American Sniper True Story
In 2014, when American Sniper by Clint Eastwood was released, it did not merely smash the box office records; it caused a national discourse regarding the essence of the modern warfare, the cost of service and the history of the deadliest sniper in the history of the U.S. military. The movie was directed by Cory Cooper and starred Bradley Cooper in the role of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who was nominated in six Academy Awards. Nevertheless, like any Hollywood film, the boundary between cinema dramatization and history might be quite a thin one. American Sniper True Story
To see through the American Sniper true story, one should see past the prism of the fierce acting of Bradley Cooper and open the pages of the autobiography of Chris Kyle himself, the official military documents, and the tragic events which later took away his life.
The Man Behind the Legend: Who Chris Kyle?
Chris Kyle was born in 1974 in Odessa, Texas and grew up in a ranch, rifle, and rodeo world. Prior to the transition into the household name, he was a professional bronco rider whose career ended before his time due to an immensely debilitating injury. His childhood, however, had taught him the protecting mentality the character in which he subsequently placed a world-renowned classification in his book, in his wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs analogy.
In 1999, Kyle enlisted in the Navy and was recruited into the most elite unit of the Navy, SEAL Team 3. During the four tours in the Iraq War, the reputation of Kyle increased to mythical levels. The Pentagon reported that out of the 255 confirmed kills, done by Kyle, it was estimated that he had 160, which is the highest number of confirmed kills in American history. American Sniper True Story
The “Legend” of Ramadi
The movie has the insurgents call Kyle Al-Shaitan ar-Ramadi (The Devil of Ramadi) and place a 20,000 bounty on his head. This is entirely factual. Kyle became such a disturbance to the insurgent activities that he was even called to die through posters which were distributed in the Iraqi streets.
Fact vs. Fiction: What the Movie Distorted.
Although Clint Eastwood remained faithful to the heart of the story in terms of emotions, a number of essential details were modified or invented in order to make them conform to the conventional film plot. American Sniper True Story
The Rival Sniper “Mustafa”
A Syrian Olympic medalist sniper named Mustafa is used in the movie as the main villain of Kyle a negative reflection of him. The duel between them ends in a 2,100 yard record.
The Fact: in the memoir of Kyle, Mustafa is referred to in just one paragraph. No personal revenge and game of cat and mouse between them. The shot 2,100 yards occurred, but this time it was against an insurgent firing a rocket launcher, and not another sniper. American Sniper True Story
The Death of Marc Lee
The movie portrays the death of a friend of Kyle, Marc Lee that had just occurred after the latter had raised concerns about the war.
The Truth: Marc Lee was actually the first SEAL to be killed in the Iraq War, but in reality, the manner in which it happened and the letter he wrote were a bit more subtle. Although the film is utilizing Lee to make an argument about the increased cynicism about the war, the family of Lee has repeatedly stated that he was a loyal warrior up until the very end. American Sniper True Story
The “Butcher” of Fallujah
In the movie, a dreadful villain called The Butcher is presented and he administers power drills to civilians.
The Reality: The insurgency in Iraq was associated with gruesome acts of violence but The Butcher was an artificial character in the movie to provide the audience with a face over which to attach the acts of brutality perpetrated by the enemy. American Sniper True Story
The Internal War: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Homecoming.
The description of the invisible war wounds was one of the most complimented points of Bradley Cooper in his role. The American Sniper true story is not merely about what went on in the crosshairs, but rather what went on in the living room.
Kyle had a very difficult time adjusting to life as a civilian. He had high blood pressure, a bad temper, and the weight of the people he was unable to save. Taya Kyle, his wife (Sienna Miller) has spoken out on the hardships that their marriage experienced throughout his four deployments.
The most heartfelt scenes of the film, when Kyle is looking at a blank TV or trembling at the sound of a lawnmower, indicate what a lot of veterans coming back to Middle East face. Kyle later discovered his new purpose in assisting other veterans by his organization named FITCO Cares. American Sniper True Story
The Tragic Ending: February 2, 2013
It is probably the most shocking element of the story that Chris Kyle survived four combat tours to be killed on the American soil.
Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield only had to go to the Rough Creek Lodge shooting range in Texas on February 2, 2013, where they took 25 year old Eddie Ray Routh. Routh was a former Marine and he was said to have PTSD and schizophrenia. Kyle was of the view that the range helped the veterans. American Sniper True Story
Sadly, Routh got his gun and shot the two men killing them immediately. The movie opts to stop right at the time when Kyle goes to the range, a stylistic choice as the director wished to celebrate his life, and not dwell on the futility of this death.
The Trial of Eddie Ray Routh
This trial came soon after the release of the movie and made a media frenzy. The defense side of the case filed by Routh also stated that he was not guilty because of insanity but the prosecutor was able to state that the drug use and his premeditated actions proved that Routh understood what was right and what was wrong. He was declared to serve life imprisonment without parole.
The Legacy of the “Legend”
Chris Kyle is still a divisive person today. He is the greatest American hero who rescued thousands of lives by neutralizing threats to some people. He is the embellishment of violence to critics. American Sniper True Story
But based on the American Sniper true story, it is obvious that Kyle considered himself a mere man on a job. His autobiography, although condemned on its brashness and certain questionable assertions (including an alleged physical confrontation with Jesse Ventura), is a crude insight into the thinking of a warrior.
Effect on Veterans Consciousness.
The movie and the life narrative of Kyle have achieved more success in introducing PTSD and veteran suicide to the mainstream mind than nearly any other media content in the 21st century. His mission of protecting the sheep, which involves serving military families, is still going on since the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation is still providing them with support. American Sniper True Story
Conclusion
The real life American Sniper story is a convoluted web of heroism, controversy, trauma, and tragedy. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper have managed to make a movie that celebrates the sacrifice of the service members and makes the audience realize the harsh reality of the battle field.
