Rob Edelman: AMERICAN SNIPER, War Films, And Box Office

Back in 2009, I offered some commentary on what then was a new and highly regarded film about the war in Iraq and the American GIs who were fighting and dying there. That film was THE HURT LOCKER. At the time, I observed that THE HURT LOCKER and other Iraq war films, which then included IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, STOP/LOSS, THE LUCKY ONES, LIONS FOR LAMBS, and REDACTED, were not surefire box office hits. The reason was that THE HURT LOCKER and its fellow films were exploring uncomfortable themes. They were dealing with disturbing, real-life issues-- and moviegoers generally will want to avoid films that deal with real-life issues. They yearn to escape into fantasy worlds. And so they did not flock to see THE HURT LOCKER, even though it earned nine Academy Award nominations and six wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. Indeed, according to Box Office Mojo, the total lifetime domestic gross for THE HURT LOCKER was a little over $17-million. 

This leads up to the latest middle-east war film. That of course is AMERICAN SNIPER. Like THE HURT LOCKER, AMERICAN SNIPER is a timeless, shattering study of men in combat, and men under stress. Plus, it is no fictional story. Its central character, Chris Kyle, is a veteran who, as portrayed in the film, deals with psychological issues relating to his time in combat. Plus, he ends up a murder victim. He apparently is killed by a psychologically unhinged fellow vet whose trial became front-page news when AMERICAN SNIPER still was in theatrical release. Yet unlike THE HURT LOCKER, AMERICAN SNIPER has become a box office blockbuster.  

Now one might assume that, given the plight of its central character, another recent war film-- this one titled FORT BLISS-- also would have box office potential. FORT BLISS is the story of a courageous female U.S. Army medic, well-played by Michelle Monaghan, who struggles to balance her job and her devotion to her country with her responsibilities as a single mother. But FORT BLISS barely made a box office dent, and now is available on DVD. Conversely, AMERICAN SNIPER recently crossed the $300-million mark in domestic box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing Warner Bros. film in history. As one might expect, the four titles in front of it are escapist fare: THE DARK NIGHT; THE DARK NIGHT RISES; HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE; and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2.

So the success of AMERICAN SNIPER confirms that not all current war films will be consigned to box office oblivion. And the question here, in a word, is: Why? Exactly how did this film become a box office sensation? The answer, I think, is twofold. AMERICAN SNIPER has been sold to the public via a smart, attention-getting marketing campaign. The film’s ads effectively communicate to the viewer: Stop what you are doing. Stop texting, and take a look at this. What you have here is a unique film, a film that you must see.

But even more importantly, the story of Chris Kyle mirrors our thirst for authentic American heroes: individuals who bravely sacrifice for their country. During World War I, you had a hillbilly sharpshooter by the name of Alvin York, whose story was told in the 1941 Gary Cooper feature, SERGEANT YORK. During World War II, you had baby-faced Audie Murphy, who played himself in the autobiographical TO HELL AND BACK in 1955. But Vietnam? Well, there were no equivalents of Alvin York and Audie Murphy during the Vietnam War era-- and that is another story for another time. But back in the day, we as Americans craved our Alvin Yorks and Audie Murphys. Today, Middle East politics aside, we crave our Chris Kyles and we yearn to have their stories recounted. And thus, AMERICAN SNIPER becomes an American phenomenon.

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