This past weekend, I went to see "American Sniper." I had been wanting to see it, and I was finally able to go, needless to say, I am glad that I did. However, when I first walked out of this movie, I was not sure how I felt about it. I think it was just so powerful, and really made me think about our freedom in America that I didn't know what to do. Bradley Coopers stars in this film directed by Clint Eastwood that tells the story of a patriotic cowboy turned to one of the deadliest American snipers in the U.S. Army, Chris Kyle. For me, Bradley Cooper did a very nice job in this role through all details, even down to the look. It was very different from some of his other work that I have seen, like the Hangover. Going into this movie, I had that in the back of my mind, but Coopers performance quickly made me forget that. Sienna Miller plays Taya Kyle in this film, and gives a great performance. Having not seen any of her other films, I did not know what to expect from her, but she did not disappoint. She also deserves some points for not only playing the part well, but looking the part.
Not only was Sienna Miller new to me, but Clint Eastwood's directing was new. I have not seen any of his other films, though I have heard much about them, like Gran Torino and Invictus. I feel that Eastwood did a great job directing this film, and really encapsulating this story. He did not only focus on the life of Kyle, but also the lives of those who live in the war stricken areas. For example, one scene that stood out to me that really showed the other side went something like this: Kyle and his platoon found a family in a house when they were on a search. They started talking to the guy to info out of him on the location of an Iraqi man they were trying to find. Soon after the Iraqi man found that family and tortured them. Particularly, the little boy. And where it got worse was how. (WARNING: Graphic). They took a drill and started drilled into the little boy's leg, then into his head, killing him. All the while, the family was screaming and crying, and Kyle and his platoon looked on from a hideout. During this scene, the camera kept cutting from the family, the soldiers, and the tortured boy. Throughout the whole movie, therefore including this scene, the colors used are very neutral and toned down similar to Zero Dark Thirty or The Hurt Locker.
In comparison to other movies, well, that doesn't really exist, in my opinon. It depicts something that is very recent, and a life that many today live. All of the war movies I have seen deal early wars such as WWI and WWII. Not to say those are not important, nor were they not sad, but this movie tells a story that is very recent, and very much a reality for many. It didn't try to cover anything up, which as terrible as it was, it shows something very real.
One last thing, for a rating on a scale of 1-5 stars, I give this movie a 5 for sure!
