AMERICAN SNIPER (EL FRANCOTIRADOR)

(EN CASTELLANO DEBAJO)

Last night I managed to “run away” to the movies with a friend and see the above movie.  It’s quite a big production, very well made. Eastwood knows his stuff and is quite surprising to see somebody who, at 81 years old, is at the helm of such a huge project because, indeed, it looks as if the making of this movie, set in the Iraq War (the second one, led by George W. Bush), was like being in real war. It reminded me of  “The Hurt Locker” and the hunt for Bin Laden (“Zero Dark Thirty”). It’s worth mentioning the role of the wife, Sienna Miller (who in real life is blond), in a rather convincing performance as the wife’s soldier (in my opinion these roles are difficult because either they are played as the very obedient, passive and servile wife or as the rather rebellious and non-conformist one.  Instead, in “American Sniper”, the wife seemed quite a real character. Indeed, you may even take your wife to see her performance). On the other hand, I think Eastwood is perhaps the only director who can film a soldier’s whole life in  a bit more than two hours when, with any other director, this movie would have lasted at least three hours. His gift for synthesis when filming, is astonishing. Last, the actions scenes are very well filmed and are constant. By this I mean, that you won´t get bored. Perhaps my only recrimination (though I don´t think this could be helped) is that the story is told at a hundred per cent from the American point of view and the  “locals” are very badly portrayed. The reason or why of this war is not even considered: once you’re in, it’s just a matter of finishing with your enemy before he finishes with you.

 

(CASTELLANO)

Anoche nos escapamos con un amigo para ir a verla. Es un peliculón, de factura impecable. Eastwood conoce su oficio y sorprende que alguien con 81 años haya podido dirigir este proyecto porque, vamos, es la guerra. Ambientada en la guerra de Irak, me recordó a “En tierra Hostil” y la caza de Bin Laden (“Zero Dark Thirty”). A destacar el papel de la esposa, Sienna Miller (que es rubia en la realidad) y hace un papel muy convincente como esposa de un soldado (estos papeles para mi son muy difíciles porque o bien son muy sumisas o demasiado contestatarias. En cambio, en el “francotirador” la esposa me pareció un personaje real. Vamos, que hasta se puede llevar a la Santa a verla). Por otra parte, y aquí es donde atribuyo todo el mérito a Eastwood, quizás sea el único director capaz de contar en poco mas de dos horas la historia de toda una vida de un soldado, cuando a cualquier otro le llevaría como mínimo 3 horas. Su capacidad de síntesis cinematográfica es encomiable. Por último, las escenas de acción están muy bien filmadas y son constantes. Vamos, que no te aburres. Un único reproche (pero creo que no podía hacerse de otra manera) es que la historia está contada al 100% vista desde el punto de vista americano y los locales  salen muy mal retratados. La razón o el porqué de esta guerra ni se plantea; una vez  metidos en el fregado, se trata de acabar con el enemigo antes de que acabe contigo. 

 En Barcelona, a  24 de febrero de 2015.