The movie makes a point but not a good time for mocking the military.

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2005)

Below are two critiques of the movie "Jarhead." Now, before you take the time to read these critiques, please note this: the main problem with this movie is not that it mocks the Marines, but rather the timing of this movie, being released at a time when over 2,000 Americans have been killed and thousands more injured in a war that has been going on for over two years, thus seriously undermining the movie's credibility and calling into the question the judgment of the producers who for reasons probably known only to them decided to release a movie mocking an organization whose members are being killed almost on a daily basis.
"Be All That You Can Be." That's what the commercial says about joining the military. Along with the message are images of soldiers looking sharp and handsome, clean cut, ready to serve their country proudly and with honor. And then there's the military according to the movie "Jarhead." In this movie, once you join the military, in this case the Marines, you have immediate license to become, and indeed are expected to become, a complete, unmitigated, unmistakable, certifiable degenerate. If this movie doesn't convey any other message, it conveys that one, loud and clear or should I say "front and center"? According to "Jarhead" which means empty-headed, like no brain or no intellect, only the misfits of society become soldiers. Anyone with a brain, or with any sense at all, is doing something else, like, for instance, f----- your girl. And when you come home from the war, which in this movie lasts four days, after six torturous months of waiting in the middle of nowhere, the only person who personally greets you is a Vietnam Veteran of questionable mental stability. According to "Jarhead" not only are the enlisted soldiers of questionable moral and intellectual fiber, the officers are even worse - they won't even let the soldiers fight. Indeed, according to "Jarhead" being a soldier means using profanity, denigrating women, being irritable, being prone to impulsiveness, mocking your fellow soldier, and being a basic screw up. And the last is shown by what happens to the soldiers when the go home after their four-day war - they are all outside the mainstream of society, unable to adjust, incapable of adjusting - complete screw ups. According to "Jarhead" joining the military means a life of unbearable tedium and boredom interspersed with episodes of in-group violence and drunkenness, egged on by non-commissioned officers who have nothing better to do then torture their own troops with meaningless details like piling up sand bags and then taking them down - in the rain. Duh! According to "Jarhead" names like Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa mean absolutely nothing. The exploits of the Marines in years past are simply forgotten. According to "Jarhead" if you'd mention D-Day, the modern-day Marine may say: "D-Day? Duh! What's that? Don't bother me with history, just give me my beer! I wonder if Jodie is f----- my girl? Ugh! Who cares anyway? I'm not worth waiting for." Where's John Wayne when we need him? Where's Robert Taylor? Where's Lloyd Nolan and William Bendix? Where's Dana Andrews and all the other movie heroes that glorified the military and made the audience swell with pride at the mere sight of the American flag? If you asked a "Jarhead" Marine, he'd probably say: "DUH! Gimme a beer you f-----g idiot and stop wasting my time. Who the heck are those guys anyway? And WHO CARES?" Although mocking the military is nothing new, doing so during a time of war is, to put it mildly, poor timing and in bad taste. Maybe the war in 1991 was four days old; the current war has been going on for two and a half years with no sign of abetting, and during that time the U. S. has lost over 2,000 killed and many thousand's more injured. Let Hollywood make a movie about THAT!!!
"Jarhead" is the perhaps the most unflattering portrayal of military life in the long annals of Hollywood movies. According to this movie, once a person puts on the uniform he immediately regresses to the level of a five year old child - impulsive, tempestuous, violent, irritable, acting-out, yet dependent on higher authority for direction and survival. Moreover, this regressive and pathological behavior is not only condoned by the military, it is positively encouraged. Further, this movie also suggests that once you are in the military you are no longer a part of mainstream society and are treated accordingly by others outside of the military. In addition, this movie also suggests that the military gives license to behavior that is so maladaptive that it's almost laughable. Further, this movie suggests that large armies are now obsolete as wars are now fought not for territory but to achieve certain political or economic objectives that have little to do with actually having to conquer and occupy land. Far from being one of the foundations of our society, the military, as portrayed in this movie, is little more than a depository for all the social misfits who cannot fit into normal society. In fact, in "Jarhead" there isn't even much of a war. But that's in 1991; in 2005 the situation is far different. By the way: What's wrong with hurrying up and waiting? Better to wait, be bored, do your gripping and go home disgruntled but alive and well than fight and die for nothing. If someone is thirsting for glory, let them rent "Sands of Iwo Jima."
Even though the movie conveys an unfair and negative message about the military and seems to have a certain political slant, this is still a powerfully compelling movie about the brutalization of soldiers who are expected to fight and die - even if there's no enemy. Accordingly, I give this movie an 8.