Jarhead... (or: maybe I shouldn't watch war movies anymore)

[katekat]

We went to see Jarhead last night for a friend's birthday, and I truly must be in Texas, because I was the only one who didn't actually enjoy it.

I don't think I'm categorically opposed to war movies, but I want them to actually figure out what the hell they're trying to say and just say it.  And I got the feeling that this movie just couldn't make up it's mind.  Were the guys there because they wanted to be?  Because if they were, they did a damn fine job undercutting that.  Jake G.'s character starts with a heavy handed narrative about how he didn't want to be there.  He's got stomach problems, he can't decide if the regiment he's in is cool, and he'd rather be a bugle player than a sharpshooter.  Were they drafted into it, lured by false promises of military advertising slogans and the fact that there's no real job market in the US?  Don't ask me, and don't ask them, because there's a whole bit about how you'd never get to see things like burning oil fields if you weren't in the military.  Oh, and there's the whole "Jake G begins to LOVE his gun" thing that almost got creepy, but then backed away.

And what was with the guy reading Camus?  Because, honestly, there was not a signel existential thought in the whole thing.  At least, I'm fairly sure there wasn't.

Maybe I have been watching too much French film - that's what I told everyone last night when they were surprised I didn't like it.  But dear gods - all of the great cinematography from the commercials?  That's it.  That's the only good stuff in the movie.  If you've seen the extended preview, you've seen the best stuff in the film.   And, sadly, the emotional tension they create in the trailer is watered down so much in the movie that all I could do was think to myself "hey, look, that was in the trailer too..."

hmmm, I wonder if their story boards sucked and they had just one decent camera guy who was there for a couple of weeks, and then some bonehead for the rest of the time, and this is what they were left with?

Part of my problem is that they just didn't follow through with anything.  Jake's supposed to go crazy in the middle half of the movie, from being stuck out in the sand and the heat, because he's worried his girlfriend is cheating on him and he doesn't have anything to do ... and I honestly was bored out of my mind, waiting for the crazy to kick in.  At the point where he has his "uber crazy" moment and holds the gun up to another guy's head, I was just hoping his finger would slip on the trigger.  THAT would've given us something to think about.  Instead he gets confronted by his trigger partner and told that he's fucked up, and he does the manly half-cry and apologizes to the poor traumatized guy he threatened, and that's that.

The third act -- the "We've Gone To War" act -- was woefully lacking in the same damn way.  Oh, sure, there were some encounters with bodies, some exciting vomiting, some good 'getting covered in oil that's raining down from the heavens' (and the totally *annoying* continuity error that they were dry in the next shot even though they've still got the burning oil going on behind them... just closer), an exciting and totally UN-symbolic horse covered in oil that trots by when Jake's out on his own, and some quasi-pretty shots of him scrambling around on the dunes, but ... good lord, NOTHING gets complicated.  Nothing gets confused.  Nothing goes ... anywhere.

So, yeah, not my cup of tea at all.  Bummer, really, because I was hoping it might be interesting.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Well, I have to admit that I kinda skimmed your review, since I haven't seen the film yet, but to my mind, you confirmed what they wanted to do. From all the press and interviews I've heard, they wanted to show how meaningless and pointless it all is. Kind of a 21st c update of Brazilian cinema novo. I need to see it, then we can chat.

Can't wait to see you this weekend! xox

[katekat]

we'll have to have that discussion once you've seen it, but I think my biggest problem with it was that, if it was trying to convey the "meaningless & pointless" aspects, it didn't achieve those particuarly well either.

I went and looked at a couple of reviews, just to see what they were saying, and my favorite snippet is this:

"Beautiful tedium is still tedium." ~ http://www.flipsidemovies.com/jarhead.html

and I'm *so* looking forward to this weekend... as long as I can make it through this week!

[aesiron.livejournal.com]

Like Pat said, it seems to be driving the point home that war is pointless but, having not seen it, I can't comment fully. I intend to see it eventually, though.

[katekat]

let me know when you do - i'd be interested to get other people's takes on it...

and I responded to Pat, but it probably bears repeating: if it was going for that point, it didn't quite commit (at least not for me)

[emeraldswan.livejournal.com]

I was afraid of this. I'll likely still have to go see it because Aric wants to, but I was really afraid the movie would fall flat. I've seen one war movie that I actually liked, and it I've no doubt that Jarhead will not be making that number increase.

*shrug*

[katekat]

Yeah. I mean, I went with 5 other people, and they liked it, so you may be happily surprised, but ... it just didn't do it for me at all.

On the good side, if you find Jake G. at all attractive, he's naked a *whole* bunch, and that's totally distracting... for a while.

[emeraldswan.livejournal.com]

I've never seen him in anything, honestly. He broke into the scene, so to speak, around the time that I had Gavin, and my movie viewing time dropped drastically then. I know who he is more for who he's dated than what he's acted in. But, from watching the previews, he is a looker. So . . . yeah. I can see myself being distracted for a while. :D

Think you're gonna have a good week?

[katekat]

heee. mens are pretty sometimes.

and this next week? we'll see - with two tests on the horizon, i'm just keeping my fingers crossed that i can breathe at the end of it ;) you?

[emeraldswan.livejournal.com]

School-wise, this week should be pretty easy. No tests and only one paper due for a change. Work-wise . . . I haven't decided yet. It's either going to be a hellish week or really boring. I'm hoping we go the boring route, personally. All in all, I don't think this'll be too bad of a week. :)

And I'm sure you'll do just fine on your tests.

[katekat]

lol - dear gods I know those weeks - the ones that can't make up their minds. I hope in your case it turns out to be boring.

Boring actually sounds really really attractive right now. I cannot *wait* for this semester to be over! And yeah, I'll muddle through on 'em somehow. ;)

[gray-ghost.livejournal.com]

roflmao......you got dragged into a movie with the title Jarhead? Man I wish I had been there.

Anyway...I could tell from the trailers that the movie was probably going to blow. I haven't seen it. Probably wait until it comes out on video.

So I guess this makes 3 Kings the reigning champion so far for the Iraqi war film genre. That one IS a good war movie.

[katekat]

hey, i went with the decision of the masses - although i'll have you know my vote was for Doom.

But I was hoping for some beautiful cinematography becuase of the traiers, but, like I said, sadly, it just didn't keep the quality up.

And 3 Kings is a remake of Kelly's Heroes, right? Cuz I've seen Kelly's Heroes, and that movie rocks. 3 Kings was actually good?

[aesiron.livejournal.com]

..Doom? I. Uh..

..I don't even know what to say.

[katekat]

well, partially it's because the boyfriend played it all through college - and I love the idea of "god mode", and partially because of the Rock's interviews on John Stewart. Anybody John Stewart clearly loves that much is someone I'll pay to see on screen. Besides, I love candy movies.

[aesiron.livejournal.com]

I like fluffy movies and love the Rock and want to do naughty things to him but, still, Doom?! :p

[katekat]

lol. well, ultimately i won't see it, and wait for it to come out on video...like i do with most movies ;)

[gray-ghost.livejournal.com]

Yeah...it was pretty cool. George Clooney makes a great anti-hero. And it had a political statement and great camera shots.

I would have voted for Doom too....*sigh*

[katekat]

he does make a great anti hero, all round. i'll keep it in mind (along with the other 50 thousand movies you've rec'ed *grin*)

[seekingjoy.livejournal.com]

I made a conscious decision not to watch war movies anymore. None. Not "Black Hawk Down". Not "Pearl Harbor"...even with the yummy Kate Beckinsdale. No war movies. I feel like we are waging an unjust war and I don't want to watch glorifications of our imperialism and lack of respect for the lives of anyone outside this country.

And I think making it all technicolor exciting lulls the general public into forgetting that the wars portrayed are real, that people died and that they should see look beyond the Hollywood glitz to see what is really happening in the world.

You caught me on a pop culture subject I have thought quite a bit about...sorry if I went off on a rant...

[katekat]

It's quite alright - I don't agree with the "war" we're supposedly waging right now, nor do I think war in general is EVER the right option.

And I agree with you that the technicolor glory tends to excite and titillate rather than confront people with the reality of death and the massive destruction that man inflicts on man.

Sadly, this film purports to be anti-war... or to have an anti-war message, which, as you can tell from my post, just wasn't there.

[dara-starscream.livejournal.com]

Damn. I did have hopes. I read the novel Jarhead and enjoyed it. Tara is my witness; when I saw the trailer, as I realized what story they had to be talking about, I just kept saying, "They didn't." Because I didn't see how that book, as written, could possibly translate to a coherent and interesting film. Let me put it this way; I had a bad feeling when I heard they'd cast Jamie Foxx as Staff Seargent Siek (who in the novel is a Grade A motherfucker and incompetent on top of that).
-BJ

[katekat]

Hmm - the book sounds like it's got to be pretty damn good. But yeah, I underrstand about the whole book to movie transition - I've seen some horrible things go from one to the other. Or stuff I was like huh? why the heck and how the heck are they going to make that into a moive!

And see, in the movie, the guy was SO not incompetent. And sadly, the previous make him more ambiguous than the movie does. Uk. Oh well, that was only 2 hours of my life ;)

[dara-starscream.livejournal.com]

'Incompetent' was too strong a word, I guess. Siek (in novel) comes across as a guy who is probably an effective leader for a regular line company, but doesn't know how to deal with snipers and doesn't care to learn. Example; it's made clear over the course of the story that scout/sniper isn't the kind of duty where you just grab a guy fresh out of boot camp. But that's precisely what Siek does.

Oh well. I do want to go see it, but it's been downchecked on my priorities list. (still want to see Wallace and Grommit, but probably not going to get the chance)
-BJ