Finally, some good news out of iraq
"Welcome to the suck" is the motto, repeatedly delivered by sniper Troy (Peter Sarsgaard), that summarizes the experience of the Marines in the first Gulf War, at least as far as Jarhead portrays the experience. In director Sam Mendes' (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) new film, Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) joins the Marines in 1989 and gets shipped off to Saudi Arabia to fight Saddam Hussein's army; disappointingly (for them), combat is always on the horizon but never within reach. The film, adapted from Swofford's memoir of the same name, focuses more on the psychological impact of war, and preparations for war, than the physical impact. In Jarhead, the Marines endure far more stress to their minds than to their bodies.