American Sniper ignites debate about hero status and glorifying the US war machine

THE movie is expected to break box office records but has been labelled “pro-war” and compared to Nazi propaganda by some early reviewers.

Former US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle killed 160 people during four tours of Iraq. Picture: Paul Moseley / The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

WAS American Sniper Chris Kyle a hero or a villain?

The former US Navy Seal’s war record — 160 confirmed kills including 19 kills in a 24-hour period — is the subject of the Hollywood blockbuster that has grossed more than $128 million at the US box office. But the movie has been labelled “pro-war” and has been compared to Nazi propaganda by some early reviewers.

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Australians are expected to flock to the cinema to catch a glimpse of Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of the now-deceased Kyle this weekend. Before that, we take a look at the man behind the rifle and what people are saying about him.

Sniper Chris Kyle for Rick Homan Another sniping position I used in Ramadi.

AMERICA’S DEADLIEST SNIPER?

Chris Kyle was killed in 2013 by a fellow veteran at a shooting range in the US, aged 38. His legacy as America’s deadliest sniper was already written.

During four tours of Iraq, Kyle recorded 160 kills though that number is somewhat misleading. The real number is closer to 250 because 90 additional kills were never confirmed. He did most of his damage in the city of Ramadi in 2006 where he was dubbed the ‘Devil of Ramadi’ by insurgents.

His long-distance kills are what separated Kyle from other snipers. In Fallujah in 2004, then one of the most dangerous cities in the world, Kyle delivered a kill shot from more than 1400m. Later, he eliminated an enemy holding a rocket-propelled grenade from almost 2km away.

Sniper Chris Kyle for Rick Homan The sniper hide we used when covering the Marines staging for the assault on Fallujah. Note the baby crib turned on its side

Former Black Team sniper Howard Wasdin later commented that “you’ve got to be good” to take a man down from that distance, according to the New York Post.

“There was a point I was arrogant enough to say you don’t need any luck. But a 1,600-yard shot? OK, you’ve got to be good — you really need to refine your breathing and squeezing skills, eye relief, shoulder placement, all that. But you still have to have a little bit of luck,” Wasdin said.

His exploits were first covered in detail in the book Modern American Snipers by Chris Martin and later in the Clint Eastwood-directed film making waves for its depiction of Kyle’s heroics.

Murder on billboard

HERO OR VILLAIN?

A prominent billboard in west Los Angeles was defaced with the word “murder” on Tuesday night local time, Sky News reported. Despite all the Oscars buzz and glowing reviews, there are still many who believe the film glorifies war.

Slate reported American Sniper “convinces viewers that Chris Kyle is what heroism looks like: a great guy who shoots a lot of people and doesn’t think twice about it”. The Guardiancalled the real American Sniper a “hate-filled killer”.

Controversial documentary maker Michael Moore tweeted that “snipers aren’t heroes” and that he was taught snipers were “cowards”. He later clarified his tweet, saying he was not talking about Chris Kyle specifically.

In this image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Bradley Cooper appears in a scene from "American Sniper." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Keith Bernstein)

Actor Seth Rogen compared the film to a fictional Nazi propaganda movie from Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. “American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that’s showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds,” he wrote.

In that film, a German rifleman shoots dead hundreds of enemy soldiers to the cheers of a pro-German audience in a French cinema.

My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse

— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2015

American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds.

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) January 18, 2015

Aware of the feedback, Cooper himself tried to put distance between the movie and the politics of war, according to the Washington Post.

“It’s a movie about a man — a character study,” Cooper said.

“We hope that you can have your eyes opened to the struggle of the soldier rather than the specifics of the war.”

The Fourth Media published an article in 2013 titled The US Propaganda War: Hollywood’s Movies To Glorify the American Imperialism. In the article, the author declares “Hollywood helps Americans feel good about being part of an empire that kills other peoples at will.”

The articles states Zero Dark Thirty — the movie about the assassination of Osama bin Laden — was “a validation of torture” and Argo — the Ben Affleck-directed film about the escape of six US hostages in Iran — was a timely release given the Obama administration was making its most serious case for war against Iran.

On Twitter, the debate continues.

Labeling Chris Kyle a hero/villain seems extreme in both cases. I'm of the belief that you can't kill people and just be all good.

— vINCE (@Vince_Louis) January 22, 2015

Chris Kyle was no hero, nor a villain. Only a misguided missile, if anything else.

— Lil Brow Wow (@Brows_On_Fleek) January 21, 2015

You can't make Chris Kyle a villain based off of the politics of the Iraq war. He excelled in what is demanded from a soldier

— Jonathan Courtney (@Jcourt4) January 20, 2015

Funny how the most passionate #AmericanSniper critics see things in black and white, good vs evil; just like their hero/villain Chris Kyle

— Lewis (@LevLoh) January 19, 2015