What did I see?

Rating: 7/10 (8 November 2005)

I love movies because they often pull emotions out that I rarely experience in real life. I watch Jarhead thinking it would either anger me or make me sad. Yet, despite many intense situations, the movie left me emotionally blank.
The acting was well done. The story was interesting. Yet, at the end of the movie, I was numb. Not numb as in "Saving Private Ryan" or "We Were Soldiers" numb ... just emotionally ambivalent. The movie does not overtly take sides, and straddling that line may have diminished the effect on the viewer.
Perhaps by not serving in the military, I missed something, but that is why I like to watch movies about war. One thing Jarhead did do is give me an additional respect for the sacrifices soldiers make for their country.