American Sniper, based on a best-selling novel of the same name, tells the true story of the deadliest American marksman in history, Chris Kyle.

The movie begins with a typical young man whose only aspiration is to become a cowboy. However, after Kyle sees his country in danger during the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing, he decides to train to become a Navy SEAL. Just after he and his wife get married, Kyle is sent on his first tour in Iraq.

After four tours, Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, has a total of 255 kills, 160 of which are confirmed by the Department of Defense. What happens between the tours is what the movie is really about: the emotional toll that each American death has on Kyle, and his need to protect his men.

After returning home after his final tour, the effects of war are evident.  Kyle finds himself distracted and distant from his family. He tries to deal with the effects of war on his own, but eventually finds solace through helping wounded war veterans.

The movie is a little overwhelming at times due to the sheer amount of deaths that occur, but, as it is a war movie, they were expected. the true greatness of this movie is that it shows the sacrifice that these men and women make in order to protect us. By the end of the movie, I felt a great sense of pride that I live in a country where people are willing to fight for my protection, and I know that the other people in the theater felt the same way– it was dead silent as we filed out into the brightly-lit hallways.

American Sniper is a movie that will truly make you think, but it’s also a movie that will make you overwhelmingly proud to be an American.