Chris Kyle’s book American Sniper raised eyebrows when it first came out in 2012. It’s only fitting that the film adaptation would do exactly the same.
The Clint Eastwood-directed, Bradley Cooper-starring, Jason Hall-adapted movie is causing a stir with viewers. Some are saying that it portrays Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) as an American hero whose history has been whitewashed.
Others are saying that the film portrays Kyle as a sociopath and disregards the many lives he saved during his time in the Middle East.
Now, this is not a review of American Sniper, but this is a discussion about the way we interpret media.
When I saw the film, I walked out of it amazed. There were moments in the film where I couldn’t help but think that Chris Kyle was wearing blinders and couldn’t understand why he was so dedicated to a mission that seemed futile. Other times I couldn’t help but applaud Kyle’s effort and feel endlessly sympathetic/empathetic towards Kyle.
I don’t like to endorse clichés, but it really is an emotional roller coaster and one that challenges viewers to digest different facets of Chris Kyle’s life.
What American Sniper reveals is the fact that people don’t want to be challenged. Some people don’t want to have to watch something and live with the conflict and unrest found within the story.
Calling Kyle a hero would overlook some of the downright indefensible things he says in the movie (e.g. his recurring lines about Middle Easterners being “savages”).
Yet, calling him a coward – as documentarian Michael Moore did late last week – would diminish the great sacrifices that all members of America’s armed services make when they decide to put their life on the line to protect the freedoms and liberties that we all hold dear.
Those who take sides in this issue are missing the point completely. Kyle was a human being – same as you and me. He had flaws, he had imperfections, but he was willing to make choices that I hope I will never have to make.
I would imagine that the film has stirred up people’s sentiments about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – two conflicts whose long-term effects are still not known.
Perhaps what’s most troubling about the controversy over American Sniper, rather it’s about the fact that no one is listening.
Sometimes we can use popular culture as a lens to talk about things that make us uncomfortable to take on head on.
If the discussions regarding American Sniper are any indication of the eventual dialogue that will have to be had about the recent conflicts in the Middle East, then I am not looking forward to the Twitter feuds that are bound to spring forward.
What American Sniper demonstrates are the rough-draft versions of thoughts people may be having about a very still-sensitive subject.
It’s pivotal at this point in time that we remember to always be open minded about people’s feelings in regard to such hot-bed issues.
Maybe I’m reading into this a little too much, but I think that the sentiment of this article is in the right place.
An open dialogue is an important part of any successful interaction.
Brian Laughran
Editor-in-Chief