Jarhead

We watched this movie a few nights ago and it left me feeling a bit disturbed. The movie is entertaining enough to hold your attention but the plot is basically just these guys becoming "jarheads" or Marines. I guess that could be enough plot for some but it's not really enough for me somehow. The guys go through boot camp, get the required brain washing, get sent off to Iraq for Operation Desert Shield, spend about 200 days in the desert and see no real action and then the war ends.

The acting is good, the characters are interesting and I think the film is really believable. It's supposedly based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait. "Based on" could mean there's a lot of room for interpretation but having known a few Marines and a bunch of military guys in general, I don't have much trouble imagining that this is not far from the truth....and that is what makes me the most uneasy about the film. These guys are just a bit too crazy at times and a bit too far over the edge. I know the military isn't for everyone and they show that here as well...but wow, they really screw with these guys. And can you imagine being stuck in "the suck" for 200 days doing nothing but drills which seem pointless only so they can mostly keep you out of trouble? Knowing that if you should see action it will probably be friendly fire or some sort of accident that you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time...because they're fighting the war with bombs and not troops. But I guess it has to be better than the life the guys have over in Iraq now with suicide bombers showing up all the time and never knowing just who is on your side. Make no mistake, I have the utmost respect for our troops. But I also know I would never want to be in their place.

If you want to check out the official movie site, here it is. They've got the trailer there and a bunch of other clips Film Info. If you check the Media section there are a few additional clips from the film.