Jarhead Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)November 9th, 2005
JARHEAD
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
Hey, two out of three isn't bad. After two great films (AMERICAN BEAUTY and ROAD TO PERDITION), director Sam Mendes shouldn't be criticized too much about his third offering, JARHEAD, being such a pointless picture. Basically an anti-war movie that pulls its punches in order not to offend anyone, it is a boring meditation on the boredom of war.
Based on Anthony "Swoff" Swofford's autobiographical book about his experiences as a Marine in the first Iraqi War, the movie tells the story of a sniper who feels really cheated that he never got to fire his weapon even once. Airpower won the day before the infantry got to do much fighting or killing. Jake Gyllenhaal, in complete cipher mode, plays Swoff as a blank slate who occasionally gets angry and does something stupid like pointing a loaded gun at one of his fellow soldiers and threatening to kill him. Peter Sarsgaard plays Swoff's spotter, and Jamie Foxx plays his sergeant.
The movie's main recurring theme isn't warfare, camaraderie or patriotism but masturbation. Don't ask.
The guys, as well as their women back home, are all pretty mean and vicious to each other. In addition to the aforementioned scene of Swoff almost murdering another Marine, there is an episode of the wife who sends a husband a video for his platoon to watch. But rather than being THE DEER HUNTER as the tape is labeled, it turns out to be a porn video of his wife having sex with their neighbor. After finishing, she speaks directly into the camera, explaining why her husband deserves to be so humiliated in front of his fellow soldiers.
"Four days, fours hours and one minute -- that's my war," Swoff laments in voice-over at the end. The movie feels just about as long.
JARHEAD runs 1:55. It is rated R for "pervasive language, some violent images and strong sexual content" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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