A watchable, competent but morally irresponsible film

Rating: 5/10 (30 June 2019)

Well, I did not want to pay money to see this but saw it last night on ITV (UK).
I am not a Clint hater; I loved Gran Torino and Flags of our Fathers, I even loved Clint's Dirty Harry outings, especially Magnum Force.
American Sniper is watchable competently directed, but I think the writing is pretty below standard, considering the importance of the subject matter. The film worries me as it leaves out important elements if this really supposed to reflect true events. If this was an action flick written as fiction, I would have no problem with it.
I have not read Chris Kyle's book, but knowledgeable reviewers have said that it is different from the film and he is far less noble than the film suggests. I also reject the premise that a sniper is a hero. Killing someone from a long way is skilful, not brave. The same goes for drone or apache pilots shooting up some guys with akm's when they don't even see you.
Others point to the propaganda in the film, which is obvious. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, yet this is never commented on by the troops. I have known a few guys who were in US army and marines. They are not all dumb robots, they ask questions and would wonder why they were in Iraq. None of this is discussed in the film. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people died in Iraq, in suicide bombings, crossfire and US action; none of this is mentioned. A good film gives context; this does not. In his Iwo Jima film, Eastwood shows the humanity of the Japanese, who committed some hideous acts when they invaded China and other Asian countries; where was the empathy for the Iraqis here?
I suspect that this film was made with the help of the US military; that would explain the lack of criticism of the US forces or policy. Any film made with military assistance will be biased towards it. This goes for war, action and disaster films. Note that Apocalypse Now was made in the Philippines using Hueys from Marcos' army.Coppola could never have used USA equipment.
The shooting of women and children is well directed and not glamourised, but then how could you show it otherwise? I don't know if women and kids actually used weapons like this in the insurgency, but if they did, Coopers portrayal is believable and sympathetic, until the second time he may have to shoot a boy trying to pick up an RPG. Wouldn't a decent Kyle try to scare the boy off with a warning shot instead of waiting for the boy to aim the weapon?
One good element is the reference to PTSD, but this more attention. Cooper is brilliant and Miller is believable as his eye-candy wife. I found the sudden end with the lack of dramatisation of Kyle's death a cop-out. The scenes of the funeral procession were also out of tune with the rest of the film, cheesy and playing to naive audiences. I felt guilty for watching this film but cannot deny that it is an engaging story, whatever parts are true.