Jarhead (R)
Intelligent and bleak; for mature audiences only.
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- Studio: Universal Studios, Universal Studios
- Directed By: Sam Mendes
- Cast: Jamie Foxx, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard
- Running Time: 123 minutes
- Release Date: 11/04/2005
- Video/DVD Release Date: 03/07/2006
- Genre: Drama
- MPAA Rating: R
- MPAA Explanation: pervasive language, some violent images and strong sexual content
Parents need to know
Families can talk about the conventional reasons for war, the ways that young men posture for one another in order to prove their "masculine" identities, and defining "enemies" by their differences. How does Tony's experience in the Saudi desert not meet his expectations -- of glory, mission, and camaraderie? How is Tony, as a precise, ground-based sniper, shown to be outmoded by overwhelming air-war technologies?
Message
Social Behavior:
Troops are cynical, wartime violence is expected but harrowing.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Cigarette-smoking, drinking, pot-smoking.
Violence
More focused on effects of violence than violent acts; explicit images of burned corpses.
Sex
Repeated sexual allusions and language; a couple of brief sex scenes; sexy photos from girls back home; troops fret over cheating girlfriends.
Language
Extreme cursing (100s of f-words, slang for genitals, abusive slang); some racial and sexual orientation slang.
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Cynthia Fuchs
Is it any good?
In the horrific Highway of Death scene, Swoff is shown sitting near the dead man, so that each appears in foreground and background, as if they are conversing. The effect is more harrowing than any battle sequence, underlining Jarhead's anguished point: war is not heroic or rousing. It is only devastating.
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Parents and kids say
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