Is the overall message an accurate depiction of war?

Rating: 3/10 (10 February 2015)

The acting was fine, and at times, impressive. However, I was concerned with the sort of influence that this film may impose on the public. This being, that there is a national sense of necessity to destroy those that are perceived as "evil" by those that are perceived as "good". After watching the film, the attribution of these "good" and "evil" qualities become obviously apparent: America is the "good", and those deemed responsible for 9/11 are the "bad". This is not necessarily a fact, and this notion deserves to be further investigated. During the film, there was a soldier who, at one point, questions whether or not the actions of America should honestly be considered as "good". This idea was quickly denounced by Chris Kyle, without giving the idea much thought, and asserted that what America is doing is in fact "good". An entire film could be spent in this ideological conflict, but this was simply dismissed in a matter of seconds by Chris Kyle. The asserted idea of loyalty to one's country was another prominent theme that remains questionable, for without knowing the true reasons for a country's war-like actions, how is one to know what they are truly sacrificing their lives for, or being loyal to? What is "good" and what is "bad" is subjects to one's own interpretation. The film attempts to accredit America as being the "good" and those deemed responsible for 9/11 as being the "bad", and provides graphic depictions of comrades dying and other forms of violence to justify this claim. However, this is not evidence, for the violence goes both ways. I also feel that the wolf, sheep, and sheep dog metaphor was entirely inaccurate. The sheep were considered to be the innocent citizens, the sheep dog's were considered to be the soldiers protecting them, and the wolf was considered to be those responsible for 9/11 or those who enact violence. This metaphor could be reconfigured in another way, a way that is perhaps more accurate to reality. Sheep are more or less oblivious to what is going on around them, and do not question what they are doing, but only take orders and do what they are told. The sheep dog's are those who are brave enough to ask questions in order to discover truth, in defense of those who do not have the means to do so. The wolf is the one who gives orders, and hides the true intentions behind the orders that are given. All in all, I feel that the film was meant to heard the sheep.