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A black-and-white drama about America's war
Taking aim: Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle readies to pull the trigger
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Taking aim: Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle readies to pull the trigger. Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Clint Eastwood's American Sniper is a gut-wrenching war movie that dramatizes the life of US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
The story is based on the autobiography of Kyle, known as the US' most lethal sniper during the war in Iraq. His book, co-written by Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice, was published in 2012 with a similar title.
The movie opens with Kyle (Bradley Cooper) eyeing his first targets, a woman and a boy, from the top of a building in Afghanistan. It shows the doubts in Kyle's mind about killing them.
When the trigger is pulled and a loud bang is heard, the movie flashes back to Kyle's childhood in Texas. The part establishes his character as a protective older brother and also as a boy with a great shooting skill.
Wanting to make his life worth something, Kyle decides to join the Navy SEALs, during which he meets his future wife in a bar.
Then the movie is back again to Afghanistan, where Kyle claims his first targets. The next scene shows Kyle's emotional battle after the shootings. The guilt remains yet he tries to justify the killings by telling himself and others that he just wants to help other soldiers in the war.
In battle, he is lauded for killing so many. However, his guilt increases from failing to save others. The feeling worsens Kyle's emotional stability that later on affects his family life.
Kyle's struggle to cope with life post duty is the core of this movie. The movie is divided into two big parts, one part telling Kyle on duty and one part telling the life after going back to his family. The two parts merge like a zipper, building a neat plot for the entire movie.
At the beginning, after the flashback, the movie looks a bit repetitive, as it returns to the scene where Kyle is pointing his rifle at the targets. With some editing, the movie should be more concise and direct.
In addition, the transitions between the parts are really rough and quick, but Eastwood keeps the tempo of the movie smooth.
The movie has received mixed reviews. Positive reviews note Cooper's superb acting. Cooper, who received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kyle, has seen his acting improve compared to his performances in American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, for which he also received Oscar nominations.
The film has reaped criticism for its black-and-white depiction of America's Iraq war. It is obvious how Kyle has been glorified as a hero in this. To support this, Eastwood creates another character, an enemy, who is coincidentally a sniper too.
However, this character called Mustafa (Sammy Sheik) lacks context ' as he was created solely to add suspense in the movie. The same things also happen to other Iraqi characters, who are there as simple background, as the film focuses on one soldier's struggle with the people he shoots dead during war.
