Realistic and Insightful

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2007)

This film is based on a real account, written by a real US Marine; and it certainly seems to depict the Gulf War in a extremely believable way. We see the story through eyes of Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) It's his journey through Marine life, from the trials of initiation and training, through the mental anguish of the politics and the loneliness, to the scars that get left on the mind.
Sam Mendes directs this picture exquisitely, capturing the imagery, the darkness and the emptiness of the conflict. All of the cast from Jake Gyllenhaal's lead to Chris Cooper's 60 seconds of screen time, are brilliant, every character is real, every word that they speak is part of an overall statement and the cinematography is sublime.
This movie is a truly gritty and insightful journey through the war, at no time does it try and falsify emotions or disguise the true images; yet it isn't what is generally considered to be a war film. There are no hero's or high octane action sequences in this picture; just plenty of guts and an artistic approach.
8/10 A film for purists, not thrill seekers