What we touched upon today in class about the controversy of "American Sniper" is highlighted in this brief clip from the HBO show "Real Time With Bill Maher." Please watch this clip and keep in mind as you do what you saw in class today.
1. Your reaction to the movie so far? Like? Dislike? Something else? And why? Also: what moment or scene has stuck with you since our viewing today? What about it made it stay with you?
2. Look at the clip above. Take a side in the debate being waged in it. Why do you take side you do?
3. There are virtually no other developed characters in this film besides Chris Kyle and, to a lesser extent, Taya Kyle. This is, after all, American Sniper. So what is the picture Clint Eastwood is painting of the man? Is he a hero? Is he a mad killer? Is he a racist? Is he a good man? A bad man? Something else? Something less? Something more? And are we supposed to like him? Do we like him? You don't have to answer every question I've asked, but you should address whether or not he is a hero—and whether or not we are supposed to like him.
Write about 200 words. BE SURE TO ANSWER THIS BY CLICKING ON THE COMMENTS BELOW. Have this finished by 11 PM. See you tomorrow. Here's a preview for the film.
I flat-out love this movie. This is my third time seeing it and I've liked it more every single time I've watched it. I really like how realistic all of the action scenes are. While the action scenes are huge, I also really enjoy all of the scenes in America because they help the viewer to develop a better understanding of Kyle's personality and the effects going to war has on him. The scene that stuck out to me the most from today is when Kyle is forced to kill the woman and child with the grenade. Though he was doing the right thing, that could never be an easy thing to live with.
ReplyDeleteI take a similar stance as Bret Stephens. Obviously, Kyle wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a damn good one. He loved his country and he did everything he possibly could do defend it and its citizens. He had no desire to kill innocent civilians, only those posing a threat to the safety of the United States.
I think that so far, the film has portrayed him as a hero. We see him saving US soldiers, killing bad guys and being celebrated by his comrades. He’s certainly supposed to be seen as a likable guy.
1. So far, I really enjoy the movie. This is my first viewing of the film, but I've heard much about it. Usually, I'm not one who enjoys violent films, but this one really keeps my attention and interest. Perhaps it's the stellar acting from Bradley Cooper and the expert filmmaking of Clint Eastwood, but I just can't look away. In fact, it's been hard for me to wait until to tomorrow to finish the movie. The moment that sticks with me the most is the scene where Chris has to make the decision about whether to kill the kid with the hand grenade. The emotional struggle he goes through is one that really impacted and interested me.
ReplyDelete2. I have to agree with the side that defends Chris. He did what he felt was right, and he saved quite a few lives doing that. He lived to protect his country, and he did a fantastic job of that. He made the world safer, and saved the lives of countless American soldiers. He certainly had some character flaws, as everyone does, but Chris didn't kill anyone who he didn't need to, and defended his country to the best of his ability.
3. I think that Clint Eastwood certainly wants viewers to think of Chris Kyle as a hero, and not any less. He provides us with sufficient material for a conversation about his status as a hero, but it's pretty clear what side Eastwood is on.
I really enjoy this film. This is my second viewing, and so far I still like it a lot. I think that the movie is a very brutal and realistic depiction of war and its effects on people, and while the action scenes may be short, they leave a lasting impact on the viewer. The one that stuck with me was the part where the Butcher drills into the child's knee and then into his skull while Chris is pinned down on the rooftop, unable to do anything at all to stop him. The sheer brutality and hopelessness of the situation really helped to give an impression of the state of the conflict in Iraq. Another scene that really stuck with me was a very simple moment after his first tour of duty. Kyle is sitting at the table, reading the paper, and his wife comes in to talk to him. There's a moment where a neighbor starts his lawnmower and you can see Chris's head shoot up, immediately on alert. This bit really struck me, as such a simple and understated moment displayed the PTSD soldiers go through and the feeling that Chris isn't 100% back home yet.
ReplyDelete2. After viewing the debate, I would definitely take the viewpoint that Stephens presents. Although Chris Kyle was not a perfect man, I believe that he was definitely trying to be a hero, and he was at the very least a good man and a great soldier. The quote Maher uses is very out of context; there’s a huge difference between, for instance, a random Iraqi civilian who is caught in the crossfire and a woman who would send her own child to literally blow himself and a dozen young men up with a hand grenade. Kyle was a patriot who did what he thought was best for the American people, even if he may have gone too far sometimes.
3. Chris Kyle, as I said above, is indeed something of a hero— Even if he claimed that title through being an extremely lethal gunman. You see in the film that Chris is not motivated to go to war because he’s some kind of bloodthirsty monster— Rather, Kyle is spurred to join originally by an attack on the U.S. embassy and finally by the attacks on the World Trade Center. He is portrayed as a flawed man who is, at his core, trying his hardest to protect the country that he loves and the people that he loves even more.
This is the second time seeing this movie and I am enjoying just as much as I did the first time. I especially enjoy watching the movie this time because of all the details I missed watching it the first time. There is a lot of quick dialog in this movie and if you are not paying attention an important line could just fly by. Though I like the characters and the topic that the movie covers I still find some things hard to watch. The scene that stick in my mind is the scene with the butcher killing the child and his father. That scene shows brutality at its height and it's hard for me to watch.
ReplyDelete2. I agree with Bill Maher's statement about people not being totally good or totally bad. Chris Kyle has done some very controversial things (as in killing the amount of people he did) yet he did it in war time with a lot of hatred and anger built up after 9/11. Having that kind of anger and disregard towards someone (or some group of people like Muslims) is a natural human reaction when under attack. So I believe that what Chris Kyle did can be looked at from both sides as a savage killing machine or a man serving his country. One can look at Kyle this way purely because of how people are not totally good or totally bad and people will have different reactions to his actions because people have different sets of morals.
3. Clint Eastwood shows how Chris Kyle is sort of a weird mix of hero and not hero. After watching the movie for the first time all the way through I was not sure wether I liked Chris by the end. The things he has done in times of war were horrible even for war time standards. Yet I don't believe he is killing people for the wrong reasons, he wishes to protect his country. So wether killing that many people purely for ones country (and maybe for his own enjoyment a little) is morally sound is entirely up to individual feelings. I believe Clint Eastwood wants his audiences to have mixed reactions to Kyle and discuss what makes him good and what makes him bad.
~Will
After watching the first half of American Sniper, I do like the movie, but it is kind of hard to watch. So far, I think it has done a good job of portraying the struggles that Chris Kyle goes through as a sniper, as a husband and father, and how he balances those things. The reason that I find it hard to watch is because of the scenes they have with emotional war violence. For example, the scene that was hardest for me to watch and which stuck with me the most was the scene where the terrorist known as "The Butcher," takes a drill and drills holes in a small child's thigh and head to get the kid's father to talk. This stuck with the most because it showed another side of war where the terrorists were killing even their own people. It wasn't just the terrorists killing Americans, they were killing little kids to torture someone else.
ReplyDeleteIn the HBO clip where they discussed the controversy of the movie, I honestly agree more with Brent Stephens. Brent was saying that Chris Kyle was right to describe some of the Iraqi people as savages. In the movie, they killed and tortured innocent men, women, and children and also brainwashed and forced little kids into attacking American troops. I think that he has a right to call people who do that savages. Also, Brent disagreed with Bill Maher and said that the movie is not a "black and white" movie. I agree with him. It was a pretty serious and straightforward portrayal of Chris Kyle as an emotionally struggling, yet prolific, American Sniper.
In my opinion, Chris Kyle is American war hero, but I wouldn't necessarily say he is a hero. He saved a lot of American soldiers lives, but he also took the lives of a lot of Iraqi terrorists. I'm not saying that what he did was wrong because, sadly, I think that he probably did have to kill them, but I don't know if I would call a person who killed that many people a hero. I also don't think that he was a mad killer because he had a very good reason to kill the people he killed. They were doing terrible things and attempting to take the lives of a lot people. Additionally, I think we are supposed to like him to a certain extent. He is a character that I think we are supposed to sympathize for and care for, but we aren't exactly supposed to like all of the killing he does because he is not ok with it all either. After every mark he hits, he sighs and seems to feel a little bad about it.
I believe that, as is the case with the majority of films that focus on developing one character, that we are supposed to think that Chris Kyle is good. Since we follow his story from the beginning and experience with him what he experiences throughout the movie, I believe Eastwood was aiming for us to develop a sense of solidarity with Kyle. Eastwood wants us to like Kyle as we watch the film, but I also think he wants us to acknowledge that Kyle isn't necessarily a "hero" in the conventional sense. For one, Kyle kills people, which is not usually a trait you find in heroes. In my opinion, Kyle fulfills the definition of a hero in that he had numerous outstanding achievements and hero-like qualities, but that doesn't make him a true hero. Eastwood painted the "American hero" idea in our minds with scenes such as when Kyle saw the twin tower attacks and wanted to defend his country. The idea of heroism is definitely there, but Kyle doesn't fulfill it.
ReplyDeleteFrom a pure entertainment standpoint, American Sniper is an engaging as any movie. The one scene that gets to me the most is the scene in which Taya is on the phone with Chris and they suddenly fall under siege. Having no time to warn Taya, or even notify her that he is ok, she is stuck in an unbearable limbo that I would imagine any military spouse fears most.
ReplyDeleteI believe, contrary to what critics say, that Eastwood actually presents Kyle as neither a hero nor a villain. It isn’t black and white. In my opinion, different viewers see this film differently based on what they believe about war. I don’t necessarily agree with Maher in this argument.
Having seen this movie once before – when it came out – I was pretty sure I wouldn’t learn anything new. I loved it the first time, yet was certain that Chris Kyle had probably been too glorified in terms of his sniping ability. I came away from the first viewing thinking of him as a hero, and when John said that Eastwood was heavily right-wing, I only expected to verify that stance upon a second viewing. However, halfway through the movie, I am coming away with the opposite opinion. I think Eastwood perfectly portrays both the positive perception he gets (like the nickname and honors), but also displays how war – and killing – can have such a negative impact on a person and a marriage. In heart-wrenching scene where he kills his first two people, I completely forgot about the part in which his partner congratulates him, to which Kyle shrugs it off. He undergoes what I would assume to be a true-to-life immunity to war killing, for good and for bad.
1.I really like this movie in its fullest. I personally think it's great movie which was really well made. The reason I like it is because I am able to connect with Chris Kyle on a different level. From the very start in that first scene, the one in the trailer, had me on edge and had my heart pumping. The way Clint Eastwood hooked me in so early on made me look be the movie all the more. My favorite scene so far has to be the scene withThe Butcher and the kid. Though it is one of the most gruesome, I believe it proves Chris' point as to why he hates the people he is killing. It also shows how merciless the Al-Qaeda really are.
ReplyDelete2.I support Bret Stephens side of this argument because I also believe that this movie is a genuine depiction of what war heroes and veterans face during and after war. PTST is very real and are able to see it in Chris’ reactions when he goes home. The struggles his wife faces with having a husband who is in the war are easily illustrated for the audience to see. I also have to agree with the point that the real Chris Kyle was probably different than the Bradley Cooper Chris Kyle.
3.Through the very developed character of Chris Kyle, Clint Eastwood want the audience to see him as a man true to what he believes in. He could be considered a hero or a crazed killer, but I would say he was doing his duties. He didn't kill random civilians. He killed those who were out to harm his friends, allies, and convoys, even if it was a mother and child. Clint, I would say, I definitely pushing the idea that Chris was a good man and I have to agree. He was a brave soldier that wanted to protect his home nation.
~Nick
I am enjoying this film so far. It is definitely intense, but I think intensity is almost unavoidable in films on the subject of war. One scene that stuck with me was the scene where Chris is on the roof trying to shoot both the enemy sniper and The Butcher while The Butcher is killing the civilians that helped the Americans. I was stunned when The Butcher kills the child with a drill. Killing a person with a drill is beyond terrible, It's inhumane. It is apparent how hard Chris is trying to save the civilians that helped him, but unfortunately he can't save them without being shot by an enemy sniper. What sticks with me from this scene is the how terrible The Butcher is, Chris' effort to desperate effort to save the civilians, and his devastation when he is unable to save them because he is trapped by the enemy sniper.
ReplyDeleteOne debate that appears in this short clip is the argument of whether this film is black and white. I would have to agree with the people who say that this film as a whole is black and white. The Americans are obviously the good side and the militant Iraqis are obviously the bad side. So far this film has only shown positive depictions of the Americans while the Iraqis are continuously shown in a negative light with very few exceptions. The civilians are rarely shown as innocent or helpful; rather as dangerous and violent.
Chris is a hero to the men around him yet he doesn't seem to enjoy being called a legend and being asked about his many kills. I don't think Chris sees himself as a hero, I just think that he believes he is doing his duty in order to protect his country. This is a man who has an unlimited amount of love for the U.S.. He didn't want to be a SEAL because that would mean he would be killing people, rather he wanted to be one in order to protect his country. This aspect of him makes him a hero. Chris doesn't want to go into war for himself, rather for those around him. He is seen protecting the other troops from above; saving their lives on many occasions, and he is seen moving from the safe position on the rooftop to the much more dangerous position of going through houses. Clint Eastwood sheds him in a very heroic light.
1. Thus far I “like” the movie in the sense that I appreciate this accuracy of its portrayal of war. However, if I had a free Friday night this would not be my first choice. The movie is heart wrenching and, for me, almost impossible to watch. However, the heaviness of the movie, in my opinion, is a necessary evil in order for Eastwood to properly depict war. A scene that particularly stuck out to me was when Kyle is sitting on the roof with his marine escort. The marine is playing some sort of war game on his gaming system. This reminded me of the way that as a society America glorifies war and at the same time belittles it. We create game after game when players kill people for fun.
ReplyDelete2. Though I do not agree with the Iraq war or all of Chris Kyle’s actions I do believe that Bill Maher was being unfair. Chris Kyle was an excellent soldier who was sent overseas and did his job to the best of his ability. I think Bill Maher makes the mistake of questioning Kyle’s morals rather than the moral of those who trained him and sent him to Iraq.
3. I have issues with some of the statements Kyle has made-specifically those Bill Maher mention though those may not currently be the point of discussion-about Muslims. I think he is narrow minded, but not a bad man. He is not a person who sets out to do harm. By killing the boy his intentions were only good, though possibly misguided. I think the movie is supposed to make us think he is a hero but personally I do not buy it. I think he is a skilled sniper and soldier, but not much more.
1. So far I have enjoyed the movie so far. I think it is really interesting how Clont Eastwood has portrayed the essence of war. We read about the Iraqi war in 6th grade I believe, and the writer did describe people as torturing and later killing hostages with drilled and axes, so I think the scene when the child got killed with the drill was very sad but also interesting. It made me question the reading I did earlier. Was that actually a concise way of torture in the war? It is a very dark thing to think about, but when one is a movie critic, you would have to judge parts of a non-fictional movie based on how accurate it is.
ReplyDelete2. I side with the argument that Chris Kyle did his job to defend his country. he had the bravery and the courage to defend his country,and that is something that is very valuable in war. War is also a very dark thing to think about but, I believe he saved more people then he killed by being one of the greatest snipers in American warfare history.
3. I believe that Clint Eastwood tried to portray Chris Kyle as the hero that he was. I think that while he tried to show how Chris was a hero, he also tried to show how what he did was terrible. The contradiction is something that is very interesting to have in films and books. This makes the watcher or the reader try to solve the puzzle inside they're own head instead of in the narrators perspective.
This also connects into whether we are supposed to like him. Clint Eastwood could have liked him, we don't know, but the issue is left unsolved. The watcher has to decide. That is what makes the movie great. I personally like Chros Kyle because bravery and courage are two things that I believe every persons should strive to have, and he has a lot of it.
Sam Brasher
ReplyDeleteAmerican Sniper blog 1
Chris Kyle was an impressive marksman. He has over 150 confirmed kills, the most in United States military history. Kyle was a controversial character in the media, especially around the time this movie was released. He earned his fame for his ability to kill, and that was unsettling to some viewers. Many civilians think of Kyle as a literal killing machine. All he does is pull the trigger with no remorse or emotion, but in the film, Eastwood presents a side of war and of Kyle that is not often seen. When Kyle kills his first victim, who happens to be a boy trying to kill marines, he feels anguish. His spotter seems ecstatic that Kyle kills the adolescent boy, but Kyle realizes the depth of his actions. How could anyone be excited about killing a little boy? He understands he acted accordingly and given the opportunity he probably would pull the trigger again, but he hates the evil that forced him to pull the trigger. Over time, killing probably became a monotonous task for Kyle, but Eastwood shows Kyle as an emotional being and not the stoic soldier civilians perceive him to be.
So far, I have liked the movie. It seemed real, with real issues that soldiers face such as PTSD. I liked how in the beginning of the movie Chris has to decide weather or not to shoot the kid and the mother with the bomb. That scene has stuck with me all day because I kept thinking, "What if I had to make that decision?" I think the scene became more important in my mind because Clint Eastwood didn't show Chris's decision right away, he went back in time and showed the audience who Chris Kyle really was then showed the shot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bret Stephens in the debate who says that what Chris Kyle is doing is right. And, Bret says the savages that Chris references aren't Iraqi people, but are terrorists. But, at the same time I think Bill is right saying characters don't have to be good or bad. In this movie I believe Chris is a little good and bad.
I think that Chris is a hero because he saved many American people who were fighting for a good cause. And yes, Chris did shoot a kid and his mother, but if he hadn't shot the kid, the kid would have killed about 10 soldiers. I think that Chris is a good person on the inside because he thinks before he kills. He doesn't kill without good cause. I don't think he is a racist either because the people he calls savages are terrorists who kill innocent people. I do think that we are supposed to like Chris Kyle because we see his thoughtful side before he kills the kid, and he is modest, I don't think he likes it when people call him a legend for killing lots of people. In fact, he told the guy who said great shot after he killed the kid to get away and shut up.
1. I have found the movie to be very enjoyable so far in a way that I wasn't expecting. The dark and graphic imagery completely shocked me as I was sure it wouldn't be this extreme. One scene that stood out to me the most is the one of the mother handing the grenade to her son, and Chris shooting both quickly afterwards. This scene was so outstanding because it so quickly gave us just a sliver of an idea of how hard it is to make those decisions and be in the war.
ReplyDelete2. I personally take the side of Chris. He is an honest man with an urge to defend the country that he loves so much. He did exactly what he thought was right and even though he does have an exaggerated personality in terms of his patriotism (saying he doesnt care what happens to the savages), he is loyal and kind at heart.
3. I think that the idea of this movie was not to portray Chris Kyle as a hero, but to give us an idea of how hard this man worked to prove he was loyal to his country. Chris would rather not be famous at all and have America be safe than be well known in a time where America is crumbling, which makes the audience like him. He does not want to be a hero, just an average joe who is protecting the thing that he cares about.
Sam Brasher
ReplyDelete1. I saw the movie when it first came out, and I still enjoyed it the second time around. I am a big fan of war movies, so American Sniper caters to my interests. I think Bradley Coopers portrayal of Chris Kyle is spot on. Cooper mastered the accent and altered his body to fit the role. The opening scene of the movie was the most moving. Kyle ends up killing a woman and a child, but his actions are not in vain. Obviously he is broken up over the child's death, but he did what hat to be done.
2. A couple summers ago I read Kyle's memoir and he became a hero of mine. I thought Kyle could do no wrong. Since I read the book, I have learned some information about Kyle that is not pleasant. For example, he claimed to have killed looters during the chaos of hurricane Katrina. Kyle is not perfect. War transformed him, but I still admire him. I admire his willingness to give up his life for his country. That is something many of his critics are not willing to do.
3. Chris Kyle was an impressive marksman. He has over 150 confirmed kills, the most in United States military history. Kyle was a controversial character in the media, especially around the time this movie was released. He earned his fame for his ability to kill, and that was unsettling to some viewers. Many civilians think of Kyle as a literal killing machine. All he does is pull the trigger with no remorse or emotion, but in the film, Eastwood presents a side of war and of Kyle that is not often seen. When Kyle kills his first victim, who happens to be a boy trying to kill marines, he feels anguish. His spotter seems ecstatic that Kyle kills the adolescent boy, but Kyle realizes the depth of his actions. How could anyone be excited about killing a little boy? He understands he acted accordingly and given the opportunity he probably would pull the trigger again, but he hates the evil that forced him to pull the trigger. Over time, killing probably became a monotonous task for Kyle, but Eastwood shows Kyle as an emotional being and not the stoic soldier civilians perceive him to be.
1.I have seen American Sniper two times before this class and every time I watch it I feel the same tension and emotion. The movie can be very raw and intense at some points. The scene that always sticks with me is the beginning, ended later in the movie, scene with the mother and kid. I cringe when the mother hands the kid the grenade and Chris Kyle has to make an extremely difficult choice to shoot the kid and save his team members. The fact that Chris Kyle becomes very saddened by having to do this is good for me because it makes him more human and you start to feel sorry for him.
ReplyDelete2. I believe Chris Kyle is a war hero and his acts are justified. He truly believed he was defending this country and his fellow soldiers and I think that is admirable. Of course, nothing is black and white in war many people have to make many tough decisions and sometimes they turn out to be wrong. The movie at times can show the Iraqis as "evil" or villainous and show Chris Kyle in aneroid light. I sympathize with the Iraqi people, whose cities are being destroyed, but I also think the soldiers have a really hard time.
3. Chris Kyle is supposed to be seen as a war hero who may have some problems but is still very likable. I enjoy the family scenes during the movie because they show a nice softer side of him. In Iraq he was forced to do some difficult things but he is still a good guy. Especially because he saved so many American soldiers lives.
1. I have really enjoyed the movie for far, I have seen it many times and each time something new stands out. I also like the whole idea of the movie, one of Americas heroes. The scene that sticks with me every time I watch this movie is when Chris Kyle shoots the young boy and his mother. Just the fact that he had to shoot such a young boy for his very first human kill has to be so damaging to his belief and what keeps him going everyday.
ReplyDelete2. I take side with the gentleman who is stating that it is not a black and white film and that it is not just about this Chris Kyle war man who does not give a fuck about anything or anyone. Also it frustrates me that the main guy thinks that he knows what it's like to be 200 yds away and looking through a scope. He says that Chris has no idea what he is looking at where if you are a sniper a 200 yd shot is a walk in the park and you know exactly what you are looking at.
3. Chris and his wife are as of now the only character who we truly know, I believe that Chris is a hero, without the work that he did as a sniper over watching the men on the ground and making them feel protected was amazing. There is a reason that he is known unlike many other military men. I don't that he is a racist but that he does not like the people who are killing his brothers. Also that he wants nothing more to help them and make sure that his family is going to be ok. I like Chris and I do believe that he is a hero.