The gripping tale of Marine Scout Sniper Anthony Swofford’s experiences in Operation Desert Storm is brought to life in the 2005 biographical war drama Jarhead.
Sam Mendes took the helm for Jarhead, a cinematic adaptation of Swofford’s 2003 memoir, capturing his time as a US Marine in the Persian Gulf War. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Anthony Swofford, the film boasts an impressive ensemble including Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, and Chris Cooper.
Despite its November 2005 release, Jarhead failed to make a significant impact at the box office, with a global take of just $97 million against a hefty $72 million production cost. The movie did, however, inspire two direct-to-video follow-ups: Jarhead 2: Field of Fire, and Jarhead 3: The Siege.
Critics were divided on Jarhead, which holds a 60 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Some labelled it “a tedious film with an utterly unlikable protagonist”, while others praised it as “if not a classic war film, at least a top-notch and engrossing imitation of one.” Another review lauded the cast’s performance, stating: “These soldiers wanted action, any action, just to feel justified for the life they left behind and Mendes does a great job of showing that anguish. The cast is excellent, too.”
Another critic felt it squandered Jake Gyllenhaal’s talents: “Gyllenhaal can, in fact, act, so the blame must fall elsewhere for his dim performance, all topless tears and soulful voiceovers. The same goes for Peter Sarsgaard, Chris Cooper and Jamie Foxx, three good actors forced into contortions of theatrics.” One reviewer summed it up perfectly: “Ultimately, Jarhead is pretty pointless but the film does look wonderful, and the performances are very solid.”
The Mirror US reports that, speaking to Blackfilm.com in 2005, Gyllenhaal reflected on his experience: “There was the physical stuff of just pushing my body to a limit where it had never been pushed before and then there was also just being around a lot of people who I really respected and looked up to, people like Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, who are in my opinion, really like admirable men and you know, and also our military advisors who are, to me, people who have been and seen some really incredible and awful things and are still kind, caring, really cool people.”
Audience reviews proved more favourable, with one fan declaring: “Forget what the elite, out-of-touch critics say. They never put on a uniform and kissed their family goodbye. Jarhead is one of the best war movies ever made. It’s raw, unfiltered, and paints an accurate picture of military life that most films miss.”
Praise for Jarhead’s meticulous craftsmanship came from another viewer who observed: “There is one thing about this movie that cannot be missed. I can see that it worked really well on the small details.”
Meanwhile, a devoted fan couldn’t contain their enthusiasm for Gyllenhaal’s performance: “I love this movie, it’s my favorite movie of all time. I have watched Jarhead over 57 times since it premiered. My first time seeing it moved me. The first person narration with Jake Gyllenhaal was awesome.”
For those in the UK, Jarhead is available to stream on Netflix.