Clint Eastwood
2014
Chris Kyle is an American hero in the plainest sense of the word. A U.S. Navy SEAL with an incredible shot galvanized his talents to protect those who could not protect themselves. Eastwood pulls in Bradley Cooper to play the titular American Sniper. Cooper brings his A-game, eloquently portraying the tragic sense of duty that cursed Kyle’s life.
Kyle from a young age had learned that there are 3 types of people in this world. There are sheep, the average person who lacks the power, mentally or physically, to influence the world. Then there are wolves that seek to use their power and cunning to beauregard over sheep. To serve as a balance there are men who are capable enough to combat the cunning and power of a wolf. This lesson imparted on him as a boy from his father, served as the core to Kyle’s moral compass. At the age of 30, Kyle took it upon himself to commit to the US Armed Forces and give back to the country he loves so dearly. The rest would become etched in history.
The significance of this film served to celebrate the life of Chris Kyle. Kyle had earned the title of “legend” due to his extreme markmanship and protection over troop members. His legacy in the military world was set in stone but most of the country had no idea how much he had given to serve and protect. The elephant in the room is of course the unfortunate murder of Chris Kyle at the hands of Eddie Routh. After four tours in Iraq, Kyle’s life would come to an end at the hands of Routh, a former marine part of a veterans support group Kyle took a leadership position in after the war. Even In retirement, Kyle had focused on helping those he felt needed his protection.
Eastwood understood exactly what made Kyle’s story so powerful. Framing the film around the curse of duty and the toll that our veterans pay to ensure the average citizen is not exposed to the horror of war proved successful in telling the full story of Chris Kyle. Kyle was able to be honored, not as a legend but as a man. The glorification of death or the idea of right sin is played with heavily within this movie. The qualities Kyle displayed are noble and admirable despite the over 200 corpses, speculated to be Kyle’s work. War is a dirty and awful concept but in a world where war happens it is important to understand the root of war. There are no right and wrongs. There are just people, trying their best to save others or even themselves. Death bears a heavy toll. If you are interested in honoring our veterans through the form of cinema this Veteran’s Day, I recommend American Sniper.
By: Karlique Caesar