I think you need to watch it again........................

Rating: 9/10 (20 September 2006)

Many viewers and critics fail to see the potential for what this movie has. From the adaption of Anthony Swofford's memoir, Jarhead reveals itself as a story of self-becoming through the eyes of a 20-year old Marine CORPS scout sniper.
From the first watch, one can say that this story is mainly about nothing. This is not a war flick, yet the irony of it all is that, it is. What I mean by this statement of 'another war movie,' is in the aspect of it sharing the same emotions of any type of war; killing and the fear of being killed. Jarhead levels itself on a more emotional level rather than on a physical killing mode level. We peer through Swoff's emotion as we see him go through the most awkward phases of ignorance, sense of belonging, and insanity.
I enjoyed this movie because it has many elements revolved around the self and the idea of the CORPS functioning as a family. Although I may add that this movie is a little slow to start, it counteracts with its dark humor and silly antics of Marine CORPS boredom. I believe that this movie is a good account of what war is capable of doing with or without physical combat. This movie shows the human side of soldiers in their natural state, whether alert, depressed, happy, sexually frustrated, angry, or insane. All of this shows the intensification of each character and their personality throughout the movie. It shows that people who join the army are not killers, murderers, and people who just fight to serve their country. But that they are HUMAN, and go through human emotions.
Just as Swoff said, "every war is different, every war is the same," we fight each war differently, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet every thing that is expressed in war, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually...is universal.