Military
I saw American Sniper this weekend. I was very impressed and extremely moved.
The theater was packed full, I don't think there was a single empty seat. When the film ended it was completely silent.
There have been a few very vocal critics that say the movie glorifies the middle eastern war and various other claims. I didn't get that at all. A saw a guy ranting on facebook that the movie says the war was caused by 9/11. Which I didn't get either.
To me, the movie showed the war through the experience of one man. He witnesses news coverage of several terrorists attacks against the US on television and it steels his heart and cements the fact that he wants to protect our country. Which is why he joins the Navy SEALs in the first place.
The movie follows him through his (I think it was 4) tours overseas. To me first and foremost, this movie gives a small snapshot of what our troops actually go through over there. The violence. The stress. The heat. The sandstorms. Losing friends. Losing family.
Back in World War 1&2, it took soldiers longer to get home. They were usually taken by boat, so had weeks to decompress from combat. Today's troops are home in hours. They come home, and while life still goes on here, they're trapped. Can you imagine spending months in a war zone. Constantly vigilant, constantly paranoid. Then coming home to life here. Where normal every day noises (lawnmower starting up, car backfiring, a drill being used) can take you right back into the heat of battle. That's a lot to deal with.
There's a scene (it's in the previews as well so it's not a spoiler) where his wife calls him from the sidewalk outside of the doctor's office to tell him the sex of their baby after her appointment. He's riding in a convoy when he gets the call and suddenly they are under fire, phone still on the line so that's all she hears is the yelling and gunshots.
One of my great friends (the one that gave me the nickname I call this journal by!) was in Baghdad about 8 years ago on his second deployment. When he still lived in the states he worked nights and would call me every night on his drive to work and talk me to sleep. So when he went overseas I missed hearing his voice every day. He'd call me when he could and on my birthday that year I got a static-y, hilarious call from he and his bunk mates. Mid-call, the air raid siren went off and he had to abruptly hang up. I wasn't still on the line to hear what happened, but there are no words to describe that panicked, helpless feeling when you know someone you love is under attack thousands of miles away and there's not a damn thing you can do about it but wait.
It made me truly appreciate what our armed forces go through. They make intense sacrifices. They're willing to die to protect and serve our country. They sacrifice portions of their lives. Often times they pay with their lives. They come home broken in spirit, body and some are able to heal and move on. Others live with the scars on their bodies or in their minds, constantly reminding them, constantly taking them back into that hell. It's something we try to understand, but unless you live through it, you cannot appreciate the toll battle takes on a person.
It fits into the mental health stigma. Post traumatic stress disorder is real. It's not an excuse. What those soldiers have been through can break a person. They need support, they need help, they need counseling. They need to feel understood and accepted.
It breaks my heart when veterans are living on the street. Shunned by families because they came back 'different'. Shunned by society because they are hurting and we can't understand that. These people were willing to lay down their lives for this country, for US. And 'we' take it absolutely for granted.
If nothing else, this movie gives you a glimpse into that horror. They're not just over there shooting at ghosts in the night. They don't kill easily. They are trained to fight, trained to kill. It's kill or be killed. Chris Kyle was a sniper - deadly, accurate - trained to protect those doing the most dangerous jobs by watching over them and taking out threats as they appeared. It goes so in depth into his struggle. Because those targets don't appear as big scary monsters. They are living, breathing human beings. He's not shooting at an impersonal tank, his battle is on a smaller scale. "Aim small, miss small".
American Sniper doesn't glorify war. It personalizes it.
Thank you, to every single man and woman who has put on the uniform and offered their lives to protect this country and its interests. God Bless You all.
The theater was packed full, I don't think there was a single empty seat. When the film ended it was completely silent.
There have been a few very vocal critics that say the movie glorifies the middle eastern war and various other claims. I didn't get that at all. A saw a guy ranting on facebook that the movie says the war was caused by 9/11. Which I didn't get either.
To me, the movie showed the war through the experience of one man. He witnesses news coverage of several terrorists attacks against the US on television and it steels his heart and cements the fact that he wants to protect our country. Which is why he joins the Navy SEALs in the first place.
The movie follows him through his (I think it was 4) tours overseas. To me first and foremost, this movie gives a small snapshot of what our troops actually go through over there. The violence. The stress. The heat. The sandstorms. Losing friends. Losing family.
Back in World War 1&2, it took soldiers longer to get home. They were usually taken by boat, so had weeks to decompress from combat. Today's troops are home in hours. They come home, and while life still goes on here, they're trapped. Can you imagine spending months in a war zone. Constantly vigilant, constantly paranoid. Then coming home to life here. Where normal every day noises (lawnmower starting up, car backfiring, a drill being used) can take you right back into the heat of battle. That's a lot to deal with.
There's a scene (it's in the previews as well so it's not a spoiler) where his wife calls him from the sidewalk outside of the doctor's office to tell him the sex of their baby after her appointment. He's riding in a convoy when he gets the call and suddenly they are under fire, phone still on the line so that's all she hears is the yelling and gunshots.
One of my great friends (the one that gave me the nickname I call this journal by!) was in Baghdad about 8 years ago on his second deployment. When he still lived in the states he worked nights and would call me every night on his drive to work and talk me to sleep. So when he went overseas I missed hearing his voice every day. He'd call me when he could and on my birthday that year I got a static-y, hilarious call from he and his bunk mates. Mid-call, the air raid siren went off and he had to abruptly hang up. I wasn't still on the line to hear what happened, but there are no words to describe that panicked, helpless feeling when you know someone you love is under attack thousands of miles away and there's not a damn thing you can do about it but wait.
It made me truly appreciate what our armed forces go through. They make intense sacrifices. They're willing to die to protect and serve our country. They sacrifice portions of their lives. Often times they pay with their lives. They come home broken in spirit, body and some are able to heal and move on. Others live with the scars on their bodies or in their minds, constantly reminding them, constantly taking them back into that hell. It's something we try to understand, but unless you live through it, you cannot appreciate the toll battle takes on a person.
It fits into the mental health stigma. Post traumatic stress disorder is real. It's not an excuse. What those soldiers have been through can break a person. They need support, they need help, they need counseling. They need to feel understood and accepted.
It breaks my heart when veterans are living on the street. Shunned by families because they came back 'different'. Shunned by society because they are hurting and we can't understand that. These people were willing to lay down their lives for this country, for US. And 'we' take it absolutely for granted.
If nothing else, this movie gives you a glimpse into that horror. They're not just over there shooting at ghosts in the night. They don't kill easily. They are trained to fight, trained to kill. It's kill or be killed. Chris Kyle was a sniper - deadly, accurate - trained to protect those doing the most dangerous jobs by watching over them and taking out threats as they appeared. It goes so in depth into his struggle. Because those targets don't appear as big scary monsters. They are living, breathing human beings. He's not shooting at an impersonal tank, his battle is on a smaller scale. "Aim small, miss small".
American Sniper doesn't glorify war. It personalizes it.
Thank you, to every single man and woman who has put on the uniform and offered their lives to protect this country and its interests. God Bless You all.