American cinematography is known for its masterpieces touched upon burning issues of the modern world. The Men Who Stare at Goats belongs to one of such films which makes people think over the problem of wars captivated a human history. This movie is based on the book under the same title written by Jon Ronson, the British writer, in 2004. Jon Ronson presents “the apparent madness at the heart of U.S. military intelligence” (Elley 2009). The director of this movie/ Grant Heslov has been inspired by this book and has decided to create the movie based on this comedic fiction about the modern American army.
According to Jon Ronson, some high-ranking officers of the American army believed that modern techniques could overturn the techniques of waging a war in late 17th (Turan 2009). This idea takes roots in worries of American soldiers that the Russians would use the psychological weapons. They are so worried with this threat that they decide to create their own one and they fail to do it. The main goal of new armies based on new beliefs and technologies is expressed by Bill Django, one of the American officers: “We must become the first superpower to develop superpowers; we must create warrior monks, men and women who can fall in love with everyone, sense plant auras, pass through walls… and see into the future” (Turan 2009). This dream seems to be unreal and factually American officers didn’t have a success in its realizing. Nevertheless, this idea has inspired such actors as Bridges, Kevin Spacey and George Clooney.
The Main Character
Clooney plays the leading part. He is a soldier Lyn Cassady who has a peculiar gift of influencing the reality. When he stares at goats for a long time something bad happens. He practices influencing weather conditions with the help of his mind. The main motto of his life is “We’re Jedi; we don’t fight with guns” (Turan 2009). Nevertheless, the first character which is presented to the spectators is the reporter Bob Wilton played by Ewan McGregor. He decides to go with American troops in Iraq but he does not know what to do and how to behave there till he meets Lyn Cassady, an officer who has spent most time of his life being a member of the New Earth Army directed by Bill Django playing by Jeff Bridges.
Bill Django is known for his extraordinary ideas of waging a non-violent war. He has inspired with these ideas hundreds of people and he has created his own New Earth Army believing that this army saves our planet and keeps peace in the world. Bill has a secret mission in Iraq and he allows Bob to observe it. As the result, this duo has a lot of adventures which cast light upon the sense of the New Earth Army. As the result, an ordinary journalist finds himself in extraordinary adventures with paranormal mysteries which change all his life. Lyn acquaints Bob with a long and colorful history of the mysterious army. Factually, this army consists of a group of people who use paranormal powers in achieving their missions. Lyn also has a mysterious gift of staring at the goats.
The New Earth Army
The New Earth Army is based on the combination of idealism and vigorous belief that a human brain may make miracles such as killing the goats or getting through the walls. All the characters involved in this mysterious story are depicted in quite a humorous way. It seems that the author personally does not believe in the idea of creating such army and considers it to be senseless. Nevertheless, this issue attracts a lot of the spectators’ attention as far as there are a lot of rumors and fears that the modern world is in danger and it may be destroyed with the help of unusual means such as psychological war. People are afraid that their mind is controlled by enemies. Factually, our world is in the state of psychological war as far as there millions of people whose minds are influenced and controlled. From another point of view, this movie provides a non-violent way of waging a war presenting it as one of the means of keeping peace in the world and stopping wars. Such psycho wars are more effective and it is not necessary to produce weapons if people’s main arms are brains.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is like praise to the endless possibilities of a human brain. So what is worse to be killed with a weapon or with a human brain? Such army as the New Earth Army may capture the whole world without shooting any bullet and bloodshed. All enemies are alive but they are killed on the psychological level. Of course, this idea attracts a lot of Americans whose dream is to power the whole world. Nevertheless, this idea is difficult to realize and even impossible to do it. But it is quite good and captivating for the plot of the American movie where everything is possible. The film director has decided to leave this idea unsolved so as the spectator does not understand whether this army really works out or not. Such interesting trick makes the movie more interesting. This idea of psycho war is chosen not accidentally. It is a burning issue of our society and people should be aware of that fact how human minds may be controlled without any weapons (Swank 2010). When I have watched this movie, I think over the influence of Internet over human minds. It is like a weapon of mass destruction influencing and controlling human minds. People who want to influence the minds of million people and know how to do it may do it with the help of internet. Grant Heslov demonstrates his mastership as a director of the movie having chosen such a burning issue and presented it in a captivating way.
Conclusion
All the above said enables us to conclude that The Men Who Stare at Goats is an interesting and captivating movie presenting the current issue especially troubling the Americans. There is no wonder that the director has chosen exactly the war with Iraq which is on the agenda of the American policy and the subject of the fears before the psycho war. The staffs of actors and the scenery have been chosen professionally and guarantee a success to this movie. As for my personal point of view, I like those movies which have a deep sense and make people think over the burning issues of our world. I think that The Men Who Stare at Goats belongs to such kinds of movies.
Works Cited
Elley, Dereck 2009. The Men Who Stare at Goats. Web.
Swank, D.J. 2010. Analysis Inaction: The Men Who Stare at Goats. Web.
Turan, Kenneth 2009. Men Who Stare at Goats: GIs Use Their Third Eyes. Web.