American Sniper, which was originally an autobiographical book about the U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, was released as a movie on Friday January 16, 2015 and has already been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, and countless of other categories. Bradley Cooper, who plays the main character, portrayed Kyle so successfully that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Kyle’s heroic story was published January 3, 2012 and is called American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. It was written by Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice, and Kyle. It explains his experiences he went through while serving several tours in Iraq from 1999 to 2009, and how he became the most feared weapon in the Navy. He killed the most Iraqi rebels (with his lethal sniper) in all of U.S history. The Iraqi’s feared him so much that they nicknamed him “The Devil” and was wanted with a reward on his head. Talk about an intense tour. The patriot’s story and how he gained his reputation is illustrated throughout the entire movie.

The movie explains all aspects of his military career and much more about his personal life, his relationship with his younger brother, and the psychological effects that had an impact on him from the war. It focuses on what was going on inside of his head, and how his protective instinct was triggered. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie’s sound effects and scenery were conveyed convincingly and precisely. With every shot Kyle’s (Cooper) sniper took, you could feel the tension as he targets his victims, see the sweat and heat flame across his face as he clenches the sniper’s trigger, and witness the regret he felt after the target has been eliminated. Despite Kyle’s reputation of his ability to take the lives of so many, there is no doubt that he never did so mercilessly, or without remorse. As the kills and losses of his troops he endured himself piled up, he began to question his purpose in Iraq. But after coming back home at the end of each tour, he is reminded every time of his mission and the values of the American people he is trying to protect. He was unquestionably one of the most dedicated and loyal men America has ever had the honor to call her citizen.

As Kyle ended his career in the Navy, he settled back home in Texas with his family and two children. His sense of responsibility to serve America and her people never ceased to exist, and so he decided to find another way to help his people, literally. He helped disabled veterans gain back their sense of combat by spending time with them and enhancing their aim at shooting. The movie comes to an end and leaves the audience to imagine for itself the depict of Kyle’s death. Right in between the end of the actual movie and before the movie’s credits, live footage of the hero’s memorial, and the Texan citizens’ reaction to the ironic tragedy appears. By adding this touch to the film, the viewer is able to tie together the illusion the movie delivered and the realistic aspect of it. This isn’t just a movie, this story was very real.