--- title: The True Heroism of 'American Sniper' description: Clint Eastwood’s biopic reveals what it takes to be a true hero canonical: https://time.com/3677137/american-sniper-true-heroism/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-22T15:16:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:02:35.705Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The True Heroism of 'American Sniper' og:description: Clint Eastwood’s biopic reveals what it takes to be a true hero og:url: https://time.com/3677137/american-sniper-true-heroism/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt57295543533510fe/69877b21428a9ecab7cc6b26/931080_full.jpg?branch=production&width=674&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 674 og:image:height: 379 og:image:alt: AMERICAN SNIPER, 2014. ©Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The True Heroism of 'American Sniper' twitter:description: Clint Eastwood’s biopic reveals what it takes to be a true hero twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt57295543533510fe/69877b21428a9ecab7cc6b26/931080_full.jpg?branch=production&width=674&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The True Heroism of _American Sniper_ > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0296b83a-1c14-4c22-85d2-127eda3bab9b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 10 Questions with American Sniper Chris Kyle [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions with American Sniper Chris Kyle](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PpZTJML8.m3u8) (6:10)  _Published 2012-01-05. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who earned two Silver Stars in Iraq, explains the sniper's point of view_ by [Patheos](https://time.com/author/patheos/) ## Patheos Contributor Jan 22, 2015 3:16 PM UTC by [Patheos](https://time.com/author/patheos/) ## Patheos Contributor Jan 22, 2015 3:16 PM UTC  _American Sniper_, Clint Eastwood’s biopic of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, scored six Oscar nominations last Thursday and made $90 million this weekend—a January earnings record. It’s already a critical and commercial smash—one of the most successful R-rated films ever. Weird for a movie that people seem to hate so much. Never mind the praise: Criticism of _Sniper_ has been withering. Documentary filmmaker [Michael Moore](http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/01/19/seth-rogen-michael-moore-blast-american-sniper/21988391/) went on Twitter and called snipers “cowards” (though he later denied his tweets were a direct reference to _American Sniper_). Comic actor Seth Rogen seemed to compare the movie to Nazi propaganda. Lindy West, writing for [_The Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/06/real-american-sniper-hate-filled-killer-why-patriots-calling-hero-chris-kyle), called Kyle a “racist who took pleasure in dehumanizing and killing brown people.” The movie, critics say, has been commandeered by some as an uncritical salute to a guy who became a hero by killing upwards of 160 men, women and children. But I think both the movie’s most ardent fans and vocal critics got the movie all wrong. Sure, Eastwood is giving us a hero in _American Sniper_—just not the one we think we’re getting. Eastwood knows a thing or two about the topic. As an actor, he came to embody a certain heroism—a long, lean, dispenser of frontier justice. But as a director, Eastwood has shown more skepticism toward traditional heroic journeys. He deconstructed what it means to be a hero in his Oscar-winning directorial turn in 1992′s _Unforgiven_. In 2008′s _Gran Torino_, he gave us the opposite of Dirty Harry—a hero who performed his greatest heroic act by not fighting back. Yes, Eastwood gave us patriotic war heroes from the battle of Iwo Jima in the 2006 film _Flags of Our Fathers_, but not blindly so. And the following year, he unpacked the same battle from the perspective of the Japanese in _Letters From Iwo Jima_. So to suggest that _American Sniper_ is a slavish, superficial biopic might not be giving its director enough credit. Chris Kyle (played by a fantastic Bradley Cooper) probably wouldn’t call himself a hero. Rather, he might characterize himself like his father did—as a sheepdog, protecting the sheep from the world’s wolves. He serves four tours of duty in Iraq, and for him the conflict is not a reason to wring his hands or mull the inherent brutality of war. It’s a job. No, more than that: A calling. He was _meant_ to serve his country in this manner. He was _made_ to protect his brothers in uniform. And Kyle serves his calling with the same laser-like focus that made him such a lethal marksman. He does not question. He does not doubt. He serves. “Do you ever think that you might have seen things, or done some things over there that you wish you hadn’t?” a Navy doctor asks him. “Oh, that’s not me, no.” Chris responds. “What’s not you?” “I was just protecting my guys,” Chris says. “I’m willing to meet my Creator and answer for every shot that I took. The thing that haunts me are all the guys that I couldn’t save.” Kyle doesn’t struggle because of what he did, but rather what he didn’t—or, now that he’s back home for good, won’t. He thinks that some people will die because he’s not around to protect them. People call Chris Kyle a hero because he’s so good at his job. And, to the soldiers and SEALs he protects, he is. But Eastwood doesn’t leave it at that. Even as he saves lives in Iraq, he takes them, too—necessary, Chris believes, but sad nevertheless. Meanwhile, his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and children suffer at home without him. And when he comes home, Chris isn’t the man he was or should be. He’s distant and distracted. Sometimes inexplicably angry. When he returns home, he struggles to relate to his wife and young kids (an issue a lot of returning vets have). He can’t quite turn off his wartime self at home. “If you think that this war isn’t changing you, you’re wrong,” Taya tells him. “You can only circle the flames so long.” To me, it seems Chris’ real act of heroism was to leave Iraq and return home for good—to reclaim his wife and family, to be the husband and father they needed and deserved. It wasn’t easy to become that man again, to set aside his legend for a more domestic legacy. It’s relatively easy to be a war hero when you’re built for war. But to be a hero in your own house? Now, that’s hard. It requires a different sort of heroism and courage and tenacity—something that doesn’t win you any medals or get you any book deals. But it’s what Chris had to do. Yes, Eastwood acknowledges Chris Kyle as a war hero, which I think he was. But the Chris Kyle we meet in _American Sniper_ is more than that. He’s a complex, conflicted man, full of his own strengths and weaknesses. And if Eastwood celebrates this multifaceted man, it’s as a husband and father—a man who put down his gun to pick up his son. _Paul Asay is an author, journalist, and entertainment critic._ _This_ [_article_](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/watchinggod/2015/01/american-sniper-holding-out-for-a-hero/) _originally appeared on_ [_Patheos_](http://www.patheos.com)_._ _Read more from Patheos:_ * [_American Sniper_ Is a Lie that Does a Disservice to the Truth and the People Who Defended that Truth](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2015/01/american-sniper-misses-the-mark/) * [_American Sniper_ Shows Virtuous Manhood in Action](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thoughtlife/2015/01/american-sniper-shows-virtuous-manhood-in-action/) * [Four Reasons Why America Needs _American Sniper_](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frenchrevolution/2015/01/19/four-reasons-why-america-needs-american-sniper/) ## Transcript Hi, I'm Belinda Luscombe. I'm an editor- at- large at Time Magazine. Chris Kyle, the former Navy Seal. He's also quite possibly the most lethal sniper in American military history. And he's here today to face a little smattering of friendly fire with ten questions at Time magazine. Mr. Kyle, thanks for coming. Thanks for having me. So, you've got this new book, American Sniper. Isn't it kind of not done amongst you special operations guys to talk about your, your, your stuff? Yes, it is kind of frowned upon. So why did you decide to do the book? I wanted to be able to get it out about not the sacrifices that the military members make. But the sacrifices that their families have to go through. About the, the single mothers now, raising the children and doing all the day to day house chores. But then also stories about my guys who deserve to be out there. They didn't get the Medal of Honor, so you don't know about' em. But they died heroes and people should know about' em. I believe that number is 160 is the sort of number of confirmed [ CROSSTALK ] Yes, ma'am. [ CROSSTALK ] sniper kill? Can you tell me what, explain what it is to have a confirmed sniper kill? Alright, well while you're on your sniper rifle, you take a shot and the guy goes down and you have to have witnesses verify that he is dead. And does it get recorded as part of the battle damage assessment or? Every time we come back we have to fill out an assessment of what happened throughout the day. The time, the place, the caliber used, the distance he was. What exactly he was doing, where he was standing, what he was wearing. It's all in the detail. So and there's that somewhere we can't get more than 80 but somewhere there's 160 of those forms with your name on them. Yes, Ma'am. What goes through your mind when you're shooting a, a, a guy, it's usually a guy? The first time of killing someone it You're not even sure you can do it. I mean, you think you can but you never know until you're actually put in that position and you do it. And then you double think in yourself, my God will I do this? Am I gonna be okay? And then you're asking your leadership am I cleared hot to be able to do this? Am I gonna be in trouble? You know this guys really bad. And then you're worried when you get home All the politicians are gonna hang you out to dry and put you on trial for murder. But the first kill that you write about in the book, you actually kill a woman. And she has in one hand, uh, the hand of her toddler and in the other hand she has a grenade. Was that the hardest? For all the kills you had to do? Yeah, I had to do it to protect the marines. So, do you wanna lose your own guys or would you rather take one of them out? You have two sets of kind of heads in that you have your I'm back in America head and your I'm at war head. Your two different people. You turn it on and turn it off. You're a little more aggressive when you're at work and when you come home. You relax and try to be the different person. And my wife always said that when I came home from work I'd take my cape off and put on the dork cuz I stub my toe or break my toe or something at home. But at work I was fine. Does your wife still have to say your name before she gets back into bed? [ LAUGH ] It's not as bad. But that was even before I was in the military. I've always been, extremely jumpy, when I'm asleep. And the reason your wife has to say your name before she gets back into bed? I will come up swinging. So, [ LAUGH ] depends on how tired. If I'm out cold, then You can ring the doorbell and I will be asleep. I have to ask this question but, are there any kills you regret.? No! Not at all. Because they you feel like it was either you killed them or they killed other Americans? Yes m'am. You know, you in your book actually that most I think I'm quoting that most American's can't handle the reality of war. And the reports they, they sent back. The reports being the journalists, didn't help us at all. Which actually sounds a lot like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. Did you realize that? You can't handle the truth. [ LAUGH ]. Is that, is that how you feel that Americans just can't? Yes ma'am. So we should just, you're on Jack's side in this one. Yes ma'am. You, you do not think. For the most part, the public, very soft. You live in a dream world. You have no idea what goes on, on the other side of the world. That, the harsh realities that these people are doing to themselves, and then to our guys. And there are certain things that need to be done to take care of em. Now if people, if people did start out with the impression, before they have read your book that you were that a person who have killed upwards of 150 other people was a violent person. Maybe a bloodthirsty person. I, I'm not sure that the book would free them of that feeling. I really don't care what they think of me. I mean, I've got my family. I've got my friends. I'm not trying to make new friends. And the people who, if you actually spend time with me, you'll find out. I'm just fun loving guy. Now I, yes, I have been trying to be a little more aggressive if I need to be, but I don't go around dumping people. If you never ha, got to kill another person again, would you be okay with that? I'm fine. I don't have to kill to live. But you were good at it. I was decent at it. What if killing people turns out to be the thing you were better at than anything? I know it's not true. I'm a better husband and father [ LAUGH ] than I was a killer. I mean, I've got a job now I'm good at. I'm pretty comfortable with not having to kill anyone. Now, don't take deer hunting away from me. [ LAUGH ] Chris Kyle, thanks so much. Thank you. 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