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Wednesday 21 January 2015

American Sniper

American Sniper is reported to be the highest grossing film of any recent New Year.
I can understand why the film's title is likely to provoke strong emotions.
The gun enthusiasts will flock to see it because it glorifies their deity, the anti-gun and anti-war lobby will vilify it as a personification of everything wrong with America.
It is about Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal who is reputed to have the highest number of  'kills' in recent history.
I made up my mind there and then not to go out of my way to watch the film but to read the original book.  You always get a better 'feel' of where the writer's mind really is (or was) when you read the original book rather than watch a 'jazzed up' version – which a film inevitably has to be.   I have an admiration for the work of Clint Eastwood both as an actor and as a director so it's no disrespect to him but more a desire to get 'closer' to the 'essence' of the story that I chose to read the book.   I read it cover to cover in about 4 hours.   It's a fascinating read.   As someone who has been in war zones without weapons nor the physical protection of armed forces I can relate to part of what the author, Chris Kyle, says.
One does get an impression of the heavy hand of censorship as the book lacks considerable operational methodology and detail - again to be expected since insurgency groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIL and their supporters worldwide do a lot of reading and research on tactics to be more effective and efficient in their jobs.   So if you think you will learn a lot about SEAL strategy and tactics, then this book will be a disappointment.

Sympathy For The Devil
The whole theme of the book appears, in my opinion, more to be skewed toward a disdain of Arabs than 'just doing my job'.  (Note I have said 'disdain' rather than 'hatred'.) Perhaps you need that kind of 'motivator' to become inured to the absence of empathy nor compassion for the enemy's 'position' or 'perception' whereas as a journalist, it's important, regardless of personal feelings, to keep a sense of balance if you want to give your readers or viewers a 'fair' account of what is really going on?    Yes I know we are dealing with bloodthirsty devils who would not hesitate for a moment to cut off the heads of women, babies and children (and journalists) if they refuse to cooperate and submit to their demands.
So to be frank, in a war against Al Qaeda and ISIL for example, you need to have your Special Forces (SF) and regulars operating with as little empathy as is possible – to 'get the job done'.
[ISIL make it very easy to motivate our Special Forces as their methods and tactics bring out 'what are the best qualities' of the likes of Chris Kyle – thereby ensuring even more highly 'energized' or focused teams for the future.]
Again, perhaps, this is what is required to do your job effectively, without remorse and without conscience.
The occasions Chris Kyle did not 'kill' were occasions when he appeared to be more worried about the future legal implications of  'taking the shot' rather than any other motivation.  This is one 'onerous' detail which the enemy - Al Qaeda and ISIL - never have to worry about.

Runaway – And The Politics Of Survival
Don't misunderstand what I have said above.  Chris Kyle saved many Americans from becoming orphans and widows, Moms and Dads without sons and daughters, sisters without brothers, through his quick-thinking actions by taking out an enemy who otherwise would have killed American troops.   For that alone he deserves not just Bronze and Silver but Purple.   [As he admits himself, decisions to award medals are often more governed by politics than valor in the field.  I would also add that the same applies to the field of journalism.]

We learn a little about GROM [Polish Special Forces] in the book and it is clear that Kyle developed a  respect for their loyalty, discipline and operational effectiveness.  [Polish vodka is also given the 'thumbs up'!]
A bond of friendship was also formed with team members as 'brothers in arms'.
Rather disparagingly, the British SF always seem to arrive either too late or be 'pulling up the drawbridge' [when they thought Kyle and his colleagues had been gassed, British Forces refused him entry to a compound for fear of contamination, even though he and his team were desperate for sanctuary.]

Coping On Civvy Street
The personality of a Sniper [not an assassin – and please don't confuse the two] is well covered by Kyle. The effect on family relationships, the tragedy, marital breakdown, and, to a lesser extent, flashbacks are also covered.  I sense that Kyle is not being altogether honest when talking about the numbers of flashbacks and psychological trauma he experienced afterwards – but such is natural as I expect you need to put that chapter behind you, move on with your life and become a better husband (or wife) and dad to your children and a functioning responsible member of your community.

Keep Your Distance
Chris Kyle doesn't strike me as one of the 'deepest' readers of literature and displays little or no interest in the history of Iraq.   As far as he was concerned since he was there to get a job done, probably better that he knows as little as possible about the history of the enemy as such might 'impair' his clarity of vision – and I do mean this both metaphorically and literally [and without irony nor sarcasm.]
Being able to improvise at critical moments and being 'lucky' are also important factors to staying alive and getting the job done.  This is also covered in 'American Sniper'.
Contractors
What is also of note in ' American Sniper' is a lack of interest in the invaluable contribution which mercenaries or 'contractors' have made to recent conflicts in the Gulf and in Afghanistan.  These are the journalistic equivalent of 'freelancers' except that freelance journalists don't get paid anything like mercenaries and they certainly get none of the credit nor glory.  In fact, most do it neither for the money nor for the kudos.  [I would go even further and say that many freelance journalists don't get paid at all.]
Kyle mentions the traumas which enlisted veterans experience on their return home - and many experience not just family breakups but long-term psychological illnesses resulting in their inability to cope with 'normal' life, becoming homeless, jobless and ending up as addicts on Skid Row or it's equivalent in major cities and towns where they become the anonymous dispossessed and impoverished.
Sadly Chris Kyle begrudges them 'positive discrimination' in statutory legislation preferring instead that they are given a 'hand-up' or 'helping hand' from the private sector than any assistance from the State.
When you come from an ethnocentic background (or one of privilege)  it's not always possible to appreciate the value of legislation to protect the rights of either minorities or of those less fortunate than yourself or your own 'tribal' 'religious' or 'ethnic' group.   [This, incidentally, is very much 'in tune' with Clint Eastwood's politics so in that regard 'connect' very well with the philosophies being 'communicated' through 'American Sniper'.]
At least VA will attempt to assist regular forces but there is nobody there for the contractors when they are demobbed – and many face bleak uncertain futures - far worse than returning regular veterans – coming home often to communities which treat them like pariahs, with a morbid curiosity and with contempt, projecting everything that went wrong onto the 'evil' mercenaries.
So there is no heroes return for the contractors – just an ignorant community which treats them as less than garbage.   They will not get the 'breaks' Chris Kyle did when pulled over by a Police Patrol nor when they appear before a judge on D&D[DUI] or GBH charges.  There's no sympathy world nor glory for the returning mercenary.  Perhaps that is why their plight is ignored in 'American Sniper'?  Their reward was to be paid 3 (or much more) times a regular so perhaps it's considered 'fair game' that they 'roll with the punches' when demobbed?

In conclusion, the book is certainly not glorification of the life of a Sniper.
It's about an individual doing a job, trying to do it as best he can, making mistakes along the way and paying the price for those errors of judgement.
I highly recommend that you read the book.    It's probably a better representation of events than the film could ever be.

No doubt Clint Eastwood's skills will bring added glamor and embellishment to compress what is a fascinating book into the limited timeframe of the screen.


© Patrick Emek, 2015


American Sniper
ISBN: 9780062082350
EPub Edition January 2011 ISBN: 9780062082374






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