Jarhead

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Yash B @yashbansal Dec 15 "Jarhead" is a war film that is a unique experience. This is a movie that criticizes war with almost no violence. It is about the soldiers facing things like boredom as well as a lack of purpose. I think its psychological nature makes it a fascinating film. Jake Gyllenhaal does a fantastic job in the lead role, and the movie rides heavily on his subtle performance. By design, the movie is pretty slow and mundane at times, but I also think that works to its favor with the point it is trying to make. I also think it is shot really well by Roger Deakins. There are a few moments that are chilling to watch, and the film ultimately leaves an impact and makes me think a lot. Overall, it is a war film that is more of a drama than an action movie, but it's a truly unique experience that I was engaged by. See more Richard T @RichardT Dec 5 While the movie aims to explore war and its impact on soldiers, it falls short in fully conveying either theme. The buildup is undermined by an underwhelming finale, and the underdeveloped characters make it difficult to form an emotional connection. However, the film's strengths—striking cinematography and engaging Marine banter—offer some redeeming qualities. See more Marco L @decatur555 Nov 23 (CASTELLANO) La experiencia de ver Jarhead es como asomarse a una guerra absurda en la que todo parece tener menos sentido del que debería. Sam Mendes retrata con precisión quirúrgica lo que significó para aquellos soldados vivir atrapados en un desierto sin gloria, enfrentando un enemigo invisible mientras se consumían en la rutina y el sinsentido. No se trata de batallas épicas ni de grandes gestas, sino de la espera interminable y del vacío que deja una guerra que nunca fue suya. Jake Gyllenhaal brilla como el joven marine que, lleno de furia y dudas, se enfrenta a un conflicto que no le permite ser el soldado que entrenaron que debía ser. A su lado, Peter Sarsgaard y Jamie Foxx completan un reparto intenso, capaz de transmitir la mezcla de rabia, frustración y resignación que pesaba sobre cada uno de ellos. Mendes sabe extraer de ellos interpretaciones crudas, sin adornos, que encajan a la perfección con el tono de la película. La fotografía de Roger Deakins es otro de los grandes logros: convierte el desierto en un escenario hipnótico, tan bello como insoportable. La arena, el calor y el humo de los pozos de petróleo ardiendo hablan tanto como los propios diálogos. La música y el silencio, en los momentos justos, terminan de construir esa sensación de ahogo constante. No es una película de acción, y ahí radica parte de su fuerza y también de su desafío. Mendes evita glorificar la guerra y la muestra como lo que fue: un teatro de intereses en el que lo único realmente importante era el petróleo. Esa decisión puede desconcertar a quienes buscan una narración más convencional, pero ofrece un retrato más honesto y perturbador. Jarhead no deja indiferente. Es incómoda, a ratos desesperante, pero justamente por eso consigue transmitir cómo debió sentirse aquella generación de soldados perdidos en medio de una guerra sin causa clara. Una obra que habla menos de combates y más de vacío existencial, del precio de ser usado en nombre de nada. (ENGLISH) Watching Jarhead feels like peering into a senseless war where everything seems to matter less than it should. Sam Mendes captures with surgical precision what it meant for those soldiers to live trapped in a desert without glory, facing an invisible enemy while consumed by routine and futility. There are no epic battles or heroic deeds here, only endless waiting and the emptiness of a war that never truly belonged to them. Jake Gyllenhaal shines as the young marine filled with anger and doubt, caught in a conflict that never allows him to become the soldier he was trained to be. Alongside him, Peter Sarsgaard and Jamie Foxx complete a strong cast, conveying the mix of rage, frustration, and resignation that weighed on each of them. Mendes draws raw, unadorned performances that perfectly match the film’s tone. Roger Deakins’ cinematography is another triumph: the desert becomes a hypnotic stage, as beautiful as it is unbearable. The sand, the heat, and the burning oil fields speak as loudly as the characters themselves. Music and silence, used at the right moments, heighten the sense of suffocation. This is not an action movie, and therein lies both its strength and its challenge. Mendes avoids glorifying war, instead exposing it as what it truly was: a theater of interests where oil was the only thing that mattered. That choice may unsettle viewers expecting a more conventional narrative, but it offers a more honest and unsettling portrait. Jarhead is never indifferent. It’s uncomfortable, at times exasperating, but precisely for that reason it conveys how that generation of soldiers must have felt—lost in the middle of a war with no clear cause. A film less about combat and more about existential emptiness, about the price of being used in the name of nothing. See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Nov 19 It's still a war movie, but the war itself is not the focus. The focus is the interactions the soldiers have with each other and the shenanigans they get into. See more Colin H Nov 5 A very average non-action 'action' film. Massively over-hyped, and massively dull. I couldn't care less about any of the characters, or their inner turmoil. That probably says it all. See more Harold C @ChambersContent Oct 21 A subversive war story that trades spectacle for futility, Mendes crafts a character-driven descent that feels more sad than tragic. Anchored by striking visuals and an award-worthy turn from Peter Sarsgaard, it lingers as a hollow but powerful reminder of what it means to come home with nothing to show for it. See more Read all reviews

Jarhead

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