Hurry up and wait.
Those four words sum up Marine sniper Anthony Swofford's time in the Gulf War, chronicled in Jarhead
the new film by Sam Mendes.
The movie is based on Swofford's memoir of the same name. The book goes into Swofford's past - broken home, Vietnam vet dad, mentally ill sister - as well as his training, his time in the desert and subsequent return to the United States. In his writing, Swofford is raw, emotional and utterly honest. Even though some of this tone is lost in the transition from book to movie, Jarhead is still a fine film.
Adapted by William Broyles Jr., the movie Jarhead drops almost all of Swofford's backstory - a quick montage near the beginning is all we get - as well as the aftermath of Swofford's service, another rushed montage that unsuccessfully tries to provide closure in a matter of minutes. The result is that Swofford as a character is not much more developed than the other soldiers.
Once Swofford and his comrades finally reach the desert, not a whole lot happens. The plot drifts along in episodic fashion, with many moments reminiscent of Catch-22 only much tamer than Mike Nichols's underrated film. Still, the frustration the soldiers feel at having gone through so much training only to watch as the war is won by air strikes is palpable. So are the feelings of insecurity, sadness and rage that they feel about wives or girlfriends back home. Many of the film's most heart-wrenching scenes revolve around a soldier's discovery of a loved one's infidelity.
Mendes has assembled a talented cast. Jake Gyllenhaal makes the most of his underwritten leading role, combining the pride of being a Marine with the simultaneous realization that maybe the Corps isn't all it's cracked up to be. The always-reliable Peter Sarsgaard, already on-screen this year in The Skeleton Key and Flightplan puts in a solid supporting performance as Swofford's buddy Troy. Jamie Foxx, fresh from tangling with a robot plane in Stealth
is fine as Swofford and Troy's tough sergeant but does nothing to make you forget R. Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket. Chris Cooper, featured prominently in the film's trailer, is actually on-screen only twice. His presence in the movie seems to be an excuse to add another Oscar winner to the movie's pedigree.
Mendes, who had the late, great cinematographer Conrad Hall for American Beauty and Road to Perdition
collaborated with Roger Deakins for Jarhead. With this film, Deakins has contributed some of the best cinematography of the year; watch the scenes with burning oil wells, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Whereas David O. Russell's Three Kings expertly portrayed the absurdity of war while heavily criticizing America's actions against Iraq, Jarhead shows the devastating effects of war on a generation. Hurry up and see it.
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Ben Saylor
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Jarhead
