True Stories 33: 10s—American Sniper

Let’s face it, more films are made with male main characters than female main characters, and though I’m looking forward to focusing on more female characters in the upcoming weeks, I couldn’t help but stop and discuss American Sniper [2014] by Jason Hall.

The film is based on the true story of Texan Chris Kyle who joined the Navy Seals in his 30s after seeing all of the TV footage about Americans being killed in Afghanistan. He’s always been a talented sharp shooter—since he was quite young. So he goes through the Seals training and is deployed to Afghanistan.

Part of the fascination of this film is being so inside the mind/soul of a sniper. Many viewers—like me—don’t own a gun or know how to shoot one. So for us, the film is a glimpse into a world we know nothing about—even on the simplest level. But for the hunter or sport shooter or any combat veteran, it is a story they can relate to on another level.

The film, very rightly, focuses on Kyle’s home life too. That is a bit more predictable—the veteran who is home between tours in Afghanistan has a hard time adjusting to normal life, as one can imagine.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99k3u9ay1gs

I love the way this trailer gives you a window into this film. We see what a sniper deals with before a shooting. And contrasting that to moments in his own life that he’s thinking about as he decides whether or not to pull the trigger… the trailer totally captures the dissonance that Kyle feels about what he does.

Even when he’s home, he has trouble adjusting… until he starts helping other veterans—but even that is fraught with problems.

This film is a particularly good example of how to overlap time periods to more completely tell your character’s story. Scenes of war, scenes of home life, memories of your wedding, scenes of war, memories with your children, etc. This is a good film to study to see just when you cut from the present moment to a past though/memory.

Transitions are particularly important when you’re writing a script that jumps back and forth in time. You need to give them extra attention because they’ll determine whether or not your audience can follow the story! I mean, you might think they’re trapped in their seats, of course they’re following—even if they’re a bit confused. Right? But think about it. Just as a character can remember a moment that will pull them out of the present, so can your audience. Get them confused and they’ll start thinking about where they’re going to eat after the movie!

So look carefully at American Sniper because it has a lot to teach about bopping around in time as well as constructing transitions that won’t lose your audience.

Next week, we focus on a different kind of true story in The Woman in Gold.

Copyright © Diane Lake

15Jan23

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com