Dead silence was the only response in the completely filled movie theatre. As “American Sniper” ended, the hearts of watchers fell as the credits scrolled down the screen. Everyone sat in their chairs like motionless robots until one person started clapping out of pure respect for the film, and before you knew it, the whole theater was applauding for the incredible motion picture.
The film directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jason Hall, stars Bradley Cooper who plays the role of “Chris Kyle”, and Sienna Miller who plays as Coopers wife, “Tanya Renae Kyle”. American Sniper is based off Chris Kyles autobiography “American Sniper: The autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military History”.
Cooper portrayed Kyle’s character flawlessly, as a Navy SEAL sniper who saves countless lives and becomes a legend. Chris Kyle grows up in Texas where his father teaches him to hunt and shoot a rifle. Years later, Kyle is a rodeo cowboy and one night after a rodeo, he comes home to see the coverage of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing. Kyle immediately enlists in the U.S. Navy, and he is eventually accepted into SEAL training where he then becomes a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper.
Kyle then meets Tanya Renae at a bar, they get married, and Kyle is sent off to Iraq after the Sept.11 attacks. On his first tour, Kyle earns the nickname “legend” due to his numerous amounts of kills, however he is deeply disturbed by the entire experience. After his first tour, Kyle returns to his wife and the birth of his first son, and after his second tour Kyle once again returns home to his wife and the birth of his daughter, except this time Kyle is incredibly distant from his family.
Kyle returns to Iraq 2 more times, and with a total of four tours, Kyle finds that it’s a war he can’t leave behind, his wife and kids can clearly see that. Kyle decides to finally return home once and for all, despite the fact he is still haunted by all the lives he couldn’t save, Kyle begins to adjust back to his normal life as he regularly visits wounded Veterans at the VA Hospital.
On Feb. 2, 2013, Kyle playfully says goodbye to his family as he goes to a shooting range with a veteran. Kyle is killed by that veteran on that same day. Kyle has been credited with 255 kills, 160 of which were confirmed by the department of defense, Kyle is the deadliest marksman in U.S. Military history.
To fit the part, Cooper gained 40 plus pounds on an insanely strict diet with a personal trainer. Cooper also received sessions twice a day every day, with a vocal coach to perfect Kyle’s Texan accent, as well as studying footage of Chris Kyle.
To prepare himself military wise, Cooper trained with Navy SEAL sniper Kevin Lacz who served with Kyle. Writer producer Jason Hall told People Magazine “He managed to find this essence of Chris Kyle, he brought him back to life.” To make the film more realistic, Widow Tanya Renae Kyle was extremely involved throughout the making of the movie.
“American Sniper” received the highest opening for a film in January, giving director Clint Eastwood the biggest opening of his career. The film was released Jan. 16 and is rated R. The American biographical war drama film has received 6 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Actor in a leading role (Bradley Cooper), Adapted Screenplay Film editing, sound editing, and sound mixing.
I highly recommend this movie, it’s undoubtedly the best one I have seen in a very long time. The film has it all, intensity, action, melancholy, sincerity, but most importantly, Cooper genuinely portrays the legendary Chris Kyle.
