Not Your Everyday War Movie: Jarhead Portrays the Everyday Strain of Life in the Marines
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Action movies generally end with “the big finale” – a series of explosions, gruesome deaths or perhaps a car chase or two. Jarhead, however, is not a stereotypical action movie. As the credits began to roll, I think most audience members were left wondering “is that it?” Where are the explosions? Where are the cgi effects? Indeed, a number of critics have described Jarhead as anti-climactic and rambling… and they might be correct. Yet, despite the film’s admittedly slow progression, there also exists a very straightforward and powerful insight into the daily lives of Marines. Life as a Marine is not glamorous, nor is it always like Rambo. The days can be long and the mental challenges just as fierce as the physical ones.
Jarhead tells the story of 20 year old Tony Swofford and his trials in becoming a jarhead. “Swoff” endures the rigors of basic training grudgingly, initially faking sick to avoid the drudgery of every-day life and doing everything in his power to make it through camp with as little effort as possible. It appears Swoff is drawn to the Marines by a sense of obligation to follow in his father’s footsteps, yet once he arrives he is quickly numbed by the constant hazing and intense mental and physical challenges boot camp involves. In one training exercise, for instance, enlistees must crawl through a mud pit while live ammunition is fired over their heads. A member of Swoff’s platoon breaks down during the exercise, declaring that he can go no more and wants to go home. This is the reality of life at Camp Pendleton.
Swoff continues to drift through his days apathetically. That is, until he is offered the chance to become part of an elite group of Marine snipers. The opportunity leads Swoff to take his training more seriously and to accept the values of the Marine Corps. As he describes in one of his periodic monologs, jarheads are taught to act on instinct. The skills honed in the Marines will stay with them for their entire lives, becoming engrained in everything they do: “And no matter what he may do with his hands...build a house, love a woman, change his son’s diaper, he still remembers the rifle.”
Then word of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait begins to spread. The possibility that America may be on the eve of war creates an aura of excitement – his skills may be put to the ultimate test, and Swoff is ready. The young Marines are sent to Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Shield. Upon disembarking, the initial sight is breathtaking. Thousands of US soldiers are mobilized and, as one soldier puts it, they are ready to “kick some ass.” The excitement soon gives way to an uneasy anxiousness, however. As the days turn to weeks, the soldiers are left with little to do. The uneasiness leads Swoff to begin to question himself and his relationships. The film is interspersed with Swoffs reflections on life back home with his girlfriend. Left with hours upon hours of time and little to do but ponder, Swoff begins to lose his grasp on reality. By the time the war begins, Swoff exclaims that he has truly become a jarhead – in his mind, one who has surrendered his mind, in essence becoming an instrument of his officers.
Through all of Swoff’s trials in Kuwait, the actual Gulf War lasts only 42 days. Swoff’s experience of the war in Iraq is far removed from the firefights seen on CNN. Instead, his active duty is comprised mostly of examining the path of destruction left behind by America’s tanks, artillery and air power. Yet, that is not to say Swoff takes the war lightly. Instead Swoff’s experience highlights the strain of war beyond the battlefield – a story that is often overlooked by those merely seeking a sensational headline.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Jarhead for its simplicity and forthrightness. If you want an action movie, however, look elsewhere. Jarhead is short on car chases. It is, instead, a fitting and honest tribute to our men and women in uniform.
