War, snipers, and rage from Enemy at the Gates to American Sniper

Article

Gehrmann, Richard. 2019. "War, snipers, and rage from Enemy at the Gates to American Sniper." M/C Journal. 22 (1), pp. 1-3. https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.1506
Article Title

War, snipers, and rage from Enemy at the Gates to American Sniper

ERA Journal ID35593
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorGehrmann, Richard
Journal TitleM/C Journal
Journal Citation22 (1), pp. 1-3
Number of Pages3
Year2019
Place of PublicationAustralia
ISSN1441-2616
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.1506
Web Address (URL)http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/1506
Abstract

Shooting people, murder and war are inherently violent activities to which the concept of rage might seem inextricably linked, but deeper examination reveals levels of complexity. Despite what we often perceive, soldiers are actually trained to operate in a calm and dispassionate manner. This is especially the case for military snipers, who perform the role of hiding in the battlefield, waiting for the chance to take single aimed shots to kill an unsuspecting enemy. My study examines the concept of rage and compares the level of rage in the film American Sniper (2014), set in the Iraq war with that of Enemy at the Gates (2001), set during the siege of Stalingrad in the Second World War. I argue that a form of controlled rage can be seen in the world of the sniper, and I set this against the acceptance of violence in an America where mass shootings appear to be an ever-growing expression of individual rage.

Keywordswar on terror, Iraq war film, killing, American Sniper
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020470199. Communication and media studies not elsewhere classified
470299. Cultural studies not elsewhere classified
440804. Defence studies
Byline AffiliationsInternational Studies
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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