Does anyone remember American Sniper (2014)?  I ask that question for a number of reasons.  First, I recall the uproar it caused in some circles when it was released.  The worry was that it was popularizing a war that had become unpopular in the United States.  I am referring specifically to the War on Terror, which was launched in the wake of the September 11^th, 2001, attacks.  The dual invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq had been dragging on for years, and while the latter appeared more or less secure, the former still experienced issues.  Not only were results largely absent, but the responsibility for what caused the initial act of terrorism was placed on our own country.  Finally, despite this atmosphere, the film was seen as glorifying the killing of Arab peoples against whom our troops were in combat.  Indeed, there are several moments in which they are referred to as “savages.”  I am not sure I entirely agree with all these assessments.  At the same time, I am not interested in a political discussion.  As we shall see, there are aspects of the film that can relate to Faith in a positive way, no matter the opinions.

As one might expect from a movie called American Sniper, you see the eponymous long-range shooter, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), doing his duty in the first scene.  Also unsurprisingly, it is not an easy one.  As he watches through his scope, a Muslim woman and her young son emerge from a building.  He soon notices that they are carrying an explosive they intend to use on the soldiers Chris is protecting.  How he gets into this predicament is the subject of much of the first part of the film.  Bradley’s father (Ben Reed) notices early on that the boy has a knack for being a deadly shot.  He also instills in his son a commitment to protecting the innocent.  Also, being a native of Texas, being a cowboy is a way of life, and one Chris leads as a young man living with his brother Jeffrey “Jeff” Kyle (Keir O’Donnell).  Coming home one night from the rodeo and finding his girlfriend cheating on him, Chris and his brother do what many people do in these situations: get drunk.  All the same, he is sober enough to take notice when the news comes on and reports a strike on Americans overseas.  It is not a military target, and his ingrained sense of wanting to protect the helpless brings him to the nearest recruiter.  Being the kind of guy he is, he signs up to be a Navy Sea Air and Land (SEAL) because he is told it is the toughest.  It is shortly after completing his training that he meets Taya Studebaker (Sienna Miller).  Initially, she wants nothing to do with him, her sister having had her heart broken by another SEAL.  What changes her mind is Chris’ earnestness.  Their relationship blossoms while he continues to sharpen his skills.  It is while they are dating that the planes hitting the World Trade Center takes place, bringing on the war discussed in the first paragraph.  To make matters worse, his unit is called into duty on the day of their wedding.  Apparently, they evidently have some time together before he leaves for Iraq because she is knocked up during his first deployment, and this is when the movie catches up with the beginning.  From here, the story gets somewhat repetitive as it winds through four tours of duty, including the first one.  To describe the events of each one would be equally redundant.  Hence, I will approach them thematically.  While he is in the field, he earns himself a reputation as “The Legend,” though it begins tragically when he has to kill the previously mentioned boy and his mother.  The number of enemy combatants he kills also brings him a great deal of attention from those same insurgents, who put a large bounty on his head.  The one who is primarily after him is a Syrian sniper who is responsible for the deaths of a few of Chris’ fellow SEALs.  Finding and putting an end to the life of the Syrian is one of the reasons motivating Chris’ numerous tours, despite the needs of his family.  He also continues to go back even though he is entitled to retire from the armed forces.  It is not until he has finally taken out the Syrian, while putting his comrades’ safety in jeopardy and with a sandstorm engulfing them, that Chris calls Taya in the middle of a firefight to tell her that he is ready to come home.  This is the culmination of a series of episodes at home between deployments when he is having trouble adjusting to family life.  Understandably, with a growing family, his wife wants him with her and the children as much as possible.  He does his best, but it is clear that he feels more comfortable with his fellow soldiers.  Before his last tour, his wife gives him an ultimatum stating that if he leaves again, his family might not be waiting for him when he returns.  It takes the near-death experience discussed a moment ago to convince him that his time as a SEAL had run its course.  However, the scars of that and the loss of his friends keep him from completely coming home.  This manifests itself when he nearly kills their family dog when he believes it is biting one of his children, and in other angry outbursts. It takes his wife convincing him to go to the Veteran’s Administration (VA) Hospital to talk to someone to finally get him to begin the process of healing.  The psychiatrist introduces him to a group of fellow soldiers who are in a similar predicament.  Thus begins a new mission: Chris helping other veterans by sharing his time and insight.  Unfortunately, this all ends on a sad note as one of those former soldiers murders Chris.

In case you have not guessed it, American Sniper is based on a true story.  For me, this takes care of much of the controversy, even if there were some liberties taken with the truth.  What draws me to the story as a Catholic is Chris’ clear sense of duty.  It does work counter to how we are called to arrive on the path on which God would like us to tread.  Discernment is a process, and one in which we should all engage at some point in our lives.  At the same time, God speaks to each of us differently.  There are plenty of examples of saints and other individuals in Christian history who have known early in their lives what they were meant to do.  There is no “one size fits all” approach to our vocation.  I also wish that Chris had found a different outlet for his talents.  All the same, there are some observable parallels to Christian principles here.  One is in his desire to stand up to bullies.  While it is kind of hard to say that, given America’s military might, we could legitimately be seen as being the victims of bullying, at the same time, Chris definitely has a goal.  When he is talking to the mental health professional towards the end, Chris tells the therapist that the thing the sniper regrets most are the ones that he was not able to save.  Politics aside, there is something to be said about his aim not being to kill as many people as possible, but to protect his friends.  In a bigger sense, he is willing to lay down his life for his country, and it is a core principle for him.  There are fewer more Christian ideals than this one, and it is who God created him to be.

What this would all suggest is that American Sniper can be redeemed somewhat when viewed through a different lens. The violence and the words they use for Arab peoples are not ideal, and I would not recommend this film in general. What gives it some positive qualities is Chris’ continuing devotion to others.