events that took place. A movie which portrays the Marine grunt for what he is... certainly no angel, but the absolute backbone of American military toughness. The barracks and field life portrayed in this movie is perhaps the most accurate portrait Hollywood has produced.

With only a few realtively minor technical inaccuracies, this is a movie whose full richness can probably only be experienced by those who were in the Corps at that time. And for that degree of accuracy, I am grateful to the author and those who produced the film. Too often producers and directors overlook the details that make a military film credible to veterans - such as the details of the uniform, the sounds and function of weapons, the behavior of the characters. Not so in "Jarhead". And the dialogue was right on.

Having read several of the other comments, it is clear to me that there are events depicted in the movie which may not be clearly understood or properly contextualized by someone who has not served in the Marine Corps infantry. Do not let that stop you from seeing the film - it is an excellent view into a world most people will never see. I left the theater feeling proud of my service, and although I miss the daily life of an active duty Marine, "Jarhead" left me feeling strangely happy to be able to look back on it - and to sleep in my own home, my own bed, tonight. Yet, for many Marine veterans, the hope remains in the back of our minds that the phone will ring tomorrow with an opportunity to go back and lead men once again - and yes, for those who might wonder, even in Iraq or anywhere else - as the line in the move so eloquently put it "Forget the politics. We're here now." Such is the fidelity of a rough-hewn few who are ready to fight when called upon. Grunts really don't expect most people to love us or understand us, but we hope there are some folks out there who might appreciate the fact that we are there. I think the movie captures that notion commendably.

I am not a professional writer, I am not a director, I am not important. I just enjoy movies. I'm not writing this to convince you of my opinion. I'm not even here to give you a professional review of this movie, or sound educated and witty. I'm here to give a layman's take on the movie and not be concerned with politics or agendas.

1: Cinematography is downright beautiful in this movie. There are some unforgettable shots. Easily a contender for this year's cinematography award.

2: This is not an action war movie. If you want it to be, find another movie. Black Hawk Down might be closer to what you're looking for, although finding an action movie about Desert Storm is kind of hard.

3: This movie will invoke emotions. And just about any person can pick out a lot of evidence to support why they liked it and why they did not. A person can pick out a lot of evidence supporting the military, and at times make it look like a recruiting tool, or it can show anti war, anti-Bush, anti everything. It will make those that like to argue and takes sides, have a wonderful time with it.

4: The acting is good and realistic. It shows the happy carefree side of war, and also the darker undertones, and not-so-under-toned evils of war.

5: The military prepares people to become soldiers, just like a coach prepares people to become athletes. And once you are one, it is hard to switch it off once a person goes back to normal life. Even quote/ unquote "desk jockey's" and those that aren't in the actual combat but provide support roles, are still trained to fight.

6: Media and movies have not helped our perception of war and those involved. They've been putting a spin on things for a while now, and they like to beat a lot of dead horses.

7: This is based on a true story. No matter how "Hollywoodized" a movie can get, it's basic concepts and ideas are still generally intact. And Swoff was actually there. I was not.

8: To me, Jarhead felt like the Full Metal Jacket of this generation. With extreme's of both "anti's" and "pro's" you take it or leave it. Full Metal Jacket is a good movie for taking the approach that it did. Jarhead is no different.

9: Don't hate on anyone trying to do their job, if you see someone in uniform, don't think negatively or positively, unless you know the person. You don't know their story. If you want to find out, just listen. That's all, nothing more. Don't just wait for your next chance to speak.

10: Find a way to see Jarhead, reserve your judgments until afterward, and if you're a jerk, then give all the snotty, ignorant, or mean opinions you want. You won't change anyone's mind, just tick them off.

To finish up, this movie will make you feel something. Let it go. No wonder people's stress levels are high. If you offend easily, lighten up. If all you can do is go around in life and get offended, then I am truly sorry for you. Now, I'm going to grab a beer from the fridge, sit down and watch a movie, to have something to do. Nothing more.

Just saw an advanced screening of this tonight. While it isn't the film that has been so brilliantly advertised, it's a very solid film. It feels a lot like "Full Metal Jacket" early on, but with more humor. Then, it becomes an entirely new animal. More of a psychological study. I would actually call this the "Blair Witch Project" of war films in that you (and the characters) know the Boogeyman's "out there," you're just waiting for him to strike. And the longer you wait, the more stir-crazy you become within your own mind.

The acting is superb and the cinematography is stellar. It's an anti-war film without being distinctly liberal about it. It's a true story, and for the most part, Mendes tells it like it is. So, you can make your own judgment about it. But based off what you see, and all that happens, you have no choice but see the absurdity, not only in war, but perhaps in some of the USMC's tactics as well. It's heartbreaking to see what an experience like this can do to young men.

If you're looking for action, this is not the film you're looking for. No heroism, judgments, insight, or hope. Just the documentation and reflection of build up, the destruction of lives, psychological torment, boredom, camaraderie, and...waiting.

JarHead was one the most riveting war-drama that is bold and yet sympathizing.

Based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book , Jarhead tells about the experiences of Swofford while going through rigorous military training in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

From the director of American Dream , Sam Mendes brings you a very powerful drama about the frustration and anger experienced by an army man away from family , away from home and away from your loved ones. It portrays the picture of pre-experiences of a soldier in the military camp and how he struggles to fight for the country. Direction is incredible but looses the steam later. Wish the second half would have been more impacting. Screenplay is decent. Cinematography is world-class , art direction and dialogues are good. Editing is loose. Jake Gylanhall is superb as Marin Swofford. He is one of most underrated actor. He emotes effectively through his eyes and has given a brave performance. Jamie Foxx and Peter Saarsgaard lends good support.

Overall , high-gripping war drama which is different in terms of story- telling. Good 3/5