Excellent war movie - without much war!

Rating: 7/10 (20 May 2014)

I can take or leave war films, however, I have to say this one is pretty good, especially as it contains a real lack of any actual fighting.
It centres on one man's - Anthony Swofford's - personal tale of life in the modern (well, early nineties) American army. He's not an officer, or in any particular position of authority - he's a grunt, a foot-soldier, or a 'Jarhead.' After Saddam Hussein first invades Kuwait, the US ship out their Jarheads to wait for the order to attack. This is the story of the wait.
Therefore, we never see our Jarheads charging heroically over the top or anything similar. It's just about the wait. Now, that may not sound like the most exciting premise for a movie, but I think that's the point. Jarhead isn't really meant to be exciting. It's more of a drama about men from lower class America, who don't really have many career options and enlist as a way of making a living.
I really enjoyed it. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as the put-upon Jarhead at the centre of the film and, overall, it's well worth a watch, even if you're not a fan of war movies in general.
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