Visially Beautiful and Disturbing

Rating: 8/10 (7 November 2005)

Going into Jarhead I was expecting another "Saving Private Ryan" or the similar typical war movie. But I came away from Jarhead perplexed (in a good way), inspired, and moved. A lot of people have decided that they don't like this movie. That this movie is an insult to American Marines and Soldiers. I cannot say for sure that Jarhead doesn't accurately portray what happens to men during war but I can believe where the movie was taking us.
In Jarhead, Swoff and the rest of the troops train intensely and painfully to become tough, trained Marines. The most vivid shots of training in my opinion are 1. "this is my rifle..." the scene that showed us the boys becoming part of the war, really part of it and taking those rifles and letting them become part of themselves hit something with me. It seemed as if the boys were turning into machines, and it was informative yet disturbing. And 2. during a crawl through the mud surrounded by live rounds, a Marine is shot accidentally when he can't take it anymore. I felt pain when I watched that scene. Imagining a loved one not even making it out of training alive.
Once in the desert the boys become restless when a few days turns into weeks, months, hundreds of days, without a battle. Gyllenhaal is amazing with his portrayal of Swoff and how the time in the desert affected his mind at times.
For me, the most disturbing part of the entire movie was when the troop came across the burned out caravan of escaping vehicles. I have a deep personal fear of being burned alive. I know the director of Jarhead wanted to hit us at that moment, and it worked. I felt sad and drained trying to comprehend the monstrosities of war.
When the oil fields lit up I have to admit that I was in awe. For such an ugly time it was such a beautiful scene. The oil raining down on the boys and suddenly everything turning black and slick really captured my attention. The horse that Swoff encounters is a reminder of life and beauty and strength in the midst of all that death and destruction.
Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Swoff was remarkable and although I haven't read the book I am impressed with the way he became crazy, intellectual, reserved, dismissive, and the tried to return to "normal" whatever normal could be after all of that.
I really enjoyed this movie and the beauty and devastation is showed. This specific period of time is something I knew very little about and this movie inspired me to learn more.