American Sniper – A Hero’s Requiem

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Now that the Academy Awards have come and gone, the films can begin to carve legacies based on their own merits and not campaign hype. I congratulate the winners on their well-deserved Oscars, but for me, one film stood above all others as the Best Picture of the Year: American Sniper. It is a culturally relevant portrait of an American hero––the good and the bad––who sacrificed everything to protect his brothers. Our nation had become so weary of war that we turned from the hardships of our veterans, but the story and spirit of Chris Kyle has opened our eyes.

American Sniper is more than an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture; it is one of the most important films in recent history.

Sniper Chris Kyle

 

American Sniper is not a film about politics; it’s a film about humanity. Chris Kyle is a hero, and I say that as a liberal. My personal opinions about the war have nothing to do with what Kyle and his family sacrificed to protect our sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. Taya Kyle recognized that the film would play a large role in how her children remember their father. After Chris’ death, she and screenwriter Jason Hall revisited the script to infuse Chris’ humanity through personal––and often painful––memories that most people would not have the strength to share so soon after a loss. As a film, American Sniper has moments of fiction to craft its narrative, but what remains 100% true at the core is how Eastwood, Hall, and Bradley Cooper brought Kyle to life.

ChrisTayaI’ve seen other movies that highlight how families struggled during Vietnam or World War II, but American Sniper was the first to decisively tackle that issue for my generation. I used to believe that people in the military shouldn’t have families, that it was selfish and unfair to put them through such daily pain and uncertainty, but that opinion was my own ignorance. American Sniper made me realize that soldiers need more than country or god or ideology to carry them through the fight­­––they need love. Love for their families and for the men fighting alongside them. When the reasons for warfare become muddied and the soldiers vilified, love is what keeps them grounded and preserves their humanity.

I never lived through the agony of having a loved one overseas and in constant danger. I never experienced the fear of not knowing if they would return home. I’m guessing most people who are calling Chris Kyle a murderer haven’t felt that fear either. But if their loved ones were in the line of fire right now, I guarantee they’d be praying for someone like Chris Kyle to watch over them.

ChrisAiming

Heroes do what the rest of us won’t or can’t, often without the luxury of morality. They do what needs to be done and accept the weight of their actions. Yes, Chris Kyle killed people, but he did it to save lives. It’s impossible to calculate how many Marines would be dead if he hadn’t pulled the trigger and accepted a burden that would’ve crippled most of us. For people to call Chris a murderer and spit on his legacy…it’s downright monstrous.

American Sniper is not only a triumph as a tribute to Chris Kyle’s service, it has also elevated awareness of the cause he dedicated his life to upon putting down his rifle: helping veterans. Chris’ guilt when he came home, knowing he could save more lives if he was still fighting but also knowing that his family needed him…how do you reconcile that guilt? How can any of us who haven’t endured it even begin to understand?

The film has increased awareness of the struggles veterans face upon their return home more than any other in recent memory. Our country has been mired in war fatigue to the point where the majority doesn’t want to hear about anything to do with the Middle East conflict, including our soldiers. But there is a difference between not supporting the war or even the troops’ actions and calling them murderers. Veterans’ struggles, PTSD, the difficult transition back to home life––the film is bringing it all to light. I can’t think of a better tribute to a man who died helping America’s forgotten and ignored soldiers.

In short, American Sniper is helping us heal as a nation, despite the hate mongers who would demonize Kyle for their own political agendas. It is a socially important film of the highest caliber that changed me as a person, and millions of Americans feel the same way.

Chris Kyle is a hero to so many families, and American Sniper is his requiem.

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Angela Lancaster

    I saw the movie a few weeks back and was so impressed that I have bought the book. I usually prefer to read the book first, but in this case will make an exception. I think you have captured the essence of the movie when you say “Heroes do what the rest of us won’t or can’t, often without the luxury of morality.”
    Whether we agree with his actions or not, you cannot say that Chris Kyle did not step up to the challenge of his beliefs, and that is to defend his country.
    Well written!

  2. Donna

    Thanks for including that photo of the memorial, I hadn’t seen that. I also loved American Sniper and only went to see it because my husband felt so strongly about it. He served in the Navy for 23 years.

    I ended up writing a piece called Leave Taya Kyle Alone. If you’re interested, it’s at http://donnacarolvoss.com/the-front-page/leave-taya-kyle-alone/.

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