Re: JarHead
Ok, I know this is a old thread, but after reading these impressions, I feel compelled to say something about the movie and the Corps I knew.
Personally I loved the movie. Was it a movie in the legacy of "Full Metal Jacket?" No. To me this movie held a lot more truths. The movie to me was more about disappointment than Corps traditions and history. To me it hit a lot of things on the head.
This review of the book sounds more like a rant than a review:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: anesvick</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
http://www.snipercountry.com/BVT_Reviews/Jarhead.asp
That book review sums up my feelings on this pile of disrespectful trash. I would be honored to have the chance to kick Swofford in the balls for the disrespect he paid to The Corps with this shit. </div></div>
The reviewer goes off and knit picks on the details that we as military men naturally find annoying. I don't think Professor Swofford wrote the book for just a military crowd. Military people like historical stories with hard facts and lots of dull details. No emotions. He wanted something everyone could read and, with some very simple/quick thought, could understand.
And as for the mental state and character of the Marines in the story being accurate? Again, I think its spot on. My time in the Marines was spent with a lot of guys who were young punks with attitudes. Some of them got booted out and others got busted down. A lot had police records, myself included. Out of 20 guys I got to my unit with (out of school) only 4 of us made it to the end of our contracts with E-4. I saw everything from thieves and liers to druggies and alcoholics. I asked myself, "How did this guy become a Marine?" on many occasions. In the end though, everyone I served with I knew I could depend on when the SHTF. We came up as a team and we knew all of our little quarks, faults, and strengths. This made us bullet proof... Or at least feel like we were.
In the end of my contract I got out because I felt the same disappointment that is reflected in the movie. I wanted to be a Sniper, couldn't because I was a critical MOS. I wanted War, every time we got close nothing ever happened. You really want to piss a Marine off, promise action then don't deliver.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is; if you want a war movie filled with glory, guts, and good one liners, this is not it. But if you want a movie with historical emotional truth and a unique perspective on the Corps, give it a try.