By Rafael Abreu
Staff Writer
Movies have immortalized all sorts of fictitious characters, as well as characters that represent people who actually existed. By their nature, films are a dramatic medium which can portray its subjects in a variety of lights, from quite negative to patriotically positive. It’s always best to let the movie be the movie, meaning that we do not take the information that the movie gives us as pure fact. When a film represents people and events that did happen, it’s best to view the film as the filmmaker’s representation; if a film goer does want to know more about the events and people in the film, they can look it up. Otherwise, it’s always wisest to watch a film as it is — no filmmaker can ever keep their bias from entering the picture.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jason Hall (based on the book by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice), “American Sniper” is about Chris Kyle, who is said to be the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, with 160 officially confirmed kills. It stars Bradley Cooper as Chris and Sienna Miller as his wife, Taya Renae Kyle.
“American Sniper” moves at a good pace, starting off in media res at the beginning of Kyle’s first tour of duty, then going back to his childhood, moving onto his rodeo cowboy days, until he decides to enlist in the military. The film’s story definitely relies heavily highlights and there is no strong overall story structure. This is not a complaint, as real life is pretty much like this and most biopics are like this as well. However, the film does have a sort of story arc (with its own beginning, middle, and end) involving Kyle going after a sniper named Mustafa during his four tours of duty. Aside from this, the film merely chronicles Kyle through his tours, his marriage, and his relationships with everyone around him.
As one should understand, “American Sniper” is a character study, one that allows its subject to, for the most part, speak for himself. I was very much impressed by not only Cooper’s disappearance into the role of Kyle, but how the film could easily be seen as both a film commemorating an American hero and as a study on a man who was greatly affected by war and how he positively and negatively affects others around him.
While there is controversy surrounding Kyle and the book the film is based on, I only wanted to see this film as a film, as well as the different angles and viewpoints given by the filmmaker. I believe this film could have been completely fictional, talking about a fictional sniper that did the things seen in the film, and I would still find it to be a better-than-expected drama about a man who did his best to help others — sometimes at the sacrifice of his own mental well-being.
I believe the film, while often times predictable, does a good job showing a man who had trouble escaping the war, especially when back home. It’s the moments when he’s back home, struggling to get back into the regular motions of everyday life, that I find myself the most impressed with “American Sniper.” I know many, including those in my theater, would find the war scenes exciting and of great value, but for me, nothing says more about a character and the film itself than a scene with Kyle merely sitting in a bar “taking a break” before returning back to his house for good.
It may not be perfect, but “American Sniper” does its job of showing us a man who was known as a legend, a man who had a family he loved dearly, and a man who is greatly revered for saving, helping, and protecting fellow soldiers.