Jarhead - Movies

gashead · 14-01-2006, 20:05

What do people think of this? Personally, I thought it was excellent. Jarhead is told strictly from a grunts eye view of what it like to be a modern day soldier, i.e. bloody boring. There's very little actual combat (but what their is is superbly portrayed), but shows to great effect how it feels to be trained to be a killing machine, then to be sent off to war and be told you're here to make the world a better place, only to find yourself sat on your ass for months on end whilst bureaucracy (sp?) and other minutiae of war delay your own involvement. So the soldiers spend their time practising drills, fooling around, worrying whether their wives and girlfriends are playing around, and generally going crazy looking for something, anything, to kill. This last point is particularly well illustrated when Jake Gyllenhals 'Swoff' and his buddy are sent out on a mission.

As I said, there's very little combat action. This may be the reason why it (supposedly) bombed Stateside. Maybe in the current climate they have the idea that their soldiers are actively playing a part in the conflict and don't like to see them portrayed as simply being there to make up the numbers and not really having any involvement at all, which is basically how our protagonist sees it, however I think this lack of action makes for a more refreshing type of war film. It's the first one AFAIK to say look, being a soldier isn't all about kills, trophys and well earned r n' r. Sometimes you're just sat on your ass, miles from any sniff of action, trying to keep your skills sharp, waiting until your superiors decide if they can use you. It's been said that Mendes should get off the fence and decide whether he's anti or pro conflict, but I think that's missing the point somewhat. The whole thing is from the soldiers p.o.v. A soldier is never asked whether he agrees with the war he's being asked to participate in; his only job is to follow orders regardless of whether he agrees with them. When one soldier does question the ethics, he's told to shut the f**k up and toe the party line. If Mendes had tried to inject any strong pro or anti message, it wouldn't have been believeable.

Excellent performances all round, especially from Gyllenhal and Peter Sargaard as his Marine buddy.

stokesy · 14-01-2006, 20:56

saw it today and loved every minute

jake gyllenhal was great, not normally a big fan of his but was excellent in this film, as was jamie foxx

i see awards for this film

cybergirl3 · 14-01-2006, 21:04

I loved it. It was nicely done, not overly flashy, just plain and simple.

Jake was fabulous especially in the scene with the santa hat.

stokesy · 14-01-2006, 21:07

trust you to like that scene lol

Muzski · 14-01-2006, 22:50

bit disapointed in the ending, didn't really go anywhere

MaxCherry · 15-01-2006, 03:38

i havent seen it yet but the critic in the paper the other day totally slagged it saying it was just a Full Metal Jacket rip off.
Im glad everyone doesnt agree as I still wanted to see it.

stokesy · 15-01-2006, 11:00

make sure you see it

cybergirl3 · 15-01-2006, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by stokesy

trust you to like that scene lol

lol

.

Areece · 15-01-2006, 14:41

Saw this this morning, liked it a lot, my favourite scene is the one where they're all playing up for the cameras and then Staff Sergeant gets them back later on.

MacattacK · 15-01-2006, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muzski

bit disapointed in the ending, didn't really go anywhere

Personally I think that's the point. Once you've been into conflict or even just in the forces, you pretty much spend the rest of your life missing it. It's a pretty profound experience to go through at such a young age.

I would have liked to know how his friend Troy died though. Ah well.

stokesy · 15-01-2006, 17:14

drug dealing i would think

Hellywelly · 16-01-2006, 14:10

Went to see this film last night. Excellent! I was in two minds whether to see it or not, and am glad I did - not least because of Jake G prancing about in the nude

*dribble*

I'm really impressed that their 'doing nothing' filled two hours, and did it admirably. Some good humour in it, too.

I'm glad it didn't go down the preachy route - there's nothing worse than an opinion being shoved down your throat. Stayed very neutral, which I've seen a couple of reviews critisize. Don't know why.

Highly entertaining - go see it.

Areece · 16-01-2006, 21:42

Actually, it felt like several things were mentioned just so that they could be ticked off a list, like the scene where someone says "this war is just for oil!" and the scene where they talk about taking pills to combat chemical warfare and wether they're safe or not.
I feel they were included so critics wouldn't say "they made a film about the Gulf War and they didn't mention xxxxx"

It was at its best when it just stuck to the interpersonal stuff with the soldiers, as with most war films.

Incidentally, one question : (BIG SPOILER, don't uncover if you havent seen it yet)

spoiler:
How does Troy die? The film doesn't explain it at all? Does anyone who's read the book know?

Hellywelly · 16-01-2006, 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Areece

spoiler:
How does Troy die? The film doesn't explain it at all? Does anyone who's read the book know?

I presumed (maybe incorrectly) that it was going back to drug dealing afterwards

ScubaSteve21 · 16-01-2006, 22:24

I am not long back from the cinema after seeing Jarhead, and I must say am can't help but feel really disappointed. This must be the first war film, or any film for that matter that i have seen that doesn't seem to have a 'climax' scene.

Anyone else feel disappointed after seeing this? I had been looking forward to it, particularly since i have wanted to see a decent military 'sniper' movie for the last few years. Does anyone know if there are any in the pipeline for the future?

gashead · 17-01-2006, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by steven21

I am not long back from the cinema after seeing Jarhead, and I must say am can't help but feel really disappointed. This must be the first war film, or any film for that matter that i have seen that doesn't seem to have a 'climax' scene.

Anyone else feel disappointed after seeing this? I had been looking forward to it, particularly since i have wanted to see a decent military 'sniper' movie for the last few years. Does anyone know if there are any in the pipeline for the future?

I haven't read the book, so I can only go on what the film includes, but I think the lack of a climax scene is what the film's all about. As far as Swoff is concerned, there was no climax to his war, because his war barely started in the first place.

spoiler:
He and his buddies enlisted, did their tour of duty, then came back home and settled into domestic life again. To have the film end in some sort of blaze of glory would go against everything it's spent the past two hours portraying.

UMRO · 17-01-2006, 22:50

I thought it was excellent.... loved the santa thong

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Can't wait for the dvd of Jarhead and Brokeback mountain

my pause button will be worn out lol

Hellywelly · 18-01-2006, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by gashead

I haven't read the book, so I can only go on what the film includes, but I think the lack of a climax scene is what the film's all about. As far as Swoff is concerned, there was no climax to his war, because his war barely started in the first place.

Totally agree.

It's opened at No. 1 so it must be doing something right!

MaxCherry · 22-06-2007, 17:01

I know this thread is from a long time ago, but I just watched the film this morning and didnt see any point starting a whole new topic.

On the whole I thought it was a good film, a bit flakey in places but generally good.

I agree about the ending being an anticlimax but also agree they couldnt have gone out in a blaze of glory

I couldnt take the role peter strausgaard (sp?) seriously after seeing him in Kinsey.
I assumed his character killed himself after getting kicked out of the Marines

14-01-2006, 20:05	#1
gashead Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bristol Services: Sky +, 1.5 mb TW broadband, DMRE-55 Posts: 2,730	Jarhead What do people think of this? Personally, I thought it was excellent. Jarhead is told strictly from a grunts eye view of what it like to be a modern day soldier, i.e. bloody boring. There's very little actual combat (but what their is is superbly portrayed), but shows to great effect how it feels to be trained to be a killing machine, then to be sent off to war and be told you're here to make the world a better place, only to find yourself sat on your ass for months on end whilst bureaucracy (sp?) and other minutiae of war delay your own involvement. So the soldiers spend their time practising drills, fooling around, worrying whether their wives and girlfriends are playing around, and generally going crazy looking for something, anything, to kill. This last point is particularly well illustrated when Jake Gyllenhals 'Swoff' and his buddy are sent out on a mission. As I said, there's very little combat action. This may be the reason why it (supposedly) bombed Stateside. Maybe in the current climate they have the idea that their soldiers are actively playing a part in the conflict and don't like to see them portrayed as simply being there to make up the numbers and not really having any involvement at all, which is basically how our protagonist sees it, however I think this lack of action makes for a more refreshing type of war film. It's the first one AFAIK to say look, being a soldier isn't all about kills, trophys and well earned r n' r. Sometimes you're just sat on your ass, miles from any sniff of action, trying to keep your skills sharp, waiting until your superiors decide if they can use you. It's been said that Mendes should get off the fence and decide whether he's anti or pro conflict, but I think that's missing the point somewhat. The whole thing is from the soldiers p.o.v. A soldier is never asked whether he agrees with the war he's being asked to participate in; his only job is to follow orders regardless of whether he agrees with them. When one soldier does question the ethics, he's told to shut the f**k up and toe the party line. If Mendes had tried to inject any strong pro or anti message, it wouldn't have been believeable. Excellent performances all round, especially from Gyllenhal and Peter Sargaard as his Marine buddy.

16-01-2006, 21:42	#13
Areece Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,302	Actually, it felt like several things were mentioned just so that they could be ticked off a list, like the scene where someone says "this war is just for oil!" and the scene where they talk about taking pills to combat chemical warfare and wether they're safe or not. I feel they were included so critics wouldn't say "they made a film about the Gulf War and they didn't mention xxxxx" It was at its best when it just stuck to the interpersonal stuff with the soldiers, as with most war films. Incidentally, one question : (BIG SPOILER, don't uncover if you havent seen it yet) spoiler: How does Troy die? The film doesn't explain it at all? Does anyone who's read the book know?

14-01-2006, 20:56	#2
stokesy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: portsmouth Posts: 207	saw it today and loved every minute jake gyllenhal was great, not normally a big fan of his but was excellent in this film, as was jamie foxx i see awards for this film

14-01-2006, 21:04	#3
cybergirl3 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Services: Hip to be square! Posts: 18,945	I loved it. It was nicely done, not overly flashy, just plain and simple. Jake was fabulous especially in the scene with the santa hat.

14-01-2006, 21:07	#4
stokesy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: portsmouth Posts: 207	trust you to like that scene lol

14-01-2006, 22:50	#5
Muzski Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 337	bit disapointed in the ending, didn't really go anywhere

15-01-2006, 03:38	#6
MaxCherry Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Manchester Services: Virgin Media 2 for £20 Do You Love It? and Sky+ Posts: 8,477	i havent seen it yet but the critic in the paper the other day totally slagged it saying it was just a Full Metal Jacket rip off. Im glad everyone doesnt agree as I still wanted to see it.

15-01-2006, 11:00	#7
stokesy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: portsmouth Posts: 207	make sure you see it

15-01-2006, 14:41	#9
Areece Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,302	Saw this this morning, liked it a lot, my favourite scene is the one where they're all playing up for the cameras and then Staff Sergeant gets them back later on.

15-01-2006, 17:14	#11
stokesy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: portsmouth Posts: 207	drug dealing i would think

16-01-2006, 14:10	#12
Hellywelly Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: €urope! :D Services: m€trication Posts: 2,432	Went to see this film last night. Excellent! I was in two minds whether to see it or not, and am glad I did - not least because of Jake G prancing about in the nude dribble I'm really impressed that their 'doing nothing' filled two hours, and did it admirably. Some good humour in it, too. I'm glad it didn't go down the preachy route - there's nothing worse than an opinion being shoved down your throat. Stayed very neutral, which I've seen a couple of reviews critisize. Don't know why. Highly entertaining - go see it.

16-01-2006, 22:24	#15
ScubaSteve21 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Centre of the Universe! Services: XBox 360 Rules Posts: 2,748	I am not long back from the cinema after seeing Jarhead, and I must say am can't help but feel really disappointed. This must be the first war film, or any film for that matter that i have seen that doesn't seem to have a 'climax' scene. Anyone else feel disappointed after seeing this? I had been looking forward to it, particularly since i have wanted to see a decent military 'sniper' movie for the last few years. Does anyone know if there are any in the pipeline for the future?

17-01-2006, 22:50	#17
UMRO Forum Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dundee, Scotland Services: Acer T180 PC, HP Laptop, Virgin VIP, Vista, T-Mobile Tocco, iPod Posts: 1,732	I thought it was excellent.... loved the santa thong mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Can't wait for the dvd of Jarhead and Brokeback mountain my pause button will be worn out lol

22-06-2007, 17:01	#19
MaxCherry Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Manchester Services: Virgin Media 2 for £20 Do You Love It? and Sky+ Posts: 8,477	I know this thread is from a long time ago, but I just watched the film this morning and didnt see any point starting a whole new topic. On the whole I thought it was a good film, a bit flakey in places but generally good. I agree about the ending being an anticlimax but also agree they couldnt have gone out in a blaze of glory I couldnt take the role peter strausgaard (sp?) seriously after seeing him in Kinsey. I assumed his character killed himself after getting kicked out of the Marines