Jarhead (DVD)

Jarhead (2005) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx. Directed by Sam Mendes. Based on the book by Anthony Swofford. Gyllenhaal plays Tony Swofford, who wrote the book "Jarhead" about his experiences as a Marine in the Persian Gulf War. It's not really a war movie, though, because the Persian Gulf War was primarily fought from the air. This film is more concerned with the experiences of the grunts who went to the desert and waited, and waited, and waited for the war to start. Once it started, it was over in four days because Saddam's army had been decimated by the bombing campaign. The waiting, though, is made interesting because we see the Marine Corps from an insider's point of view -- and it's pretty weird. Grade: B