If we assume swofford was telling the truth, then the movie should be pretty realistic. Jarhead 2005 jake gyllenhaal as anthony swofford imdb. He goes overseas, loses his girl, complains about bad leadership, wah, wah, wah. A marines chronicle of the gulf war and other battles. It focuses on the ways that authorities rationalize war scenarios and train troops to carry out orders that are, on their face, irrational and costly. However, the book and movie have been criticized for being melodramatic and over the top in its depiction of the behavior of young marines. Adapted from anthony swoffords 2003 memoir, jarhead is a frankly intelligent and beautifully bleak war movie with very little conventional war in it. Recent examples on the web mike ferazzi lived to ride his motorcycle with his brothers, members of the jarheads, a group of bikers comprised of, well, jarheads, marines. With jake gyllenhaal, jamie foxx, lucas black, scott macdonald.
After reading more about anthony swofford and hearing his take on the movie, the war itself, and his book ive come to the realization that the movie was mostly hollywoods way of telling the story, and the book will surely shed more light on swoffords own personal experiences there. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a double masters degree in fine arts at the university of iowa. Jarhead sends a powerful message about wars psychological toll. The cast are decent at best, and they do what they can with the material, but like every other straight to dvd title, jarhead 2. In jarhead, sam mendes 2005 film about the operations desert. While underrated compared to recent films about the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Jarhead is a near perfect mix of full metal jacket and the hurt locker. Jarhead was directed by sam mendes american beauty, and it is the other side of the coin of david o. Jarhead chronicles swoffords life story, as he is serving in the gulf war period. Nov 03, 2005 although he signed the funeral guest book, she has no memory of one certain marine anthony swofford, author of jarhead, a gritty account of the gulf war and now a major movie, opening friday. Film is a column comparing books to the film adaptations they spawn, often discussing them on a plotpointbyplotpoint basis. That was the tagline of anthony swoffords bestselling gulf war memoir, jarhead, but it also neatly summed up my opinion of the book. The novel was adapted into a 2005 feature film starring jake gyllenhaal, jamie foxx, and peter sarsgaard. To view it as a war movie and not a military movie is to miss the.
Nov 09, 2005 article on movie jarhead, directed by sam mendes and based on anthony swoffords memoir of the first gulf war. After months of growing excitement, the new adaptation of stephen kings it has finally reached cinemas, the infamous killer pennywise returning to screens 27. Instead, we see this is actually a psychological drama, in which swoffords own self and his trying physical surroundings are the true antagonist. After putting up with an arduous boot camp, swofford and his unit are sent to the persian gulf where they are eager to fight, but are forced to stay back from the action. To view it as a war movie and not a military movie is to miss the point. Dec 21, 2008 drill instructor gives epic speech united states marine corps recruit training duration.
Jake gyllenhaals completely absorbing performance is a talent that i envy. Anthony swofford joins the marines after high school more for lack of direction than patriotic impulse. Marine anthony swofford s 2003 memoir of the same name, directed by sam mendes, starring jake gyllenhaal as swofford with jamie foxx, peter sarsgaard, lucas black and chris cooper. When you ask people whether they prefer movies or books, you are likely to get a variety of replies. This film is a critique on the effects of the military on our soldiers before, during, and after war and our culture surrounding the military. Jarhead is the slang term used to refer to united states marines. Ending spoiler for jarhead 2005, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. Broyles jr, who adapted swoffords book for movie, says he has read and. Article on movie jarhead, directed by sam mendes and based on. In jarhead, sam mendes 2005 film about the operations desert shield and desert storm, war is boring as hell is perhaps more apt than. Film, i feel i should preface it with my personal feelings on adaptations. To be sure, those who know the corps will doubt many of the movies.
She does take issue with the book s depiction of her son, marine lance cpl. Mar 01, 2003 jarhead a marines chronicle of the gulf war and other battles by. Thirdgeneration enlistee swofford joins the corps to escape his dysfunctional family. Jun 01, 2018 jarhead is an allstar forgotten masterpiece, from 2005. Article on movie jarhead, directed by sam mendes and based on anthony swoffords memoir of the first gulf war. Whats odd about the scene is that in swoffords book, the instructor uses swoffords head to break the chalkboard in the movie, it remains. A psychological study of operations desert shield and desert storm during the gulf war. Jarhead, is not so much about the great picture of war, even though the 1991 invasion of iraq plays in the background of the movie, but about the individuals caught up in the ridiculous situations of the moment, which bring them onto the battlefield as highly wired fighting machines, only to be used or denied their skills in the midst of battle. And all the jarheads killing and dying, they will always be me. The movie wasnt a documentary so it should not really be held to a standard of accurate reality, but as i recall from swoffords book it seemed like a pretty. Jarhead is a film about a us marine anthony swoffords experience in the gulf war. As film critics have noted, it helped that swoffords book was published shortly before the assault on baghdad, but that might not help the movie. But, i thought, why not try hollywoods spin on jarhead, a book i and.
Some people will prefer reading books and other will prefer watching movies. There are no enemy soldiers breathing down swoffords neck, and therefore no enemy soldiers presence to emphasize in this pinch point. I just finished it and was impressed most by the authors raw, honest details in regard to his lovehate relationship with the marine corps and his fellow marines. Jarhead recounts swoffords enlistment and service in the united states marine corps during the persian gulf war, in which he served as a scout sniper trainee with the.
We had watched the movie jarhead on dvd basically because my husband is exmarine and watches most military related movies. His memoir tells of the misery of training, a faithless girlfriend, boredom, the temptations of suicide, a near shooting of a comrade, and near death in a boobytrapped iraqi bunker. I found that this was one book that was better as a movie. Jarhead is based on anthony swoffords book of the same name, a firstperson account of his time in the marines, including a stint in the first persian gulf war. A marines chronicle of the gulf war and other battles swofford, anthony on. As a result, major, specific spoilers for both versions abound, often including dissection of how they end. Whatever else you may want to say about the film version of anthony swoffords gulf war memoir, jarhead, it certainly makes for an unusual. Jarhead is an allstar forgotten masterpiece, from 2005. Jarhead, based on the book jarhead by anthony swofford, is considered one of the most accurate war movies to date. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned. Anthony swoffords jarhead is the first gulf war memoir by a frontline infantry marine, and it is a searing, unforgettable narrative when the marines or jarheads, as they call themselves were sent in 1990 to saudi arabia to fight the iraqis, swofford was there, with a hundredpound pack on his shoulders and a snipers rifle in his hands. The movie, jarhead, is removed from one of antony swofford memoirs that dates back to 1991, when he was involved in a corps at desert storm.
After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a double masters degree in fine arts at the university of iowa plot. Based on former marine anthony swoffords bestselling 2003 book about his predesert storm experiences in saudi arabia and about his experiences fighting in kuwait. The film depicts historical realism and accuracies since it reveals the emotional stress, turmoil, and boredom experienced in the war. Jarhead addresses these questions in the microcosm of swoffords experience in desert storm and confronts us with a startling answer.
While underrated compared to recent films about the wars in iraq and. In the book, swofford does nothing but complain about being a marine. If russell had catch22 as his guide, it is instructive that the book swofford is reading is the stranger by camus. There is another interesting phenomena and that is a section of the population that enjoy both equally.
Jarhead is the account of one soldiers experience in the marine corps. Author anthony swofford discusses jarhead, the film adaptation of his book, working with the screenwriter william broyles jr, combining. Jarhead is a 2005 american biographical war drama film based on u. A man fires a rifle for many years, and he goes to war.
One explanation for the extensive critical attention is the timeliness of the book. I love a great adaptation, but i also believe that getting the best movie from a good book rarely means sticking slavishly to the source material. Just wondering if anyone else has read anthony swoffords book jarhead. Swofford was a lance corporal in a united states marine corps scoutsniper platoon. Field of fire has significant limitations due to production issues. And afterwards he comes home, and he sees that whatever else he may do with his life build a house, love a woman, change his sons diaper he will always remain a jarhead. Jarhead is a 2003 gulf war memoir by author and former u. For a movie that deals so boldly with the roots of our current, controversial war in iraq, its also surprisingly apolitical. This column is meant largely for people whove already been through one version, and want to know how the other compares. I recall they had quite a bit to do in the movie, but they also had free time. The film was released on november 4, 2005, by universal pictures.
Apr 06, 2016 a screenshot of the movie jarhead via youtube. S marine sniper who struggles to cope with the possibility his girlfriend may be cheating on him back home. The interesting thing to me in the movie coming out is that swofford talks about war movies even antiwar movies like platoon and apocalypse now as being pornography for warriors. Joel turnipseed, who served as truck driver with marine corps in 1991, says parts of. The movie captures the tone of camus narrator, who knows what has.