10 Movie Sub-Plots That Were More Interesting Than The Main Story

Clint Eastwood's take on the life and death of Chris Kyle found lots of love among the patriotic, who insisted that it was the story of a real American hero and one that needed to be told. On the other hand, a section of critics voiced concern over the movie's motives, with New York magazine going as far as calling it a shamelessly blinkered propaganda film.

When you take off the star-spangled spectacles it is easy to see American Sniper as nothing but Republican self-gratification, though in reality it is a story that has two sides. The main part of the movie concerns itself with Kyle's exploits in Iraq, the will-he-won't-he moments when he has his rifle fixed on a target. Of course, we already know that he will, being the most deadly sniper in the American military history.

What we didn't know (those of us who hadn't read his memoirs, at least) was what his life was actually like back home, and the sub-plot involving his relationship with his wife Taya become the least predictable and subsequently more interesting aspect of the movie.

Kyle completed four tours of Iraq, and Eastwood, whatever his motives for the project, managed to capture just how this kind of work follows you home to your family. From returning to the States for the first time having killed a woman and child on his first tour to eventually being murdered by another veteran suffering from PTSD, the scenes away from the conflict are what set American Sniper apart.