Judging 'Jarhead'

"Jarhead" is a war film, but not in the conventional sense.

The movie focuses more on how one particular group of Marines prepares for battle but never really gets the chance to engage.

The theme is encapsulated in a single sentence, when lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal's character expresses his disappointment at the end of the Gulf War by saying, "I never got to shoot my gun."

The film version of "Jarhead" is not nearly as negative with respect to the military as Anthony Swofford's best-selling memoir is. Sam Mendes (who also directed "American Beauty") appears to have made a concerted effort to be objective in his screen presentation.

The movie's storyline revolves around the travails of the main character as he makes his way from boot camp to Saudi Arabia, where he interacts with other jarheads including Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) and Sgt. Siek (Jamie Foxx).

When a screenplay is adapted from a slanted source, it will inevitably contain some distortion. And although Swofford's experiences during the first Gulf War may be authentic, one must keep in mind that they are merely one Marine's point of view.

The characters that populate the film are quirky caricatures, the cinematic suggestion being that they are typical of all of our military.

This having been said, "Jarhead" is worth the watch.

The stunning images, expert directing and in-your-face script has the audience sweltering in the heat of the desert while appreciating the immense sacrifices of those who defend our freedom.

The scenes that depict the final moments of the Gulf War are notable. Vistas of blazing oil wells, charred corpses and an oil-soaked horse limping through the desert are sure to stick in the mind long after the last frame goes black.

Mendes apparently was too kind to the military for many in the film critic community. The movie is getting mixed reviews, with many mainstream publications slamming it.

Variety critic Todd McCarthy thinks the movie isn't bold enough. He claims that "Jarhead" is unable to achieve "a confident, consistent or sufficiently audacious tone."

The Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan calls it "a cold film that only sporadically makes the kind of emotional connection it's after."

And A.O. Scott of the New York Times writes that "Jarhead" strains for "an authenticity it lacks either the will or the means to achieve."

The criticisms don't ring true. The film is, in this reviewer's opinion, audacious, emotionally stirring and authentic.

It is, however, full of profanity, so folks would be wise not to let the kids sneak into the multiplex.

The Left Coast Report sees the film as a partial yet powerful representation of the United States Marine Corps and notes that those who hold our military and its finest in high esteem will not be dissuaded.