Movie: Jarhead

starts: 11/04/05 (saw free sneak preview)



I hadn't intended to start this with a movie, but since i actually saw a movie today...here we go.

Jarhead is based on book written (i think) by a marine who was involved in the first gulf war (is it just called the gulf war now, and we're calling the current nonsense the iraq war in order to distinguish?).

it's hard for me to give a good comment on this because in general i have a hard time with war movies. i find it difficult to sit through scenes of people waiting to have their heads blown off their shoulders or people who already have had their head blown off there shoulders, or people having total mental breakdowns 'cause they can't handle some of the above. should i ever be unfortunate enough to be waiting to have my head blown off my shoulders, i am nearly positive that i would go stark raving friggin' nuts.

i imagine that there will be a few government types who won't care for the movie, as it depicts the marines as not having enough or functioning equipment a few times. i think that these are important things to point out, i just wonder, with the u.s. military being such a seemingly untouchable giant, what difference it makes if all the civilians knew that all the non-civilians are each doing their own unique sitting duck impression.

at any rate, it definately held my attention, definately made liberal use of all the sorts of language (love that f-word) and bizzare activities you would expect out of a group of men under bizzarely high stress (and/or druken fraternity boys...hazing, drinking, naked for no reason...) and isn't going to make anyone think "gee, this war stuff is pretty neat", which i think is quite good.

get a professional opinion: NPR review