Different type of war movie

Rating: 6/10 (8 May 2006)

The movie is about life in the marines before and during the first Gulf War. Jarhead is supposed to be a "true story" and is based on a bestseller written by Anthony Swofford about his experiences in the Marines. Both the book and the film didn't met my expectations, perhaps because the portrait of the Marines did not seem plausible.
Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal)is a brooding presence and someone with intellectual pretensions. He reads Camus while sitting on the toilet. Camus explored the practical consequences of existentialist philosophy and described the inherent absurdity of human life. He concluded that the meaninglessness of life can only be mitigated by moral integrity and social solidarity. Perhaps the Camus reference indicates that this is meant to be an existential war movie? Who knows?
The U.S. Marine Corps is depicted as a somewhat dysfunctional organization despite its reputation as one of the world's elite fighting units. The marines are shown as young, fit, apolitical, excitable, immature and trigger happy. They indulge in humiliating induction rituals and carry out pranks on each other. They also like to fight and talk about sex. Anyone of a nervous disposition should avoid signing up. The officers seem like over-grown children. The antics of the troops seem far-fetched. I know a Marine who has served in Iraq, who told me the portrait is totally inaccurate. There is little resemblance to the stoic, hard-nosed men depicted in the John Wayne WW II movie "Sands of Iwo Jima." Mendes' Marines are fragile and almost on the verge of a mental breakdown.
The war is over before our marines fire a shot in anger, but they return as conquering heroes. The film doesn't seem to have have an overt political message. Essentially there is no plot, and no denouement. Mendes is a skilled director and the acting is excellent. Although Jarhead is lively and the exploits of the marines are mostly entertaining, it's disappointing as entertainment.