Movie lacked plot and purpose

Rating: 3/10 (26 October 2005)

3/10 This movie was filled with a type of vivid imagery which literally put the viewer into Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. Images ranging from the charred remains of Iraqis at the "Highway of Death" to the burning oil fields brought back memories of news casts depicting the situation abroad in the early 1990s.
And that's what the movie does -- takes you to the war.
It lacks plot and purpose. It skips lightly on various issues; some which people might think is pro-war, and others people might believe is anti-war. I had a similar impression from watching the preview, and it seems the movie proved all too faithful to its trailer. It left me thinking that the war debate was all too fragile at a time like this to delve into any type of real plot; therefore the movie carefully balances on a rickety fence the entire time.
And that's where it fails.
I've seen great movies that are pro-war, anti-war, and everything in-between. But they have a point, and they make profound statements. At some points I felt this movie was about how a man changes when he undertakes the military experience. At other times I thought it was about losing faith. There was even a point where I felt a type of "Waiting for Godot" genre -- as Marine infantry saw little real action during the Gulf War.
In the end I asked myself (and my friends) "What was this movie about?" They were all too eager to answer -- because the movie does leave you with the impression like it just made some type of profound statement -- yet they all paused with a long "uh" before they could really say what the point of the movie was.
I didn't read the book, so perhaps much is lost in the adaptation. I'm only making assumptions here, but it seemed as if the producers set out to make a "war film" yet didn't want to upset anyone for fear of losing ticket sales. Therefore it tends nicely to both sides of a divided country, yet adding nothing to the critical thought of a complex situation. I'm not saying every movie has to have some type of deep meaning, but this movie by its very nature leaves audiences wanting.