“An anomaly”… Clint Eastwood’s film sparked heated controversy upon its release

At the time of its release in 2015, American Sniper divided critics. Clint Eastwood’s film has been accused by some observers of glorifying the American army and in particular of glorifying the intervention in Iraq, by presenting American snipers as heroes. . It is above all the vision of Chris Kyle who killed more than 160 people, which is denounced. Several American media and personalities took the floor to denounce the point of view of the feature film, such as the filmmaker Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling or Columbine…). The latter tweeted the following message when the film was released: “My uncle was killed by a sniper during the Second World War. We were taught that snipers were cowards, that they will shoot you in the back. Snipers are not heroes. And the invaders are worse.”

It must be said thatAmerican Sniper traces the life of Chris Kyle, a sniper who reportedly scored 160 shots during the Iraq War. The character is controversial, among those who paint the portrait of a hero, while others consider him a “full killer motivated by hatred”. In his memoirs, released in 2012 (a few months before his death), Chris Kyle wrote that his “only regret is not having killed more. I loved it.”

And American Sniper has received several criticisms, its defenders have also stepped up to the plate. The Daily Caller editorial pointed out that “Hollywood is predominantly left-wing and has produced a series of anti-war and anti-military films that have been flops. In this world, American Sniper is an anomaly”. Despite this controversy, Clint Eastwood’s film nevertheless garnered six Oscar nominations in 2015, but only came away with the statuette for best sound editing.

Synopsis – “One bullet, one kill” could be the credo of snipers. In the US Navy SEALS, we apply it every day. The military must also be masters in the art of infiltrating enemy borders without being detected in order to shoot down their cartridges. Not far from their adversaries, they must survive to intervene quickly. “American Sniper” is Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper). It provides a dramatic and gripping account of his life and his 160 official hits during the Iraq War, from 2003 to 2009. Mr. Kyle’s early life and military exploits read like an adventure film. As a child, he lived in Odessa, Texas, where he hunted and trained horses. In college, he took up professional rodeo until his fatal fall. He continued his journey to Colorado where a Navy recruiter spotted him.