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— by Larry Carroll
It's been said again and again, but that doesn't make it any less true: The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed everything forever. Within months, the U.S. had troops fighting on the ground in Afghanistan. By the time of the American-led invasion of Iraq in March, 2003, the lives of millions in the U.S. and abroad had been irrevocably changed.
From the entertainment industry's perspective, the period after 9/11 was emotionally, politically and economically perilous. Those who dared to speak out against the Iraq invasion risked the sort of backlash accorded the Dixie Chicks, Bill Maher and the critically lauded but DOA-at-the-box-office Joaquin Phoenix film, "Buffalo Soldiers" (2001). Musicians like Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down, meanwhile, established themselves as supporters of the military and its mission — and enjoyed significant career boosts. The message seemed clear: If celebrities want to be successful, they'd better support the war effort or keep their mouths shut.
Recently, however, a shift in the tide has become evident. Green Day's American Idiot album, which yielded the heart-tugging anti-recruitment video, "Wake Me Up When September Ends," is one of the most critically and financially successful albums in recent years. My Chemical Romance's dramatic "Ghost of You" video portrays a World War II USO dance while delivering somber reminders of war's tragedies. Audioslave's "Your Time Has Come" has continued the trend, using the specter of the Vietnam War to draw parallels with the 2,000-plus American troops killed in Iraq.
On the heels of these music videos comes "Jarhead," a big-budget film with a less-than-gung ho tagline ("Welcome To The Suck") that chronicles the real-life tale of a Marine's recruitment, his Desert Storm experiences and his ultimate disillusionment and regret at joining up. Universal, meanwhile, has given the film massive support, blanketing the airwaves and the Internet with ads, and there are no indications that the film's stars (Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard) are likely to face any career repercussions for what some might see as unflattering portraits of men in uniform.
So what, exactly, has changed?
"[Anthony Swofford's] book, 'Jarhead,' was written about the same time that 'Buffalo Soldiers’ came out," Gyllenhaal said. "And the book met with a great response. I don’t know if [the lack of controversy surrounding 'Jarhead'] has to do with people becoming more questioning or less questioning."
"Anti-war and anti-military are two different things," offered director Sam Mendes, who wanted to avoid the pitfalls, both real and perceived, of the latter. "Being anti-military means that you lump in all the people who fight with the reasons for their fighting, and I haven't done that with this war movie.
"There's no such thing as a good pro-war movie," Mendes said, adding that his film focuses on the anguished days and nights of Anthony Swofford (Gyllenhaal) and his fellow Marines, not on the ostensible reasons behind their military mission.
"You're not gonna watch this movie and think, 'I wish I was there,' " Mendes laughed. "But the film is nonjudgmental."
This new trend of addressing the fact of war, then, seems to be less about arguing whether the current Iraq conflict is just, and more about acceptance and education.
"The thing about this film is that it’s not really political," insisted Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Troy, an enigmatic Marine desperate for action. "Even people who support the war will acknowledge that it’s painful. People who support war, period, will acknowledge that there’s pain and that there’s value in seeing that pain. If we just depict it as something heroic and fantastic, that doesn’t really honor [a soldier's] experience. A Marine watches that and goes, 'Wouldn’t it be great if it were like that? I guess my experience isn't valid.' "
"We [in Hollywood] ponder war, because sometimes it's Greek to us," explained Jamie Foxx, who plays a sadistic commanding officer in the film. "We are in the feel-good business. We have to understand that outside of our feeling good, there are people out there doing serious business. I think this movie … is serious business, and I think that it gives you a different sensibility — at least as far as what you think about the troops."
"Jarhead" is unique in that it's a war film without war, and a military movie that simultaneously makes the audience feel bad for the soldiers and envious of their brotherhood. But the characters don't seem to fear the prospect of battle nearly as much as they regret the sort of things they have to give up and experience in order to enjoy that brotherhood.
"The film walks this line, which is what Tony Swofford’s book did," Gyllenhaal said of his part in the film, a role that has his character despising war one minute, and cheering on the violence of "Apocalypse Now" the next. "['Jarhead' is] the experience of a Marine who has regret about what he went through, and at the same time has a real appreciation for it."
At the end of it all, a mixed message emerges that shares similarities with recent anti-war music videos. No matter how you feel about the current administration or our current military entanglements, it's still acceptable to educate youth on what enrolling in the armed services really means. As the characters in "Jarhead" discover, it's a decision and action that one can easily come to regret.
"There’s a line that Peter Sarsgaard’s character has in the movie," Gyllenhaal remembered. "He says, 'F--- politics, we’re here. That’s all that matters.' I think that kids have to think about [that] before they sign on that dotted line, and [they have to think about whether] they agree with the things that they might have to go fight for before they sign, and then make the decision. But [they have] be conscious of it."
"If you’re someone who can’t understand why [the intense loyalty within the Marines] is a good thing," Sarsgaard added, "then you’re not gonna make it as a Marine. I don’t think it’s for everyone. War is a sloppy thing, and it will always be a sloppy thing. You really need to think twice and ask yourself, Am I willing? It’s not about being an individual and glory and all of that; it’s the opposite.
"It’s putting [yourself] aside, and giving it up for a group," the actor concluded. "And that’s something that I don’t think many 18-year-olds are ready to do."
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