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Jarhead

By Al Kratina
March 8, 2006 - 11:48

Welcome To The Bored.

Genres: Drama, War
Writer: William Broyles, Jr. (screenplay), Anthony Swofford (book)

Don’t go into Jarhead expecting an action movie, and you’ll be happy. Or do, because foiled expectation is exactly what this movie is about. Jarhead, at its heart, is a film about people going into combat with certain pre-conceived notions, expectations formulated from war movies and CNN’s Gulf War coverage. The soldiers in Jarhead are the type of people who can quote everything R. Lee Ermey says in Full Metal Jacket, and know exactly what Hitler should have done to win the Second World War. If they’d received better grades in high school, they’d be winning Risk tournaments and taking Military History courses at university, but as it stands they’re reduced to bad Marine Corps brands and humming Flight Of The Valkyries every time they see a helicopter.

Starring the always dependable Jake Gyllenhaal, Jarhead follows young Marine Anthony Swafford as he’s deployed to Iraq during the first Gulf War. Gung-ho and ready for battle, he and his fellow recruits are somewhat surprised when nothing happens for about 2 hours of screen time. As was I. Essentially, the Jarhead's about an army expecting a war, but getting nothing but empty time and boredome. But rather quickly into the nothing, you do realize that this is a war film about war films, and the frustrated expectations that go along with that. Swofford expects battle; he gets cabin fever and sunburn. The characters in Jarhead walk around wearing expressions like their prom date passed out a little too early into the hotel party, the frustration and lack of fulfillment as visible on their faces as acne scarring. Bolstered by a fine supporting role by Jamie Foxx, the whole cast vents this frustration in varying ways, from sullen introversion to explosions of anger to the sort of humor college football teams find funny after half a keg of cheap beer.

Director Sam Mendes has never been afraid of taking his time to tell a story, and he certainly doesn’t change his mind when approaching Jarhead. But part of the point of the film is to draw everything out when you’re expecting a flurry of bullets, explosions and the rest of the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan. However, that doesn’t make the movie any less frustrating to watch. Ultimately, the film succeeds more on an intellectual level than on a visceral one, but that’s not a complaint. And if that’s what you’re looking for in a war film, then I’ve got a weekly game of Risk you might be interested in.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12