10 War Films That Dealt With The Consequences

Although Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-wining biopic may be best remembered for the most unconvincing baby put on screen, we shouldn’t forget that it also highlighted the impact that PTSD has on soldiers and their families as it explores the conflicted mindset of titular Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played brilliantly be Bradley Cooper).

Loosely based on the autobiography of the aforementioned sniper, who’s celebrated for having 160 confirmed kills during his four tours of Iraq, Eastwood’s film chronicles his time on the battlefield along with how his combat experience has negatively impacted his family life back at home.

While the film has been justly criticised for being overly patriotic and glorifying a figure who was highly controversial in real life, Eastwood’s tight direction alongside highly emotive performances from Cooper and Sienna Miller as Kyle’s wife delivers a powerful depiction of the uncompromisingly tense life of a sniper in the heat of battle and contrasts it with the fractured domestic life and strained relationship brought about by Kyle's PTSD.

Whether you view American Sniper as a tribute to a war hero or oversimplified patriotism, Eastwood’s film nevertheless opens up plenty of discussions for discussions on important subject matters.