American Sniper

American Sniper, a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, has grossed over $428 million worldwide as of this writing. The film tells the story of Chris Kyle (nicknamed “Legend”), a Navy Seal sniper credited with 160 confirmed kills, the most in U.S. military history. Kyle served four tours in Iraq, receiving numerous commendations. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Kyle wrote American Sniper, a bestselling autobiography, based on his experiences. Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed at a shooting range on February 2, 2013. The shooter was a veteran, purportedly suffering from PTSD whom Kyle and Littlefield were trying to help. Several early scenes in the movie show childhood experiences that definied Kyle’s upbringing, including hunting with his father and the respect he was taught for his rifle, as well as the delineation of all people (also a lesson from his father) into categories of sheep, wolves and sheepdogs. Kyle is later shown as a bull-riding cowboy, spending time drinking with his brother while lamenting his failed relationship with his girlfriend. The 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, witnessed by Kyle on television, are shown as the motivating factor in his decision to visit a military recruiting office, leading to his training as a Navy Seal. The rest of the movie focuses on Kyle’s wartime experiences in Iraq and the strain his job put on his marriage with his wife Taya, punctuated by his return visits to America in between tours. Kyle is faced with moral dilemmas, injuries and deaths of brothers in arms and numerous other pressures of combat. A subplot of the film is Kyle’s pursuit of a Syrian sniper responsible for killing numerous American soldiers. A running theme throughout the movie is Kyle’s role as the sheep dog, protecting his fellow soldiers and regretting that he wasn’t able to do more to protect them. American Sniper is not a masterpiece of cinematography as it doesn’t rely on intricate action sequences or special effects. This is unnecessary however as the story itself is compelling and expertly told by Eastwood and Chris Kyle is compellingly portrayed by Bradley Cooper. The movie touches on issues of family, loyalty, duty, the horrors of war and the physical and mental toll that modern warfare takes on both soldiers and civilians. As good of a film as American Sniper is, the most moving and emotional portion was documentary footage of hundreds of Americans lining the route of Chris Kyle’s funeral in February, 2013. The men, women, children and veterans alike, waving flags and signs, were a touching reminder of the Middle American values that produced a man like Chris Kyle. It hardly deserves mention, but a small yet vocal chorus of progressives and self-styled Social Justice Warriors (SJWs) attacked the film as well as the character of Chris Kyle, repeating the tired mantras and accusations of racism, imperialism, etc. The films spectacular reception (it is the highest grossing war film of all time) shows where most Americans stand in their esteem of this soldier’s service to his country. The film is no homage to the Iraq War, and could even be interpreted as subtly critical of the war for putting Kyle and other highly-trained and dedicated men into such soul-wrenching circumstances, but this is for the viewer to interpret. The movie is brilliant because it doesn’t try to get in the way of the story. A story which every adult American, and indeed every person interested in the life of one of America’s great soldiers, needs to see.