a really amazing study of one person's experience of war

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2005)

i went to an advance screening last night and i am still thinking deeply about the things i saw in that movie. Mendes does a fairly good job of portraying multiple political views; while throughout the film he weighs in more heavily on the anti-war side, you have to be aware that this is because the book on which the movie is based is written by a Marine whose opinions were biased from the start. there's no spoiler there - the movie opens with Tony Swofford's unhappiness at what he has done to himself, and proceeds to introduce the people who will carry him through the movie. as a bit of balance to Swofford's frustration with the Marines, Swofford's closest buddy in the movie, Earl Troy (played by Peter Sarsgaard) is in love with the Corps and wants nothing more than to do this for life.
even if you disagree with Swofford's opinions, there are some really miraculous scenes in this movie. the cinematography was excellent, and the desert scenes have a lot of power. it was interesting to remember back to the news coverage of Desert Storm, and compare the dry news footage of some of the scenes delivered here - true situations over which Swoff's story is mapped with such vibrancy.
definitely not a movie i'll soon forget.