Overview
American Sniper is a biographical war drama directed by Clint Eastwood and released in 2014. It is based on the life of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle whose memoir it shares the name with. The film features Bradley cooper as Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife, Taya. It tells the story of Kyle’s life, focusing on his tours in Iraq as America’s deadliest sniper, his struggles with the psychological aftermath of the war, and his battles reintegrating into civilian life.
Synopsis and Plot Development
Early Life and Enlistment
Raised in Texas, Kyle is instilled with a deep sense of patriotism, a strong faith, and the importance of family. After briefly working as a rodeo cowboy, Kyle enlists in the U.S. Navy SEALs. His deep conviction in serving the country coupled with his natural skill with firearms sets him on the path of a remarkable shot, eventually landing him a spot in the SEAL sniper unit.
First Deployment
Following 9/11, Kyle gets sent to Iraq, and his first mission is in Fallujah. He is encountered with multitudes of moral dilemmas as a warfare. For example, there’s a moment in Fallujah where he makes a very decisive decision to shoot a child with a grenade. His decision making earns him a fearsome rep to both US and Iraqi counterparts. The Iraqis referred to him as “The Devil of Ramadi” after placing a bounty on his head.
A Balancing Act Between War and Home
While on breaks, he returns home to his life with Taya, who is his wife and has a child, but to his expense he is always thinking of the any friends and comrades still deployed and feeling a sense of duty to go back into action, which does not help his marriage.
The Rival Sniper
During his time in Iraq, there’s a famous story of a serial sniper from Syria who has been taking Americans out with a lot of skill. Kyle’s obsession of wanting to kill him fuels him and he uses this obsession as a way of coping from all the injuries and traumas he faced, and this turns into a kind of a narrative that always turns back to Kyle in the end.
Psychological Strain
Later on, his deployments strengthen his psychological conflicts. Although maintaining his composure on the outside, his mental health is suffering, showing signs of PTSD such as hypervigilance, emotional detachment, and difficulty reuniting with his family. The emotionally heavy burden he bears is compounded by his dedication to his role as a soldier, resulting in more than 160 confirmed kills, which makes him the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.
Final Tours and Return to Civilian Life
After his last deployment, Kyle returned to Texas with the intent of getting some rest. However, he had a difficult time on rotation due to losing a considerable amount of weight, which made him feel like he had no purpose in life while away from combat. In time, his focus shifted to helping other veterans cope with their war-related trauma, and he began to guide and support his fellow soldiers in the ways he could.
Tragic Ending
In 2013, the United States had the chance of witnessing the tragic end of Kyle’s life. While trying to help a fellow veteran, Kyle was shot and killed, permanently taking him from us. The film’s purpose was to show the last day of Kyle’s life, which was full of real footage from his funeral, showing the thousands who came to pay their respects to his service and sacrifice.
Cast & Crew
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Jason Hall
Based on: American Sniper by Chris Kyle (with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice)
Producers: Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, Peter Morgan
Main Cast:
Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle
Sienna Miller as Taya Kyle
Luke Grimes as Marc Lee
Jake McDorman as Ryan “Biggles” Job
Cory Hardrict as D/Dandridge
Sammy Sheik as Mustafa
Navid Negahban as Sheikh Al-Obodi
Cinematography: Tom Stern
Music: Ennio Morricone and Clint Eastwood (music supervision)
Production Companies: Village Roadshow Pictures, Mad Chance Productions, 22nd & Indiana Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Themes & Interpretation
Duty vs. Family
The primary conflict within American Sniper revolves around Kyle’s obligation to his fellow soldiers and to his wife and children. The harried returns he makes to the theater of war are born out of a fierce loyalty, but they also starkly reveal the extent to which conflict can devastate a person.
The Psychological Cost of War
This film showcases the invisible injuries of war, which includes PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Kyle’s detachment during civilian life demonstrates the struggles veterans face, engaging with life long after they have “safely” returned home.
Controversial Views on Heroism
Kyle being considered a national overweight war-hero highlights the controversies attached America’s fight with the modern world. The movie does take the approach that while activities may seem like they have their benefits, they can have a deep emotional impact on a person.
Alienation through Service
Although he enjoyed working with the other troops, Kyle comes off as a member of the team who, due to the nature of what he does, is left alone. In his portion of the work; kyle is a skilled invisble assassin and a lone warrior in the fight.
Voice and Style
The work of Eastwood as director is calm and as if he captures the events of people’s lives. Unlike other directors that use vast stylization, he favours the ground. His use of handheld cameras and muted color palettes captures the chaos of battle and the war. The sounds he uses, abrupt gunfire, distant echoes, and sudden silences draw people in.
Unlike their war counterparts, the domestic scenes of the characters use color palettes that are warmer and more inviting. Life that they are waging war to preserve and fight. The war-hero’s image is brought to life by his change in appearance, including adding a significant amount of weight and adopting a Texan accent.
Reception
American Sniper was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. It grossed over $540 million, making it one of the top-grossing war films of all time. Critics Cooper Cooper’s and the battle scenes, praising the Cooper’s performane and the war’s psychological bluntion and review war’s aggressing tension the
However, it also sparked debate. Some hamoered it it heirs brings the cultural scrutas from flag. Regardless, debates over the political figure and iraqi memorial bigots theme was also the eye capturing mention of iraqi
Cooper’s Sniper’s was nominated for receiving stir paddle tableau award for sound editing and best picture, garnering best sound while losing best cut other 5 other contested surfaces for the golden statuetted
Conclusion
American Sniper is still a deeply personal character and still tell as to war the unique sides of the conflict from the statistical votes capturing the loss read of and layer upon layers behind statistical and psychological marks.
Chris Kyle, portrayed by Bradley Cooper with direction from Clint Eastwood, showcases the struggles of a man battling internal conflicts from two diametric worlds. One of war and violence, bound with loyalty, and the other, love and a profound sense of duty. Kyle’s story, to great extend, is that of an imperfection and self-loathing man, instead of a flawless war hero. The film showcases the rough effects war has on a person’s mental health, while simultaneously capturing the true raw burden of self-acceptance.
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