Just Watched "Jarhead"

[KG Erwin]

As I thought, the USMC was "hollywoodized", and they come across as reckless delinquents. Sure, they are trained to be aggressive, but this film treatment goes over the edge, with the Marines as mindless "get some!" types. For one who has studied the USMC, they aren't neanderthals. Yes, they have an aggressive spirit, but they are highly trained and are taught to watch out for each other. In "Jarhead", you often see the Marines being portrayed as fighting each other and each thinking as incorrigible gang members. This is BS. I didn't like it at all, and I find this movie to be an insult towards the discipline and honor of the Corps.

Please, no politics. This is about the honor of the US Marine Corps, which I think gets an unwarranted slap in the face in this movie.

[GaryChildress]

I hadn't heard of the movie until you mentioned it now. My first gut instinct seeing the title was to think it was a Michael Moore movie. [:D]

[KG Erwin]

I must be very careful here. The movie is based on Anthony Swofford's book. He was a Marine scout/sniper during the 1991 Gulf War, and is played by Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie. While the combat scenes are done well, I'm just soured by the portrayal of the Marines in general. Perhaps Swofford's service was particularly unpleasant, but that doesn't excuse his overall view of service in the USMC, in my opinion. Anyway, maybe that was his experience, but I don't agree with the negative attitude that the movie brings forth. I can only rely on the memories of friends and relatives that served in the Marines, as I never did.

Again, this is NOT a political subject, but an observation upon serving in the military in modern times.

[Kayoz]

How terrible to besmirch the honour of the USMC. The marines haven't done anything questionable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Lejeu ... tamination

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib ... oner_abuse

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... -detainees (Who are the guards who the UN wants to investigate allegations of torture? Not marines, certainly)

Yup. I can certainly understand how you'd get angry over a movie where they portray the marines as rowdy kids trying to survive in a surreal war where they fight for lies of the government. Yes, very understandable how you're upset. The honour of the marines was nigh unblemished till this movie came out!

[zakblood]

most US films now days are rubbish regarding any war i've seen, this and Fury are as low as they can go, real junk, but better than nothing, but not by much

[Kayoz]

ORIGINAL: zakblood

most US films now days are rubbish regarding any war i've seen, this and Fury are as low as they can go, real junk, but better than nothing, but not by much

Aah, youthful innocence! One of these days, you'll learn that Hollywood doesn't stop at rock bottom. It has plenty of digging equipment to go even deeper. There's no end to "down" as far as Hollywood quality is concerned.

Is it just me, or is anyone else suddenly expecting Michael Bay to do another war movie?

[Josh]

For what it's worth... enjoyed watching the movie [:)] Jake Gyllenhaal is a good actor imho, Jamie Foxx too.
Haven't read the book, but you know how it goes with books and movies...they don't mingle well.

[Pvt_Grunt]

I saw this movie a few years ago and I enjoyed it. I saw it more as a commentary on the waiting and the boredome of war, and that "Idle hands are the devils work" theory. I didnt really notice the Marines being besmirched but maybe I can watch it again in a new light and see.

[Kayoz]

To be honest, I don't agree with the OP. There isn't much in the film that "besmirches" the reputation of the marines. Young testosterone driven men, trained to fight and pumped up for conflict being forced to sit around in the desert, and a few fists fly. I think this is understandable to anyone who's actually served in the military, and it's neither unrealistic nor insulting. It's a reality of modern conflict and combat arms training. Perhaps the movie failed to clearly put it in context, but that's the viewer's problem of not understanding the context of military life and the inside jokes, not the director's. My opinion - find out more of the character's perspective before you identify it as "bad" or not.

But maybe the OP got a bad taste in his mouth because he's never worn a uniform and won't understand this. Hard to put into words. I'll have a punch up with a fellow squaddie, but that doesn't mean I won't have his back if some outsider takes a swing at him. (reality note - past tense, no longer serving, and no I wasn't a bloody marine - not dumb enough)

Edit:
As a note, I'm not bothered by this nor any other movie. The reality of marines being ordered to partake in CIA interrogations, being knowingly exposed to poisoned tainted water by marine officers, and being "serviced" by profit-driven companies like Halliburton. That's dishonourable and should raise one's ire. Not a sodding film. Hollywood and reality rarely meet, and even less so where war is concerned.

Also, stop being a baby. Hollywood makes movies which portrays other professions in a bad light. Scientists are evil monster-makers. Cops are drug dealing psychopaths. Accountants are all weak and physically ineffectual rule-quoters. The list goes on. You don't see these other professions cry. Wipe your tears and grow up. Others deal with being portrayed in a less than wonderful light. Deal with it.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Josh

For what it's worth... enjoyed watching the movie [:)] Jake Gyllenhaal is a good actor imho, Jamie Foxx too.
Haven't read the book, but you know how it goes with books and movies...they don't mingle well.

I like this actor too. And he seems like a humble and nice guy. He's done an amazing job in Nightcrawler [X(] I like when actors accept to portray really negative personages. And his personage is indeed a sick bast*rd [:D]

[Twotribes]

ORIGINAL: Kayoz

To be honest, I don't agree with the OP. There isn't much in the film that "besmirches" the reputation of the marines. Young testosterone driven men, trained to fight and pumped up for conflict being forced to sit around in the desert, and a few fists fly. I think this is understandable to anyone who's actually served in the military, and it's neither unrealistic nor insulting. It's a reality of modern conflict and combat arms training. Perhaps the movie failed to clearly put it in context, but that's the viewer's problem of not understanding the context of military life and the inside jokes, not the director's. My opinion - find out more of the character's perspective before you identify it as "bad" or not.

But maybe the OP got a bad taste in his mouth because he's never worn a uniform and won't understand this. Hard to put into words. I'll have a punch up with a fellow squaddie, but that doesn't mean I won't have his back if some outsider takes a swing at him. (reality note - past tense, no longer serving, and no I wasn't a bloody marine - not dumb enough)

Edit:
As a note, I'm not bothered by this nor any other movie. The reality of marines being ordered to partake in CIA interrogations, being knowingly exposed to poisoned tainted water by marine officers, and being "serviced" by profit-driven companies like Halliburton. That's dishonourable and should raise one's ire. Not a sodding film. Hollywood and reality rarely meet, and even less so where war is concerned.

Also, stop being a baby. Hollywood makes movies which portrays other professions in a bad light. Scientists are evil monster-makers. Cops are drug dealing psychopaths. Accountants are all weak and physically ineffectual rule-quoters. The list goes on. You don't see these other professions cry. Wipe your tears and grow up. Others deal with being portrayed in a less than wonderful light. Deal with it.

Ya your opinion as noted in the first two replies to this thread pretty much ensure no one with any intelligence is going to pay much attention to you now.

[Kayoz]

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

Ya your opinion as noted in the first two replies to this thread pretty much ensure no one with any intelligence is going to pay much attention to you now.

By your own statement, you are not "one of any intelligence".

Isn't this wonderful that we agree on things so quickly? This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[t001001001]

I like Glennhahl, I think he's a great actor. All his movies are good.

Jarhead was excellent. Really enjoyed the movie. 2 thumbs way up.

I don't see how it trashes the Marine Corps [&:] It's a movie of soldiers doing what they do, mostly just waiting around.

Favorite scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Bk_B8dW3Y

"LEFT SOMETHING IN THERE FOR U. NOT TOO HARD, NOT TOO SOFT. PERFECT."

[Erik Rutins]

Hi everyone,

Please keep it civil and please keep politics out of it. Thanks.

[Jeffrey H.]

I didn't like the movie it seemed too contrived to make some artificial point. I've almost completely forgotten about it.

I did like the movie called "The Thin Red Line" which everybody else seemed to not like.

[Twotribes]

ORIGINAL: Jeffrey H.

I didn't like the movie it seemed too contrived to make some artificial point. I've almost completely forgotten about it.

I did like the movie called "The Thin Red Line" which everybody else seemed to not like.

With Penn? Ya that movie blew chunks.

[AlisiusPrime]

[font="Arial"][/font]"Predestination" starring Ethan Hawk. It came out recently with mixed reviews, and is highly underrated. In my humble opinion it's one of, if not the greatest time travel movie ever written and produced. It's classic uniqueness and stand-alone outstanding feature is not even mentioned by any of the critics I've read: It's the only time travel film whose major multiple and separate characters are the same person in each of the many scenes and time venues, and the editing is such that the events make sense to the audience, i.e., the distance of the one character is not separate to each of the others is made wonderfully clear. May I also say that the only other movie that comes close to it in screenplay excellence & editing imagination is "The Time Traveler's Wife." It's a must see if you're a movie buff.

[gradenko2k]

It's a somewhat common problem with depictions of war in media that any accurate depiction of it is going to end up glorifying it. Apocalypse Now, Born on the Fourth of July and many others cannot ever seem to pull off an anti-war message because the same combat that people seek to avoid is the same combat that provides visceral excitement.

I mean, don't you think it says something about the viewer when the worst thing that can be said about Fury is its inaccuracies with regards to tank and infantry tactics, rather than any sort of reflection on the humanity of the characters therein?

It's in that light that I think Jarhead succeeds. If you didn't like it, good; you weren't supposed to.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

It's a somewhat common problem with depictions of war in media that any accurate depiction of it is going to end up glorifying it. Apocalypse Now, Born on the Fourth of July and many others cannot ever seem to pull off an anti-war message because the same combat that people seek to avoid is the same combat that provides visceral excitement.

Isn't that the appeal in Hammer's Slammers and Warhammer 40,000?

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

It's in that light that I think Jarhead succeeds. If you didn't like it, good; you weren't supposed to.

+100, well stated Gradenko.