Jarhead

To shoot a film that captures a war fought with remotely controlled missiles and aircraft from the perspective of a soldier who experiences it in a closed community in the middle of an inhospitable desert without the presence of women is very bold and above all challenging. The film lacks action, the risk of danger, and emotions fueled by fear, desperation, hatred, and pain. However, Sam Mendes took the risk and made a film that fairly accurately captures the endless waiting for orders and deployment, so that viewers tuned to the right wavelength would not be disappointed and would have a decent cinematic experience. Mendes is one of the most talented contemporary directors, but it is necessary to emphasize that his work is also characterized by caution, playing it safe, and working through unquestionable creativity primarily with established conventions. It is simply not a new One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which clearly criticized the system and undermined it with new ideas and a different perspective. When Forman was filming Hair at the time, he faced the unwillingness of the American army and criticism for lack of patriotism and anti-American attitudes. Jarhead could easily have been given a million or two from the Pentagon from its budget because, in my opinion, it contains similarly subtly dosed hidden propaganda of "American values" to what is criticized in Michalkov's film, when he mixed admiration for enlightened authoritarianism into his remake of 12. In terms of filmmaking, there is not much to criticize about Mendes. Fans of dynamic action will naturally be disappointed by Jarhead, but for me, it's a solid overall impression of 75%. (03/05/2011)

Serious perspectives of war as hell on earth abound throughout cinema. It's a bit harder to find lighter funny satires. Yet is it worthwhile to look at war without a drop of sentimentality and still maintain a sarcastic tone about how "war is an asshole" even when it's boring? Sam Mendes has undergone a genre metamorphosis and instead of family crises, he observes the negative effects of combat conflict on individuals without firing a single shot. Right from the introduction to when they are at the military staging area, which in a way paraphrases Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, through the uncompromising pouring of ideology into the brains of the soldiers, when it is necessary to declare to the public forever how important it is to fight for one's country, to the (non)encounter with the enemy itself. In this case they are not the Iraqi troops, but rather one's own frustration from unreasonable boredom and endless waiting. When Swofford thinks of his girlfriend, the viewer is tempted to go and pat him sympathetically on the back; when he cleans latrines as punishment, we prefer to turn away. And when the sky turns black and oil rain starts falling from the sky, everyone has to realize that things can't get any worse. Then memories of encounters with a lone horse or a column of Humvees wandering through the desert come to mind and we want to praise cameraman Roger Deakins. Finally, any Foxx - Gyllenhaal debate tells us that the current generation of actors has its aces. And I'm beginning to think that going to war wasn't the happiest decision I’ve ever made. (04/15/2006)

After a long, very long time, we have a politically incorrect and properly wild ride that doesn't pretend to be too artistic, like The Thin Red Line, nor does it try to impress the viewer with the naturalism of its combat sequences, like Saving Private Ryan. Jarhead is a cool war caper that masterfully mixes all the necessary ingredients (stunning visuals, excellent actors, a hint of philosophy, and a thoroughly depressing war atmosphere), just in the way as a slightly demanding viewer would like. Some scenes are flawlessly staged, some are funny, some are shocking. But the whole is excellent, and for the first time, this is a film from Sam Mendes that doesn't try to impose on the viewer that he is a great director who only makes artistic stuff (whether it is true or not). Jarhead is a fair affair that grips you and there is no escaping it. (08/09/2006)

Unconventional war and anti-war film, not unlike Platoon, but unfortunately quite difficult for the average viewer, and I admit, even for me. Total boredom in the desert is not completely boring on the screen, but I couldn't fully immerse myself in the rising traumas of the soldiers. And a war film without gunfire simply isn't suspenseful. (08/14/2006)

At the beginning heavy-duty boredom that you’ve seen a hundred times in a hundred movies. But later Mendes starts to show us different, more interesting things. Gyllenhaal’s dream-like visions when he pukes up sand, burning oil wells (definite climax of the movie) and soldiers who would do anything to be able to shoot at a live target. Jarhead really is an extraordinary film. It shows the US Army in a different, and maybe finally perhaps a true light. By the way Newman’s soundtrack is just outstanding. (04/26/2007)