Gripping character study of a warrior

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2015)

What happens to a man who is exposed to constant violence?Does his humanity begin to erode? These are some of the issue raised in American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood. Bradley Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the true story of a Navy Seal sniper who served four tours in Iraq. Kyle proves himself a skilled marksman, who acts as a guardian angel for the Marines by picking off threats like potential suicide bombers. Kyle becomes a living legend.
Cooper plays Kyle as a dedicated killer who loves his team, and is a patriot.He is certain of his mission and the wider cause that has brought the United States to Iraq. This is not a movie that asks big questions like The Green Zone or Fair Game. We also see the toll that the war takes on Kyle's family.
His wife,Taya as portrayed by Sienna Miller, finds it harder to re- connect with him.Can a man be the same person after he returns from a war zone? Miller is a revelation, as the spouse who becomes increasingly frustrated with her husband.
The battle scenes are well done as you would expect from the man who directed Flags of our Fathers.
In one scene, Kyle comes very close to killing a child. You can feel his relief when he does not have to pull the trigger.Eastwood's film seems to be saying that no matter how macho you are and no matter how battle hardened, you can never be whole again.