7 Big Lies 'American Sniper' Is Telling America
1. The Film Suggests the Iraq War Was In Response To 9/11: One way to get audiences to unambiguously support Kyle's actions in the film is to believe he's there to avenge the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The movie cuts from Kyle watching footage of the attacks to him serving in Iraq, implying there is some link between the two.
This is actually not true. In the film he signs up for the SEALS in the late 90s after seeing an Al-Queda attack on our embassy in Kenya.
2. The Film Invents a Terrorist Sniper Who Works For Multiple Opposing Factions: Kyle's primary antagonist in the film is a sniper named Mustafa. Mustafa is mentioned in a single paragraph in Kyle's book, but the movie blows him up into an ever-present figure and Syrian Olympic medal winner who fights for both Sunni insurgents in Fallujah and the Shia Madhi army.
I don't see the big deal here, it is a film for entertainment purposes primarily first and biography second, no one complains that Enemy at the Gates blew exaggerated Erwin König who may have not even existed.
3. The Film Portrays Chris Kyle as Tormented By His Actions: Multiple scenes in the movie portray Kyle as haunted by his service. One of the film's earliest reviews praised it for showing the “emotional torment of so many military men and women.” But that torment is completely absent from the book the film is based on. In the book, Kyle refers to everyone he fought as “savage, despicable” evil. He writes, “I only wish I had killed more.” He also writes, “I loved what I did. I still do. If circumstances were different – if my family didn't need me – I'd be back in a heartbeat. I'm not lying or exaggerating to say it was fun. I had the time of my life being a SEAL.” On an appearance on Conan O'Brien's show he laughs about accidentally shooting an Iraqi insurgent. He once told a military investigator that he doesn't “shoot people with Korans. I'd like to, but I don't.”
I haven't read the book so I can't comment on cherry picked quotes, but I never got the impression in the film Kyle showed much torment for his actions either, he showed more regret at the guys he couldn't save on our side, not the people he killed so it mostly followed his real-life character.
4. The Real Chris Kyle Made Up A Story About Killing Dozens of People In Post-Katrina New Orleans: Kyle claimed that he killed 30 people in the chaos of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, a story Louisiana writer Jarvis DeBerry calls “preposterous." It shows the sort of mentality post-war Kyle had, but the claim doesn't appear in the film.
It's actually not true, Kyle never said this directly it was ANOTHER colleague of Kyle who made the claim about New Orleans and it was 30 people killed between all of them not Kyle alone. Whether it is true or not who knows, but alot of the chaos and anarchy in the Katrina storm was swept under the rug by the media because it was not politically correct. There were roving bands of marauders who were shooting at rescue helicopters and raping and pillaging like vikings, these weren't simple "looters" looking for a loaf of bread and a warm blanket. Supposedly Blackwater contractors were sent in to secure order before the National Guard came in, especially since the NG at home was made up of rookies since the pros were sent over to reinforce the troops in Iraq. It's quite possible the events did happen but the government didn't want it to get out. If you still don't believe they didn't have authorization to shoot, just google Governor Kathleen Blanco (A democrat FYI) and her quote about how National Guard troops were "locked and loaded" and ready to shoot any resisting looters and criminals.
5. The Real Chris Kyle Fabricated A Story About Killing Two Men Who Tried To Carjack Him In Texas: Kyle told numerous people a story about killing two alleged carjackers in Texas. Reporters tried repeatedly to verify this claim, but no evidence of it exists.
Probably never happened but I still don't think it takes away from what he did. Audy Murphy used to tell some tall tales too and he was the most decorated war veteran ever. Perhaps fibbing was some strange coping mechanism, either way I don't get how this is slander. If we want to talk about liars I can name plenty of politicians who say much worse things and have alot of respect from the same people who bash Kyle.
6. Chris Kyle Was Successfully Sued For Lying About the Former Governor of Minnesota: Kyle alleged that former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura defamed Navy SEALs and got into a fight with him at a local bar. Ventura successfully sued Kyle for the passage in his book, and a jury awarded him $1.845 million.
I will personally admit I am a fan of Jesse Venturas and I think the lawsuit was disheartening especially if Kyle did lie. But again people are flawed, not everyone in life gets along with each other.
7. Chris Kyle's Family Claimed He Donated His Book Proceeds To Veterans' Charity, But He Kept Most Of The Profits: The National Review debunks the claim that all proceeds of his book went to veterans' charities. Around 2 percent – $52,000 – went to the charities while the Kyles pocketed $3 million.
His wife claims they still have the money but haven't found a way to distribute it yet. Kind of fishy to me but the man is dead, take it up against the Misses and not him.
My own
personal opinion, Kyle was probably a jerk and a braggart. But he still also was a decorated sniper and his story is interesting. Why should I not like a movie because the main character isn't perfect? And also if you view the movie as more through the lens of what the average Iraq veteran went through then Kyle itself which I think is a major intent of what Eastwood did, then the film works. There is a reason it shows Kyle doing things he never actually did in Iraq like having to kill a child with a weapon or disobeying orders and going on patrol with Marine kicking down doors or doing intelligence gathering, it's more a "Every soldier" kind of movie than just a commentary on Kyle's life alone.
