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Jarhead
Jarhead
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Jarhead

Jarhead

2005
Comedy, Drama
2h 5m
Laced with dark wit, honest inquisition and episodes that are at once surreal and poignant, tragic and absurd, Jarhead is the film adaptation of Marine Anthony Swofford's bracing memoir that took readers into his disorienting firsthand experience in the Gulf War. (Universal)

Jarhead

2005
Comedy, Drama
2h 5m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 47.77% from 6403 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(6451)
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Rated 27 Feb 2010
90
91st
Jarhead is a war film without the war and what happens to those in it when nothing happens? It's an incredibly difficult to make and difficult to watch unless you have a very set mindset. There is no action, there is no payoff, it ends with a whimper not a bang. And that's the point. The acting is stellar and there are some superb shots. Without a doubt this is one of the hardest movies to watch and appreciate: good people break and in the end all you're left with is a hollow experience.
Rated 16 Nov 2009
59
48th
The beginning is outstanding, and at first it's one of the best contemporary war movies: poignant, painful, cynical, and gripping. That promise goes unfulfilled, as the film suffers from the same lack of resolution and substance that the war did for Swofford. It's not a problem that no one fires--it's a problem that what does happen has literally no effect except to underline the central conflict. It's pretty, and the acting is good, but ultimately it fails to transcends mere entertainment.
Rated 24 Apr 2008
83
81st
You have to go into this with the right mind-set, but it's a great movie. The complaints I hear about it are mostly that the film lacked Saving Private Ryan-style action sequences, but this is not that kind of movie, and the first Gulf War was not that kind of war. Nothing happens. ...and that's the point. It's often a visually stunning film, and Peter Sarsgaard continues to establish himself as one of the best working actors in Hollywood. Sam Mendes doesn't know how to make bad movies.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
64th
Well made movie about... what exactly???
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
88th
Most war movies tell us that war is hell. This one says: no war is hell too. Jarhead is an amazing movie with absolutely stunning cinematography (I think the Oscar is locked already), and excellent acting from everyone involved. This is a completely character driven script, since almost nothing happens during the entire movie, but that nothing is so damn fascinating! So why 8.5? I believe the movie is a bit long and needed some extra editing. There are quite a few scenes which serve almost no p
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
87th
A good movie that doesn't really take any stance on the wars that have gone on. I like that about it actually.
Rated 12 May 2007
76
47th
A pretty good movie that suffers by shifting between character study and war movie. It does both well enough to be enjoyable and give you some things to think about, but they don't mesh together enough to bring the movie to another level.
Rated 16 Jan 2018
70
58th
not without its flaws but this is literally about how soldiers deal with fighting in a war that has no fight for them, so that's not an issue
Rated 11 Jan 2017
60
24th
Not at all terrible but just isn't doing anything interesting you haven't seen a dozen times before. It's well made and acted but seems stuck in a weird limbo between classic war movies like Full Metal Jacket and more modern takes on this subject still to come at this point like Generation Kill. With a ton of more interesting war movies coming out during the following years this already feels terribly dated.
Rated 26 Apr 2016
69
27th
Great movie. The characters are believable. The story is not all that in depth but you see their struggles and they did a great job portraying that.
Rated 24 Apr 2016
70
75th
This is a great character study not just of soldiers but of people who are put under consent and continued stress. I also liked that it didn't fall into the squad stereotypes as badly as most military films of this type tend to.
Rated 01 Dec 2012
68
32nd
I really have the feeling that it was supposed to be deeper and more thoughtful than it was. Whatever sort of social commentary that is attempted here doesn't really work and you end up with a kinda flat "what the hell was the point of this"-feeling in the end. It clearly owes a lot to previous war movies such as Full Metal Jacket, but it's not nearly as good as it's predecessors. That being said it's not offensively bad in any way and special props to Jamie Foxx. He stole the show here.
Rated 20 Oct 2011
91
96th
What it doesn't bring in originality, it brings in quality. The acting is really good and the overall look of the film is great. Especially the oil sequences are visually amazing.
Rated 17 Nov 2009
85
34th
A slow burn that borrows to much from others films and doesn't form it's own identity. Mendes tries to create mood, but bores the audience in the process. A good film at best.
Rated 12 Aug 2009
86
81st
One of the most under-appreciated films of the decade. Absolutely gorgeous technical design and the themes of what a modern soldier goes through are harsh and uncompromising. Gyllenhaal and especially Sarsgaard are both fantastic and the ending is just downright beautiful.
Rated 08 Jun 2009
80
91st
Peter Sarsgaard outshines Jake Gyllenhall in this realistic depiction of life in the Gulf war. If you're looking for action this is not for you, one of my favourite scenes is actually the one when the soldiers get frustrated themselves from the lack of it.
Rated 28 Aug 2008
4
56th
Not the usual affair for a war flick at all. Gyllenhaal at his best and a well-rounded cast for support while this story takes its time doing nothing. That's a good thing btw
Rated 21 Jul 2008
40
20th
A peculiar beast: very well-acted, beautifully shot, smartly assembled, and yet miserably inert and distant. None of the scenes of tension or emotional distress arrive with any gravity. Maybe because the Mendes method for composition tends towards the overly controlled--it seems like he strictly refuses to shoot a single frame that he wouldn't be proud to display on a wall like its own piece of art--and generating a grounded connection to his characters is, at best, a secondary concern.
Rated 02 Jun 2008
45
13th
A movie that has no idea where it's going and no apparent connection between any of the scenes.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
93
96th
A lot of movies explore the senselessness of war by showing the horrors of violence and carnage brought about by it. What Jarhead does is show the senselessness of war by examining just how pointlessly boring it can be. You go through hell in boot camp, you move across the world, you never even fire your weapon, and then you go home. Mendes shoots with an amazing eye for dramatic composition, and the story he tells here is riveting, even without the action.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
92nd
A brilliant war film about the what happens to the minds of soldiers who are sent to war, but never fire a gun.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
75th
Interesting personal story. Well acted, with some fantastic shots.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
79th
Puts you into the boots of a Gulf War soldier. You find yourself just as paranoid as they are; feeling that any moment, the jokes could yield a horrible situation.
Rated 14 Jun 2007
95
94th
A lot of people didn't care for this and that's fine, but it hit me in a way few other films have and really got me into the frustrated mindset of all those marines.
Rated 08 Feb 2007
70
59th
A pretty standard if not a tad bit boring war flick, but there are some pretty intense moments, most of which seem pretty paralleled and comparable to Full Metal Jacket.
Rated 17 Jan 2007
67
30th
Okay, but utterly forgettable.
Rated 13 Jan 2007
75
76th
A different take on the "war movie" genre. If I had to compare it to anything else, it would be the first half of Full Metal Jacket. The same intense atmosphere. Feels like it could have had a lot more potential. Not that the minimal tone is a downside, per se. I suppose I was just expecting something different. Also, is it just me or is Jamie Foxx not likable as an actor at all?
Rated 31 Dec 2006
57
27th
They captured the pure boredom of serving in the desert a little too accurately for my taste - an interesting movie nonetheless.
Rated 28 Sep 2024
76
29th
Really liked this despite being super adverse to war narratives from the American perspective.
Rated 10 Sep 2024
73
46th
I'm a little torn. A very smart movie but not my favorite.
Rated 18 Jul 2024
50
38th
In some ways Jarhead seems truthful about what a U.S. marine's general experience might have been like in the Gulf War, which figures since it's based on a memoir. In other ways it's cheesy and timid. It doesn't glorify the war (like MASH, it's unflattering to soldiers), but sidesteps addressing its murky politics. Even when the protagonist wets his pants while under mortar fire, the presentation tries to be something between cool and comical; a pervasive tone that feels off-color.
Rated 12 Feb 2024
80
80th
Shows the real life boredom of modern warfare for the average grunt.
Rated 13 Nov 2021
72
75th
Deliberately paced and featuring a handful of great performances, it's an engrossing war drama whose only flaw are some moments of self-indulgence.
Rated 08 May 2020
85
29th
Jarhead plays more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive film, which makes sense when you consider its source material. That means that as a film, it sort of feels oddly empty, but individual scenes pack some intense power, especially any scenes with Gylenhaal (who is fantastic here) and Sarsgaard. The film does draw intriguing commentary about the weight and strain of war on ordinary men forced into extraordinary circumstances.
Rated 02 May 2020
7
42nd
Unfortunately tonally uneven. Very chaotic and frenetic which makes it hard to get into the film. It also could've been shortened by about 15-25 minutes. Amazing cinematography combine with some interesting themes to elevate Jarhead into an enjoyable film which albeit does not reach its true potential. Oh yeah and a GOAT Jamie Foxx performance.
Rated 17 Jan 2020
79
69th
Yer yer Gaspar Noe'yi kıskandıracak post modernliğe göz kırpan harika bir ton. Sam Mendez bazen biraz ağır elli olsa da yine ezber bozmaktan hiç çekinmemiş.
Rated 11 Nov 2019
75
56th
A more polished version of Full Metal Jacket, at least in it's construction. Honestly, I think Mendes does a much better job tackling the war film than Kubrick could. It's full of cliches and platitudes, but of course it is. Just as all wars are the same, so too are all war films, at least ones of this explicit nature.
Rated 26 Feb 2019
7
57th
7- Roger Deakins için.
Rated 09 Oct 2018
66
35th
Do yourself a favor and watch Generation Kill. This is watchable only because of Deakins' cinematography, which is stellar, as usual.
Rated 22 Dec 2016
75
66th
An insightful, visceral, take on modern warfare. I felt the characters' frustrations and loneliness. It has very obvious parallels with Full Metal Jacket, which I think is a good thing. As a spiritual sequel it succeeds in providing the same critical look, but at a 21st century conflict.
Rated 17 Nov 2015
45
25th
you will hardly see an actual war scene in entire movie big disappointment for me
Rated 04 Sep 2015
59
33rd
4.9.15(+)
Rated 29 Mar 2015
59
40th
2.96/5
Rated 22 Dec 2014
68
32nd
Worthwhile war film with a decently original angle, even if it's not the most original war film with its direct references to far superior war films like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. The camaraderie between the troops is really the foundation of this film, and that works rather well for the most part. I wasn't a big fan of the uninspired soundtrack, though (apart from the Nirvana song they chose to play).
Rated 03 Dec 2014
82
88th
A war drama that show the effects boredom can have on one's sanity. (2nd viewing)
Rated 12 Aug 2014
90
81st
Early on, I was torn between a detachment from its derivative use of obvious use of references to Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now and an appreciation for how it shows its characters idolizing them. The latter becomes increasingly easier to accept the deeper it pushes into the senseless, extreme humanity-draining ridiculousness of their experiences. Kudos to this movie for raising questions in its audience that we may rarely be able to ask aloud in mainstream company.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
80
44th
It's like Gus Van Sant remade Full Metal Jacket instead of Psycho, with an unabashed love story right in the middle of it. The idea of lamenting not seeing action in the Persian Gulf is almost quaint; to see that America is disappointed by a unilateral victory is a good joke.
Rated 12 Feb 2014
61
50th
Relatively interesting commentary on the politics of war and visually entertains however characters become tiresome and drag the film down while the story doesn't appear to go anywhere.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
61
34th
This first person account of the first Gulf War scores with its performances and cinematography but lacks an emotional thrust.
Rated 14 Oct 2013
68
40th
Didn't really connect with me at first and I was a bit bored during the first half. At the second half it still didn't really connect with me but at least a little more was happening. This film is sporadically entertaining and differs from most war films, but it also feels a bit pointless.
Rated 02 Oct 2013
68
36th
68.000
Rated 03 Jun 2013
80
77th
Raining oil and shit. War can be boring, especially for a sniper.
Rated 29 Jan 2013
79
29th
Not the best war movie by a mile, but the acting is all great (especially Foxx and Gyllenhaal) and the writing does give you a real sense of dread and depression at times. It's a decent drama overall.
Rated 19 Jan 2013
58
36th
Pretty movie.
Rated 25 Dec 2012
83
84th
Underrated Sam Mendes movie.
Rated 06 Dec 2012
85
64th
Honest. That is what I decided I would call this movie in. I love honesty as a person and this movie is honest, brutally honest. So honest that it can be riveting, so honest that it can be uncomfortable, so honest that it can be boring to someone. If you did sit in to watch a war movie, a literal war movie, this is not the best pick. This is about experience of a marine and his hardships, toils, friendship, fun, frustration, anger. There is no opinion about war, just humane, brutal storytelling.
Rated 19 Nov 2012
85
75th
An under seen and under acknowledged gem of a film with amazing direction by Sam Mendes and gripping performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Jaime Fox.
Rated 16 Nov 2012
55
43rd
This is almost like a military version of Big Lebowski, at least in its depiction of how people -- or the Marines that went to Mid East -- behaved during the Gulf War. Gyllenhaal delivers guts and jokes, but Mendes kind of spoils his Three Kings-meets-Full Metal Jacket tragicomic drama with a sentimental finale. Bygelow would end her Hurt Locker in a much more disturbing, desolating note.
Rated 10 Sep 2012
58
35th
Its strength lies in showing us a soldier's story that isn't particularly spectacular or unique. It's also its weakness though. I don't want to watch a movie about a guy that goes to the Super Bowl and sits on the bench, even though that happens more than guys that go and throw the game winning touchdown.
Rated 30 Jul 2012
4
91st
'War as Hell' has been done to death, this 'War as Tedium' tale is a swipe at the glamour of the recruitment machine. "That's Vietnam music, why can't we get our own fucking music?"
Rated 17 May 2012
64
30th
Not terrible, but it isn't very exciting. There is quite a bit of humor and I got a kick out of Chris Cooper, but overall the film is just kind of uneventful. Maybe that was the point. I just couldn't connect much with it.
Rated 21 Jan 2012
60
62nd
Jarhead is a good film when it's not trying to dazzle us with spectacle. When it gives us some depth to the characters and wants us to feel what it's like to be a soldier in the military taking part in any war, it works. When it wants to be an action film, it falls apart -- even if some of the characters don't even get to be involved in the action scenes. It fell apart near the end, although it still managed to be an enlightening piece that had some solid acting.
Rated 17 Jan 2012
20
3rd
OMG , i love war movies but this is one of (if not) the worst movies i have ever seen , and one of the very few movies i couldnt keep on watching till the end.
Rated 20 Nov 2011
75
67th
A very interesting look at a war that rarely if ever gets mentioned in books or movies. It's also a fairly fresh take on war movies, and feels more honest than most about both conflicts and the soldiers themselves. Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard are both very good and have good chemistry. If you go in expecting a psychological film over an action packed film I think you'll enjoy yourself.
Rated 15 Nov 2011
74
74th
that sniper/tower scene was great
Rated 10 Oct 2011
70
44th
69.500
Rated 05 Oct 2011
80
65th
When I was 19 I thought: This is art.
Rated 08 Aug 2011
60
44th
Although "Jarhead" is technically great and has a decent cast of actors (especially Jamie Foxx) as well as a pounding soundtrack, it is just another American war movie and nothing more.
Rated 29 Jul 2011
70
71st
Nothing... Ever... Happens... FIELD FUCK! Jesus, Joseph and doggy-style Mary!
Rated 18 Jul 2011
70
61st
Great performances here and are the highlight of the film. But the story is a bit irrelevant, there are other war movies much better, still a decent movie.
Rated 31 May 2011
84
87th
Takes you into the very heart of war. The character all deal with frustation of the lack of action, and not noing what you are there for. They become their own greatest enemy. The acting is also great, but it's the way Sam Mendes deals with these difficult questions that makes the movie så damn good in my opinion. And let's not forget the beautiful and haunting imagery he presents. He really is one of my favoirte directors. It really deserves a second viewing.
Rated 26 May 2011
70
64th
A good war movie in terms of engaging characters and gripping scenes.
Rated 23 Mar 2011
20
10th
Sam Mendes throws up a dud with this slow and directionless examination of life in the military. Watch The Hurt Locker instead.
Rated 10 Jan 2011
65
31st
The best part is when Jake pisses his pants.
Rated 18 Dec 2010
66
28th
Supposed to be a very accurate depiction of the Gulf war from a soldier's point of view, which in itself has merit, but doesn't make a particularly interesting film
Rated 07 Dec 2010
9
77th
This is one of the most under appreciated war films I've seen. A group of young Marine Scout Snipers who are transformed into killers are sent to war only to remain in the desert preparing for an enemy that barely shows. Slowly you see sanity slip as their hunger to face a real threat isn't fed, all while the world they know back home isn't standing still. Expertly acted by Sarsgaard and Gyllenhaal. The cinematography was amazing given the location, a desert. The ending was perfectly crafted.
Rated 13 Nov 2010
20
44th
While the commitment to the material is never in question, while the effort is never less than intense, the details that might make the old seem fresh again are only occasional. Those sorts of details grow thicker the closer the movie gets to the front line: the horrific tableau of charred bodies and vehicles frozen in flight; the black rain; the oil-slicked stray horse; the plumes of flame from the burning wells. In the final tally it doesn't add up to much.
Rated 17 Oct 2010
15
21st
"Given how strongly the film insists on striking its testosterone pose, Mendes might say he's too cool for political thought." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 25 Sep 2010
66
51st
Some decent performances but barely a single scene stands out in my mind 6 years later.
Rated 18 Sep 2010
76
69th
I suspect the materialistic cynicism on display here is more prevalent in the armed forces than Hollywood would have us believe.
Rated 26 Aug 2010
86
89th
A good movie, with the best use of a Nirvana track I can remember. Gylenhall is good in what is for the most part an undemanding lead. Beautifully shot, and an interesting alternative take on the Iraq war, and war comparisons/movies.
Rated 05 Aug 2010
75
52nd
Nothing much happens, but that is the point.
Rated 20 Jul 2010
78
64th
Suspense for the immoral.
Rated 12 Jun 2010
84
73rd
Cleverly mixing gritty and honest insights into a company waiting for their engagement. Funny in parts although this does mark the start of Gyllenhaal falling into the Crowe habit of making the same film twice (Brothers) - Worth watching good cinematography and painfully honest protrayal in parts.
Rated 06 Jun 2010
70
30th
Decent Gulf War drama from Sam Mendes. Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard are great, but the film tends to stagnate after about an hour.
Rated 05 Jun 2010
60
64th
It was alright.
Rated 27 May 2010
90
99th
Great war film. It really puts you into the mindset of a soldier by the end.
Rated 30 Mar 2010
88
87th
I liked it, was understated. A movie more about the lead character's war with himself than the Gulf war, a bit dark, a bit dreary, but nicely done.
Rated 09 Mar 2010
69
46th
A good film. Some parts of this are unforgettable, but that doesn't mean you couldn't miss it. Rather similar to Kubrik's Full Metal Jacket, although perhaps a little better paced.
Rated 02 Jan 2010
75
65th
An interesting analysis of the conflicting tedium and tension of combat. A good effort without acheiving the emotional depth or involvement of better crafted but not dissimilar earlier efforts such as Full Metal Jacket. Still worth a wach though. Gyllenhaal does well but still doesn't really get outside his comfort zone.
Rated 30 Dec 2009
88
27th
Why wasn't this about Jamie Foxx's character? He and the guys from The Unit stole the show here.
Rated 29 Dec 2009
65
32nd
Very very realistic modern war movie. Unfortunately, that makes it a bit boring. But all war movies are above a 60 if they are at least done well, in my opinion.
Rated 26 Dec 2009
7
58th
(2nd viewing) "Time in desert: 65 days, 19 hours, 15 minutes". You know a film takes itself seriously when they incorporate the hours and minutes. Gyllenhaal is completely miscast and excels in the art of overacting. It's also quite boring, but that's what happens when you present a factual examination of a boring experience. Some say that's the point but to them I say: watch "Three Kings". Since it does have some nice cinematography throughout (Deakings!), I'll file this one under "mixed bag".
Rated 22 Dec 2009
74
24th
I liked the book, but this film didn't bring it to life for me.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
80
51st
A good war film, sad but this stuff happens. I always wish it didnt, but there is nothing we can do. An accurate depiction of what these men and women go through.
Rated 08 Dec 2009
60
68th
3/5
Rated 26 Nov 2009
43
4th
Good opening. the rest just fizzles out.
Rated 27 Oct 2009
87
91st
I once asked a guy who did multiple tours of duty in Iraq, "What's a movie that most authentically tells the story of a soldier in a modern war?" He recommended me this and I can see why. If you know anybody who went into the military you know this is most likely their experience.
Rated 14 Oct 2009
71
79th
Good Movie
Rated 01 Aug 2009
70
29th
Kind of disappointing. Lots of profanity and not much action. It's a war movie, where's the war?

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