Jake Gyllenhaal's $97 Million Flop is the Most Inaccurate War Movie Ever Made

Summary

• Gyllenhaal often appears in war movies, and one of them is considered the most inaccurate of its kind.
• The movie flopped at the box office and received mixed reviews.
• However, while military veterans called it pure fiction, some critics said it was a decent anti-military statement.

Sometimes it's hard to believe, but Jake Gyllenhaal 's career has already spanned an impressive three decades, and in all that time, the actor has managed to mark his contribution to the acting craft with roles in a multitude of masterpieces, from Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain to Zodiac and Nightcrawler.

But let's face it, his career hasn't been filled with the most successful projects. While Gyllenhaal himself is rarely criticized for his performances, the movies he jumps into are sometimes controversial.

One of them was the $97 million war drama released in 2005. It was a complete commercial failure and received mixed reviews from critics. However, this did not prevent it from creating a no small amount of buzz that divided the public into two camps: those who thought the movie in question was the most inaccurate representation of the war experience, and those who thought it was the best reflection of the mood in the army at the time.

What Is This War Drama About?

We are talking about the 2005 Jarhead. It is usually referred to as a military drama but it is difficult to call it a full-fledged military movie. Yes, it is undoubtedly a story based on the real-life experiences of a Marine, but it is a story not about the horrors of war, but more about society's indifference to the causes of war (and its consequences), the political context and high ideals, and the rigidity of the army system, which is partly reminiscent of Joseph Heller's Catch-22.

Jarhead is based on the memoir of the same name by former US Marine Anthony Swofford, and recounts his personal experiences before and during the Gulf War in 1990-1991. The story puts a lot of emphasis on the psyche of the protagonist and his fellow soldiers, which slowly but surely degenerates over the course of the war, but it's not the same madness as in Apocalypse Now, it's more like the madness of Full Metal Jacket. Except without the military actions.

Stationed in Iraq, Swofford (played by Gyllenhaal) and other young soldiers are eager to fight, but instead spend the entire war on base, experiencing hazing, brutal training, routine and constant drills. As a result, Swofford, who initially felt a sense of duty to his country because his grandfather fought in World War II and his father in Vietnam, quickly becomes disillusioned.

The Average Marine's Real Experience or Embellished Tale?

Many, both critics and ordinary viewers who saw the movie, appreciated the ideas conveyed by Swofford and screenwriter William Broyles Jr. who adapted his novel. After all, Jarhead is an excellent depiction of the disorganization of the military system, its senselessness and cruelty, full of brutal training as a form of hazing, stupid drills and mind-numbing routines.

However, not everyone appreciated the experience, considering it subjective and sometimes even exaggerated. For example, former United States Marine Corps officer Nathaniel Fick wrote in a review for Slate that the soldiers' experience in Jarhead may have a place in the Army, but it is not universal. Moreover, much of the character behavior, including shooting in the air and taking liberties with the combat zone, is pure fiction.

Of course, government agencies, including the Marine Corps Public Affairs Office, have also said that the movie does not represent the real-life experiences of Marines. Let's face it, Jarhead comes across as a cynical satire at times, but it's still a great anti-military movie worth checking out, as many were positively impressed by Gyllenhaal's performance.