"Every time we go out, it's life or death. You roll the dice."

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2017)

Technically this is a brilliantly made movie, but on a personal level, I don't understand the accolades thrown it's way, especially the Best Picture win at the Oscars. The film is more a string of related vignettes that could have been presented in any chronological order and you'd have the same movie. Maybe that's the point, as day after day, real life soldiers in a combat situation must face either mind numbing, nerve shattering stress or sheer boredom during down time.
The 'war is a drug' theme is what's eventually conceded when Sgt. Will James (Jeremy Renner) is shown home on leave, dutifully cleaning out the gutters of his home and playing with his toddler son. For warriors, the lack of an adrenaline rush is what propels these individuals back into a combat zone leaving loved ones behind to wonder what drives their other half. A similar theme comes through in 2014's "American Sniper", although in this one, the destructive effects of James' war service on his marriage is only hinted at, though there is that one scene in which he questions whether he's married or not.
The one scene that threw me was when Sgt. James wound up seeing the young Iraqi 'Beckham' (Christopher Sayegh) after being certain that the boy was already dead. One of the FAQ's on this site answers the question definitively, but I'm sure most viewers would prefer their own interpretation. What would have been interesting at some point might have had Sgt. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) confess his demon thoughts about killing James during one of their early missions together. That scene kept intruding on my mind for the rest of the picture, and it might have offered some further insight into how these soldiers approached their impossible jobs.