While being a Jarhead is the basic premise and plot for the film “Jarhead” that takes place during the first Gulf War. Jarhead is a slang term for a U.S. Marine. Young, ambitious and proud men and women go through basic training and when finally are shipped out to war, they ready themselves. But ready themselves for what? Let’s come back to this question in a minute

First, a little history recap. On August 2, 1990, Iraq invades Kuwait which creates worldwide attention. This was first known as Operation Desert Shield and changes to Operation Desert Storm. In the following months, scud missile attacks filled the sky as hundreds of oil wells were ignited. About 500,000 U.N. troops, mostly from the U.S., were deployed Saudi Arabia by January. The ground forces mobilized on Feb. 23, and four days later, a ceasefire was declared. Iraq accepted the terms on March 1. 

Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his friend Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) are two of those men that are psyched and ready for war. They enroll in sniper division where their squad leader, Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx), constantly chews them out but only to prepare them. They are shipped to Saudi Arabia where they’re told that casualties could be very high. But at camp, they spend their day and nights training, debating differences, masturbating, writing and receiving letters from home, hydrating, dehydrating, playing football in 112 degree heat in full body gas suits, and whatever else they can do to keep themselves from being bored and disappointed from a promise of a war that isn’t delivered.

“Jarhead” spends a lot of time describing what these men go through psychologically. Other war movies stress what can happen to the men psychologically when they are in war. “Jarhead” stresses realistically what can happen when not in war. These men are eager to use what they learned in basic training in actual combat but instead they wait and wait, and wait. After spending months in the desert, Swofford says “Four days, four hours, one minute. That was my war. I never shot my rifle.”

The best scene in the film is when Anthony and Troy are sent on a mission to assassinate two enemy military officers. They have the officers in their sights and wait for clearance. When given the go ahead, their finger grips the trigger but in the next second, their commanding officer enters and orders them to stand down. An air strike is in bound and taking the shot would be unnecessary. Shocked and disappointed, Troy explodes. He begs for the opportunity and when refused, he cries, bangs his head on the floor and punches the wall. Sarsgaard’s performance makes you absorb the pain and frustration these men share.

This film was based on Anthony Swofford’s 2003 novel, “Jarhead”. Some may question the accuracy of the events portrayed, but I won’t. Some aspects from the novel may have been changed for the reputation and consent of the actual people involved, exaggerated sequences, dramatic effect, logistical issues, etc. This is a movie, not a documentary. Whether it’s based on fiction or non-fiction, director Sam Mendes creates a powerful film that is supported by Oscar worthy performances. OOHRAH.