An epic biopic drenched in drama of the finest kind

Rating: 8/10 (27 January 2015)

"I want you to be human again." As soon as the screen goes dark and the movie begins, we are subjected to an enthralling booming bass that echoes power and might depicting annexing right. All thanks to the boom operators of the flick. A tank shows up, an apt manifestation of annihilation like a devastating predator crushing rocks, walking alongside soldiers with a mission. Not far away a sniper rests in a prone position on a roof alongside another soldier searching his target with rapt attention, cracking jokes, yet doesn't lose his concentration. Entry a lady hiding a grenade earnestly waiting for the convoy to arrive. She is accompanied by her son to whom she slips the grenade. The child rushes towards the American convoy, fully fledged, unaware of the cross-hair and bang! The deafening noise takes us to the past to the hunting grounds where a father is teaching his son to shoot.
Such brilliant direction! The prologue is so beautifully shot that you almost know that you are in for a treat. The story captures every aspect of the 'Legend' with whom American soldiers felt invincible. The flick features all his four major tours along with a melodramatic side story showing his wife wanting his husband home. What it also beautifully captures is the aftermath of war-turmoil in a soldier's head. One of the most badass scenes from the flick is the bit when Kyle takes off his belt to smack his dog inadvertently. Also, when he takes his longest shot that ranged around 1920m and executes it to perfection placing him at the 8th spot on a global scale.
There are some other gorgeous bits in the movies that have been subtly placed. Slaying a woman and a child wasn't how Kyle imagined his first kills to be like. Some beautiful dramatic pieces like Cooper shouting at the nurse to attend to his baby, asking his wife to move on if he doesn't return, his post-traumatic disorder, perspectives of people he met on war, Kyle's recovery and the final goodbye add further quality to this great biography.
A lot of hoopla surrounds the movie owing to the delicate topic it touches viz. Iraq War. Weird rumors and a lot of plot holes have shown up quite quickly for this one. Some of the facts have been altered for movie viewing as well. But if we overlook everything that raises brows and focus merely on how good the biopic really is and experience the emotional quotient of the drama entailed, we would see how marvelous American Sniper really is.
A definite watch for everybody.