American Sniper

The circumstances surrounding Chris Kyle’s death might have overshadowed his accomplishments in life, but it’s the latter that forms the basis for American Sniper, a taut adaptation of his memoir.

Despite his outspoken political views, director Clint Eastwood has crafted an even-handed tribute to wartime heroism and sacrifice that largely shuns politics and keeps its focus on the front lines.

It begins with a brief look at Kyle’s childhood in Texas, including his relationship with the hard-charging father that drove him to join the military. His accuracy with a gun is uncanny, whether it’s on a firing range or at a carnival shooting gallery, and so he becomes a sniper with the Navy SEALs.

Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is shipped with a platoon to Fallujah, where his marksmanship while perched atop a building earns him the nickname “The Legend.” As he racks up a body count into the hundreds, he feels isolated and yearns to join his fellow soldiers on the ground as they hunt for a notorious terrorist.

Yet the conflict on the front lines isn’t as important as the battle inside Kyle’s head, and Cooper’s fully inhabits the role as he offers a vivid portrait of post-traumatic stress disorder.

When he returns home, Kyle is revered but haunted. He’s withdrawn and disillusioned, frustrating his wife (Sienna Miller), who is trying to raise their daughter while he’s overseas. Not able to shake his demons, he signs up for three more grueling tours despite his growing disgust with the experience.

The film examines the culture of tough-guy bravado and knee-jerk patriotism in its early scenes surrounding Kyle’s enlistment. But more than that, the screenplay by Jason Hall (Spread) is a compelling peek into the physical and psychological life of a sniper, and how the two combine to sometimes unsettling effect. For his part, Cooper handles both the physical rigors and the thick Texas drawl.

Eastwood’s depiction of the day-to-day routine in Iraq – much of the action is seen through a rifle scope – generates some tension even though we’ve essentially seen it before.

Perhaps it’s because moviegoers have become desensitized to seeing American soldiers in the Middle East, given the unprecedented access that’s available now during times of war. American Sniper might lack focus at times, and the ending is frustrating, but as a character study it’s both powerful and provocative.

Rated R, 132 minutes.