Jarhead Movie Review 2005

Solid adaptation of Anthony Swofford's memoir is not so much an anti-war film as an absence-of-war film. Gyllenhaal is excellent as "Swoff," a Marine recruit trained as a sniper and sent to fight in the first Gulf War. Only when he gets there, there's no fighting, just waiting and preparing. Mendes's deft touch is put to good use in showing the frustration and boredom of the Marines, using other war movies as touchstones and keeping politics in the background while focusing on the characters. The drawback of this approach is that the audience becomes just as frustrated as the soldiers with all the inaction.

Distribution

Universal Studios Home Video, 100 Universal City Plz., Universal City, CA 91608-9955, Phone: (818)777-1000, Fax: (818)866-1483, URL: http://www.universalstudios.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on DVD
Running time 122 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

War, General, Desert War/Foreign Legion, Persian Gulf War, Military: Marines, Action-Drama, Middle East, Anti-War War Movies, Adultery, Sniper

Screenplay

William Broyles

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Brian Geraghty, Jacob Vargas, Laz Alonso, Evan Jones, Ivan Fenyo, Chris Cooper, Dennis Haysbert, Scott MacDonald, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Martz, Kareem Grimes, Peter Gail, Jocko Sims, John Krasinski

Cinematography

Roger Deakins

Director

Sam Mendes

Music

Thomas Newman

Other

Willie Burton, Walter Murch, Albert Wolsky, Dennis Gassner

Producer

Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Lucy Fisher, Douglas Wick, Universal