So I finally got to see American Sniper
SPOILER FREE
Before I begin with my thoughts on the film, I feel it's only beneficial to discuss my thoughts on the previous works of director Clint Eastwood's resume. I have always been a major fan of him both as an actor and filmmaker. His Spaghetti westerns are great along with Dirty Harry. I really admire his work as a filmmaker but I feel it is his recent films since his remarkable trend began in 2003 with Mystic River that define his true talents and abilities as a filmmaker. Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby are great films. Flags of Our Fathers was a solid warm up for the far superior Letters from Iwo Jima. Changeling was very good with an outstanding performance from Angelina Jolie which remains her finest work to this day. Gran Tarino is a modern day classic, and it's snubbing of Oscar recognition is disgraceful. I feel that his work since that film with Invictus, Hereafter, J Edgar, and The Four Seasons have all been decent but nothing since has touched the hot streak this filmmaker was on during his 2003 to 2008 reign. And now we have American Sniper. So how did this one do? Is it one of Clint Eastwood's better films? Does it live up to the hype and expectations of many and establish itself as a pure Oscar contender? The answer is good, yes, yes, and maybe. The film has taken a life of it's own and built it's own success story with a 200 million domestic gross in the United States currently after a sensational 90 million debut. It may appear to some that the patriotism that America expressed within the first several years of the 21st century is slowly coming back in full swing.
American Sniper is a very good movie and a nice return to form for Clint Eastwood's hot streak of making films, though I don't consider it his best work. I still very much prefer Letters from iwo Jima, Changeling and Gran Tarino but it's one of his more effective war movies. With this film, he avoids some of the conventional styles of filmmaking such as using tired old clichés and heavy dramatic music. There is virtually no music in this film which makes the whole experience better and feel more realistic. Not every movie can pull that off, but that also shows some of the great talents of Eastwood's directing skills. What makes him such a great filmmaker is he slowly builds up the story and holds back on obvious tools of manipulation such as the music until the right moment comes in the film then he strikes. When Eastwood hits you with his moments of peril or gut wrenching emotion, you feel it. Visually this is one stunning film, and the performances are top notch, especially from Bradley Cooper as Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle whose pinpoint accuracy has saved countless lives on the battlefield and is ultimately what turned him into a legend. The heart of this film not lies in how many shots he takes, but the emotional weight each shot takes on the character himself. The viewer is presented with several moments in the film where Kyle is hesitant to shoot right away and weighs out his options before committing an act that he had no choice left but to do. An example of this is when he is faced with the ultimatum of shooting a young kid who picks up a missle. Chris Kyle is shown to not be your average sniper who gets drunk at a bar afterwards and raves about how many people he killed, but a human being who has the life of another in his hands. Regardless of what side the two are on, the viewer understands through the sheer power of Cooper's performance and Eastwood's directing, that it is not a decision that's taken lightly and has lasting consequences. Other parts of the film that make it standout is Chris being at home with his wife and kids after four tours of duty and coming to the realization that he cannot leave behind the war he became involved with. This is also the subplot that made The Hurt Locker directed by Katheryn Bigelow and starring Jeremy Renner an exceptional film because it played on the theme that deep down, there are some men who just love war and live by it. Eastwood follows a similar path with this character not painting a perfect image of him but showing Kyle as a rather conflicted soul whose forced into making choices if given another alternative, probably would avoid altogether.
Not everyone is going to like American Sniper and may view it's message as being pro war. What American Sniper is really trying to say is for someone to understand their purpose and stresses how serious of a condition PTSD can be for veterans of war. Eastwood conveys this message nicely in the film giving a tense atmosphere with moments of sheer power in an effort to pay tribute to it's subject. Is American Sniper as great of a masterpiece as his previous war epic Letters from Iwo Jima? Never, that one proves beyond all doubt how truly incredible of a filmmaker he really is. Is American Sniper one of last years better films and worthy of it's Oscar nominated stature? Yes it does. Not everyone will agree with this review and will find their own faults with the film either on political grounds or their own personal issues with it but as a piece of filmmaking, American Sniper continues to reaffirm the notion that Eastwood is one of America's great living directors. Regardless of political beliefs, everyone should see this film and make up their own minds on it. At 84 years old, Eastwood still has the power to not only drive us to the theater with his name on the directors chair, but he makes us think about the topics he covers and feels the pain of his characters. That is the mark of a real filmmaker.
8.5/10
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