Jarhead

We usually do not associate the film Jarhead (2005) with the Southern United States.  A young Marine’s journey through the war-torn oil fields of the Middle East with a squad of disillusioned, dysfunctional misfits seems far removed from the tranquil cotton fields of the South.  Indeed, while the main characters and setting of Jarhead are not Southern in their own right, there is a character named Chris Kruger (Lucas Black) that connects Jarhead to the Southern United States.

Kruger is a man who hails from the town of Baytown, Texas.  Unlike his comrades, Kruger sports a thick, prominent Southern accent.  Kruger, in his own right, is an “other” amongst his squad mates; he is a redneck whereas everyone else hails from other parts of the country.  This role reversal is critical because it emphasizes the minor role Kruger actually plays in the film.  If he had been a member of an all-Southern squad, his character would have had no effect on the audience.  Rather, his quirky, stereotypical redneck attitude has a greater impact on the audience because he is the only character in the film with these characteristics.  In effect, he is unique amongst his fellow Marines.

Kruger only appears in a few scenes, but he proudly and defiantly displays his “Southernness” in the scenes in which he does appear.  In one scene, as the Marines are being transported on trucks through the Kuwaiti desert, one Marine proudly cheers about the Marines being the “first to fight” Saddam Hussein’s soldiers.  Kruger responds with a cynical, paranoid-fueled rant that outlines a conspiracy in which the Marines are actually in Kuwait to protect the oil investments of the Arabian aristocrats and American oil interests.  He insists that the Marines’ role in Kuwait is actually to protect the profits of the oil moguls.  Kruger finishes his rant by alleging that the United States supplied Saddam Hussein with weaponry, which he then used to invade Kuwait.

In this scene, Kruger is clearly displaying a dislike for and distrust of the United States federal government.  His accusations paint the federal government as corrupt and untrustworthy.  There is some irony in Kruger’s situation: he dislikes the federal government, but he is a member of the Marine Corps, a governmental institution.  Indeed, Kruger seems more concerned with his own pride and the corruption of the United States federal government than the moral issues associated with war and murder.  The immorality of greed seems to trump the immorality of murder, at least in Kruger’s world.  Perhaps he really is just a dumb redneck conspiracy nut.  This one scene is not the only scene in which Kruger displays his stereotypical redneck characteristics.  In fact, in one scene, he imitates James Dean’s character from the film Giant, which none of his comrades have seen; this further solidifies his role as the Southern “other.”

Kruger is a great character because he embodies the Southern redneck warrior.  He loves the idea of war and pride, but he distrusts his government and its motives.  If the chance arises, you should watch Jarhead and experience Kruger’s character yourself; you will not regret it.  - Michael Beaver