The return of the war hero
Fri, 2015-01-30 05:00
News Staff
Clint Eastwood’s new movie, “American Sniper,” marks the return of the American war hero. Heroism on the battlefield had never gone away, of course, far from it (witness the Medal of Honors awarded for acts of extraordinary valor in Iraq and fghanistan). But the classic war hero is more than just brave or fierce. He is famous and almost universally acclaimed. On top of his battlefield exploits, he is a cultural phenomenon. That is what “American Sniper” unquestionably makes of Chris Kyle. The late Navy SEAL sniper had already written a best-selling memoir
and was known as “The Legend” within the military for his record number of confirmed kills during four tours in Iraq. The success of the movie, where he is played by Bradley Cooper, also means he will be remembered as a larger-than-life figure. Such is the power of the silver screen.