Gritty and real, a true grower!

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2009)

The first time i watched this movie, I passively viewed it and I didn't take to it. Since then I have watched it more than 10 times and learnt to love it. The reason for this is the first time I viewed it I heard hype from peers saying how funny it is and I watched it looking forward to a light-hearted entertainment, however I got something completely different. An enthralling war time film that's beautiful honesty creates a real power house of a story, a plot I would soon come to love.
Swofford (Gyllenhaal) stumbles into the army, young and naive, his ignorance to reality truly captivates the audience as he is dragged threw a treacherous world of propaganda and dark reality. I thought Gyllenhaal's performance was inspiring particularly the scene were he rages at the scared timid Fergus (Gereghty), throwing his gun into the poor boy's face, Swofford's wrath is horrifically intimidating.
As well as Gyllenhaal, Foxx delivers a typically immense display. His character's humour and confidence always makes me laugh (his great speeches are written and performed to perfection). Along with Fitch, Troy and Kruger (my personal favourite) all the performances are solid.
The story is not written to impress audiences with shoot-outs and huge battles, but has been written to identify reality from fiction. The waiting is the key element, as it shows that boredom is worse than combat itself. Also the harsh treatment and seemingly pointless routines also add to the dim view of the war. The ending is (in my eyes) amazing, as the impact of the war hits home and always stays with the marines. I must also mention the musical score which is phenomenal.
To conclude this film will make laugh, angry but mostly it will help you to understand the life of a marine.