The movie American Sniper has been the most talked about movie of 2015 thus far. It has had rave reviews as well as harsh criticism. The movie made over $105 million in its opening weekend making it the highest grossing weekend ever for a drama.
American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, starred Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Bradley Cooper played the most deadly sniper in US military history, Chris Kyle.
The movie focuses around Kyle’s life while he is in the Navy SEALs, including his four tours to Iraq and his family life when he is back in the states. It shows the gritty truth of war in this modern world and how it affects our servicemen.
Following the path of many war movies before it, American Sniper was extremely graphic to watch for many, but to our servicemen that gruesomeness was everyday life while they were deployed.
Those scenes that kept audiences on the edge of their seat are the same realities that make coming back to everyday life in America difficult for our troops. The rare glimpse into PTSD and adjusting back to civilian life in between tours has been an eye opener to many of the millions of people who have seen the film.
Surprisingly enough, the biggest headlines surrounding American Sniper haven’t been about the movie itself, but Seth Rogan and Michael Moore’s reactions to it. Rogan likened the war scenes to pro-war Nazi propaganda while Moore called snipers cowards.
Both Rogan and Moore have received extreme criticism from the public as well as other Hollywood stars for their comments. Blake Shelton, Kid Rock and Sarah Palin have all come to the defense of the movie, causing Rogan and Moore to retract their comments, stating that they were out of context.
Whether the viewers loved or hated American Sniper, as Americans, we all have the right to express our opinion on it. The right to free speech allows us to have differences in opinion and it is our servicemen like Chris Kyle who fight for America to keep that right.
