Posted on 01/25/2015 6:33:57 AM PST by paterfamilias
We saw "American Sniper" last night. My wife and I went with a group of about a dozen other military parents (Navy, Marine Corps, Army).
This is not a typical "war movie" in that it explores one man's journey from civilian life into the military community into war (four tours in Iraq) and then explores his difficult re-entry into civilian life. So, in a way, the movie is about the family and community of the as much as it is about Chris Kyle.
There are aspects of the movie that some will dismiss as trite or jingoistic: Kyle's father instructing his sons that in a world populated by sheep and wolves, they are to be the sheep dogs protecting the sheep; Kyle's motivation for what he does - "... it's God, Family, Country..."; Chris and Taya watching the World Trade Center collapse on a 9/11/01 television news station. The reality of the matter that many who choose to serve have had similar life experiences and motivation contributing to their decision: one father wrote to his son on the day before entering the Navy, "Not everybody understands that the greatness of this nation resides not in its physical proportions, not in its economy, not in its might: it resides in the very idea of its conception and in the goodness and industry of its people. You and your shipmates, when you take the solemn oath to '...support and defend the Constitution...' will embody this greatness." The scores of young men and women who joined the military after 9/11 attest to that event's importance in their desire to serve. And far from displaying "war fatigue" the service academies are experiencing record high application numbers now more than a decade into war.
Turning to the effect of having an active duty military family member, this film again hits the mark. It is no secret that our popular culture has widely diverged from the ethos of self-discipline, self-reliance, and service that is inculcated into our military members. And if you live in an area of the country where military service is the exception rather than the rule, you frequently hear comments like, "He's a Marine? Why did he do that? He's really smart, isn't he?" Indeed, those who don't have a loved one in harm's way have no idea of the families' dread of a news report detailing a downed helicopter or a sailor lost at sea, a middle of the night phone call, or a government car pulling into your driveway with two military officers inside. Taya Kyle's struggles to keep her husband tied to his family and to keep things together at home while Chris is in danger beautifully illustrate this.
Eastwood masterfully illustrates the opposing forces acting on Kyle's sensibilities: his love of family and decency on the one hand and his deep commitment to protecting his comrades on the other. The intensity of military training, especially Special Ops training, creates bonds that we civilians may find hard to understand; and as the military and civilian cultures continue to diverge, the resulting cultural gap becomes more and more difficult for the individual soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine to bridge. We have heard frequently that members of the Greatest Generation rarely spoke about their experiences except to other soldiers. This has not changed. Imagine my surprise when my own son mentioned that sometimes he feels more comfortable hanging out with veterans two or three times his age than with civilians!
In summary, this is a good film, an important film, a well-crafted film, and a masterfully-acted film.
It is an excellent illustration of the Honor, Courage, and Commitment of combatant, family, and community alike.
“Normal” is a moving target for everyone.
That’s a fact.
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