The Bottom Line
- Movie takes a fascinating look at life in the Marine Corps
- Film is meditative and humanistic
- Cinematography leaves viewer with some memorable images
- Movie has little action and no heroism
- Film contains no stunningly dramatic moments, and there's not much humor either
- Story reflects the ambivalence of its protagonist (could be a pro)
Description
- DVD containing military drama Jarhead (2005) based on memoir by Anthony Swofford
- Movie directed by Sam Mendes and stars Jake Gyllenhaal
- DVD contains 2 commentary tracks, one by director, other by screenwriter and memoirist
- DVD has 42 minutes of deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by director and editor
- Two single-disc editions available, one in widescreen, other in full frame, both with above extras
- Also available is an edition providing not only above extras, but additional ones on a 2nd disc
- MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, some violent images and strong sexual content
- Feature run time: 2 hours 3 minutes
- DVD release date: March 7, 2006
Guide Review - Jarhead DVD
I was fascinated by the humanistic look Jarhead takes at the testosterone-driven guys in the Marine Corps. I thought Jake Gyllenhaal was good in the role of the film's main character, and he is well supported by Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper.
Set in 1989-91, the movie centers around Tony "Swoff" Swofford (Gyllenhaal), a young man who enlisted in the Corps, presumably to prove his manhood. Swoff trains at Camp Pendleton, and when Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, he's sent to Saudi Arabia, where he endures boredom and more training. He finally sees combat in the Gulf War, but even that turns out not to give him much satisfaction.
Jarhead isn't quite like any other war movie I've seen. There's little action and no heroism, and there's not much humor either. I would say the film's strength lies in its portrayal of what life is like in the Marines. Watching the movie was for me rather like reading the diary of a young man caught up in a love-hate relationship with the Corps, but he has experiences in it he wouldn't trade for anything.
The movie is available in two single-disc DVD editions (one widescreen, the other full frame), both containing two audio commentaries and deleted/extended scenes running 42 minutes. There's also a two-disc edition providing three additional bonus materials with a running time of 98 minutes. You can find out more about the different DVD editions and bonus features in the in-depth DVD profile of Jarhead.
