1
00:00:03,337 --> 00:00:06,386
You're the one they're calling the Legend.
You've got like 24 confirmed kills.
2
00:00:06,548 --> 00:00:07,845
Well, who's counting?
3
00:00:08,008 --> 00:00:09,305
That's fucking badass.
4
00:00:09,468 --> 00:00:13,769
We took this guy who was iconic in the world
that he lives in and moved in.
5
00:00:13,931 --> 00:00:15,308
And they called him the Legend.
6
00:00:15,474 --> 00:00:19,229
And we told his story
in as human a way as possible.
7
00:00:19,728 --> 00:00:21,446
Your hands feel different.
8
00:00:21,605 --> 00:00:24,324
MILLER:
This is a human story about people...
9
00:00:24,483 --> 00:00:27,987
...who struggle within the world of war
and within the world of family.
10
00:00:28,153 --> 00:00:30,747
And this is about a man
who saved many, many lives.
12
00:00:30,989 --> 00:00:32,787
I think it really brought home the idea...
13
00:00:32,950 --> 00:00:36,250
...that it's not just the soldier
that goes to war, it's the whole family.
14
00:00:36,411 --> 00:00:38,004
TAYA:
It's not about them.
15
00:00:39,289 --> 00:00:41,257
It's about us.
16
00:00:41,416 --> 00:00:43,714
You have to make it back to us.
17
00:00:43,877 --> 00:00:46,847
It's not just a big pro-war picture.
18
00:00:47,005 --> 00:00:49,224
It shows the toll war takes on you.
19
00:00:52,261 --> 00:00:54,639
HALL: American Sniper
is about the soldiers' sacrifice...
20
00:00:54,805 --> 00:00:57,729
...and what we're asking them to give
when they go to war...
21
00:00:57,891 --> 00:01:00,485
...and what war takes from them.
22
00:01:00,852 --> 00:01:02,069
You're my brother...
23
00:01:02,229 --> 00:01:05,108
...and they're gonna fucking pay
for what they did to you.
24
00:01:05,274 --> 00:01:07,948
LAZAR: It's an exciting movie.
It has humor. It's a good love story.
25
00:01:08,110 --> 00:01:10,078
But at the end of the day, you also felt...
26
00:01:10,237 --> 00:01:12,865
...we were doing something special,
we were doing something true...
27
00:01:13,031 --> 00:01:15,375
...and maybe doing something
hopefully profound.
28
00:01:26,169 --> 00:01:28,763
NARRATOR:
The journey that led to American Sniper...
29
00:01:28,922 --> 00:01:32,267
...began with producers
Peter Morgan, Andrew Lazar...
30
00:01:32,426 --> 00:01:34,178
...and screenwriter Jason Hall...
31
00:01:34,344 --> 00:01:36,392
...and the provocative stories they'd heard...
32
00:01:36,555 --> 00:01:40,310
...about a legendary military sniper
named Chris Kyle.
33
00:01:40,475 --> 00:01:43,399
LAZAR:
We were interested in Chris's story...
34
00:01:43,562 --> 00:01:45,860
...because we had heard
about the exploits of Chris...
35
00:01:46,023 --> 00:01:48,492
...and the incredible things he did
in four tours of duty.
36
00:01:48,650 --> 00:01:51,779
So we were very, very excited
about his story...
37
00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:55,791
...even before the HarperCollins book
came about.
38
00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:59,123
I was interested in a warrior of that caliber.
39
00:01:59,286 --> 00:02:01,163
He had been in the service
and in the SEALS...
40
00:02:01,330 --> 00:02:03,799
...and at war for almost a decade.
41
00:02:03,957 --> 00:02:09,009
And so the idea of someone
who had gone to war that many times...
42
00:02:09,171 --> 00:02:12,721
...and sounded like Achilles
and then had come back...
43
00:02:12,883 --> 00:02:16,808
...and the effect of war on men
is interesting to me...
44
00:02:16,970 --> 00:02:19,348
...and I wanted to see
what it'd look like on him.
45
00:02:19,514 --> 00:02:21,391
MORGAN:
Jason went down to Texas...
46
00:02:21,558 --> 00:02:26,815
...and found Chris to be really
a hard nut to crack, but also fascinating.
47
00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:30,701
I got to this hunting ranch
that he was working with some guys...
48
00:02:30,859 --> 00:02:36,332
...and I walk in and there's Chris
and 50 Texas cops.
49
00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:43,339
And so it's me, the Hollywood screenwriter,
and, you know, 50 pretty grizzly guys.
50
00:02:43,497 --> 00:02:47,502
I think that Chris and
the fellow law enforcement officers there...
51
00:02:47,668 --> 00:02:50,171
...wanted to kind of get a piece
of the kid from Hollywood...
52
00:02:50,337 --> 00:02:51,839
...and see what he was made out of.
53
00:02:52,005 --> 00:02:53,928
Chris barely spoke to him.
54
00:02:54,091 --> 00:02:57,140
He wasn't very talkative,
he wasn't very chatty.
55
00:02:57,302 --> 00:03:00,101
And I asked his friends,
I said, "I keep asking him questions.
56
00:03:00,263 --> 00:03:01,515
Why won't he talk to me?"
57
00:03:01,682 --> 00:03:04,811
And they're like, "He's a sniper.
You know, he sits and he waits."
58
00:03:04,976 --> 00:03:08,606
Jason had to really work
to get Chris to open up to him.
59
00:03:08,772 --> 00:03:12,447
That night, they got a little--
Everybody got a little rowdy.
60
00:03:12,609 --> 00:03:18,491
And there was a SWAT guy who was
calling me all kinds of names...
61
00:03:18,657 --> 00:03:21,285
...and just, you know,
giving me a rough time.
62
00:03:21,451 --> 00:03:23,920
And Chris still wasn't talking to me.
63
00:03:24,079 --> 00:03:27,879
And so this guy said one too many things
and I threw him in a headlock.
64
00:03:28,041 --> 00:03:30,635
And I took him down.
65
00:03:30,794 --> 00:03:34,139
They didn't know he was
actually a pretty good wrestler. Ha, ha.
66
00:03:34,297 --> 00:03:36,425
State-champion high-sohool wrestler.
67
00:03:36,591 --> 00:03:39,936
So he was able to gain the respect, I think.
68
00:03:40,095 --> 00:03:43,520
And then Chris was like, "Hey, you're all right.
What do you wanna know?"
69
00:03:45,517 --> 00:03:50,444
NARRATOR'. Having gained Chris Kyle's trust,
screenwriter Jason Hall made it his mission...
70
00:03:50,605 --> 00:03:55,862
...to discover the true character of the man
whose story he yearned to tell.
71
00:03:56,027 --> 00:03:58,075
I came in looking for something,
and it was there...
72
00:03:58,238 --> 00:04:01,458
...and it was like,
"Wow, this guy has seen something.
73
00:04:01,616 --> 00:04:06,247
This guy has been to the other side,
and he's not quite entirely back."
74
00:04:06,413 --> 00:04:11,510
There was a torment, you know, in his eyes,
and it wasn't comfortable.
75
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,887
NARRATOR'. Jason Hall's initial screenplay
painted a portrait of Chris Kyle...
76
00:04:17,048 --> 00:04:20,518
...drawn from classic archetypes
of warriors throughout human history.
77
00:04:21,094 --> 00:04:24,439
Jason started to form a story around it.
78
00:04:24,598 --> 00:04:28,273
And it was really like a modern-day Achilles,
is what we came up with.
79
00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:30,608
Chris is the very extreme
of what a soldier is.
80
00:04:30,771 --> 00:04:33,615
Chris is Achilles. He's that guy.
81
00:04:33,774 --> 00:04:35,447
And so everybody looks up to him.
82
00:04:35,609 --> 00:04:38,704
And what Jason and I decided to do
was not try to dress it up.
83
00:04:38,862 --> 00:04:42,412
Not try to make it nonlinear,
not try to add anything to it.
84
00:04:42,574 --> 00:04:44,247
Jason always says--
85
00:04:44,409 --> 00:04:48,414
In developing his material,
he says, "Just tell the truth."
86
00:04:48,580 --> 00:04:54,303
And so we created
a very straightforward narrative...
87
00:04:54,461 --> 00:04:58,432
...and a very straightforward character
which serves Chris.
88
00:04:59,758 --> 00:05:03,353
NARRATOR'. With their first draft in hand,
Peter Morgan and Jason Hall...
89
00:05:03,512 --> 00:05:06,857
...began looking for the right actor
to play Chris Kyle.
90
00:05:07,015 --> 00:05:11,612
We had a list of guys
that we were thinking about...
91
00:05:11,770 --> 00:05:15,365
...and Bradley's name popped off that list
as somebody who...
92
00:05:15,524 --> 00:05:20,155
...if he's willing to dive into it,
could just hit this thing out of the park.
93
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:26,043
And I pitched him what I thought that,
you know, the story was that I wanted to tell...
94
00:05:26,201 --> 00:05:28,499
...and he responded to it immediately.
95
00:05:28,662 --> 00:05:30,756
And he and I talked about it quite a bit.
96
00:05:30,914 --> 00:05:34,134
I hadn't read American Sniper:
The Autobiography at that point.
97
00:05:34,292 --> 00:05:35,839
And I just loved the idea of this.
98
00:05:36,002 --> 00:05:38,972
I've always been in love with the genre,
the war genre, since I was a kid.
99
00:05:39,130 --> 00:05:42,885
Movies like The Deer Hunter,
and Apocalypse Now and Platoon...
100
00:05:43,051 --> 00:05:44,803
...were things that always
resonated with me.
101
00:05:44,970 --> 00:05:48,349
And I was always obsessed
with the plight of a soldier when I was a kid.
102
00:05:48,515 --> 00:05:53,146
And he was elemental
in finding the moments for Chris...
103
00:05:53,311 --> 00:05:56,360
...and the transformation of this character...
104
00:05:56,523 --> 00:06:00,653
...and who he becomes
and what he almost loses in the process.
105
00:06:00,819 --> 00:06:04,414
I really got excited about it. I thought
I hadn't really seen a character study...
106
00:06:04,573 --> 00:06:07,622
...about a soldier in a long time,
since maybe Born on the Fourth of July.
107
00:06:07,784 --> 00:06:10,458
And then after that
is when I actually got to know Chris.
108
00:06:10,620 --> 00:06:14,670
When Chris first talked to him,
Chris was on the phone and said:
109
00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:16,710
"All right, then.
110
00:06:16,877 --> 00:06:18,595
Only thing I'm gonna have to do is...
111
00:06:18,753 --> 00:06:21,256
...tie you to the back of my truck
and drag you down the street.
112
00:06:21,423 --> 00:06:23,551
Gonna have to knock some
of the pretty off of you."
113
00:06:23,717 --> 00:06:27,893
Bradley just kind of came in
and was able to Convince Chris.
114
00:06:28,054 --> 00:06:30,898
Like, "Listen, I'm gonna
take this real seriously.
115
00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:33,151
If I'm gonna play you,
I'm gonna do it rough...
116
00:06:33,310 --> 00:06:35,859
...and I'm gonna want you to roll me
around in the dirt...
117
00:06:36,021 --> 00:06:37,648
...and put me through the paces."
118
00:06:37,814 --> 00:06:39,612
And that meant a lot to Chris.
119
00:06:39,774 --> 00:06:43,529
NARRATOR: With Bradley Cooper on board,
Jason Hall and Peter Morgan...
120
00:06:43,695 --> 00:06:45,948
...reached out to fellow producer
Andrew Lazar...
121
00:06:46,114 --> 00:06:49,584
...hoping to find a home for the film
at Warner Bros.
122
00:06:49,910 --> 00:06:52,834
And then the unthinkable happened.
123
00:06:53,914 --> 00:06:55,962
LAZAR:
I got the draft on a Friday.
124
00:06:56,124 --> 00:07:01,130
Wasn't gonna share with anyone.
I was gonna read it and do notes with Jason.
125
00:07:01,296 --> 00:07:05,221
I just had a great day at the beach
and was gonna start my weekend reading.
126
00:07:05,383 --> 00:07:08,978
And at around 5:25 I got a text from Jason.
127
00:07:09,137 --> 00:07:11,731
And it just said, "Chris has been murdered."
128
00:07:11,890 --> 00:07:14,643
And I said-- I--
129
00:07:14,809 --> 00:07:17,437
I didn't even know what to-- How to react.
130
00:07:17,604 --> 00:07:20,448
It hadn't even hit the news services,
and I kept on going online.
131
00:07:20,607 --> 00:07:25,113
And by about I would say 7:00
Pacific Standard Time...
132
00:07:25,278 --> 00:07:28,452
...the news started to report that
there was a shooting at a shooting range...
133
00:07:28,615 --> 00:07:32,245
...and then later that night it identified
it was Chris. And it was heartbreaking.
134
00:07:32,410 --> 00:07:37,291
Wasn't gonna share with anyone.
I was gonna read it and do notes with Jason.
135
00:07:37,457 --> 00:07:41,087
...and I, like--
I, like, opened it, and I start bawling.
136
00:07:41,252 --> 00:07:44,347
Jason Hall called me
and I thought, "Wait, what?"
137
00:07:44,506 --> 00:07:47,100
It just didn't--
Nothing-- Nothing made any sense.
138
00:07:47,258 --> 00:07:49,602
"He's already home. Wait, no,
he's already home. He made it.
139
00:07:49,761 --> 00:07:51,479
He did four tours. He's okay."
140
00:07:51,638 --> 00:07:53,606
"No, he was killed by another vet."
"What?"
141
00:07:56,059 --> 00:07:59,609
NARRATOR: The tragic murder
of Chris Kyle changed American Sniper...
142
00:07:59,771 --> 00:08:03,651
...from a story with a happy ending
into something else entirely.
143
00:08:03,817 --> 00:08:06,115
As the creative team tried to regroup...
144
00:08:06,277 --> 00:08:10,498
...Chris Kyle's widow, Taya,
made a fateful decision.
145
00:08:10,657 --> 00:08:12,955
She ended up calling
10 days after the funeral...
146
00:08:13,118 --> 00:08:16,497
...and said, "If you're gonna do this,
I want you to do it right.
147
00:08:16,663 --> 00:08:21,385
And this means more to me and to us now
than it did 10 days ago."
148
00:08:21,543 --> 00:08:24,342
And so we started talking on the phone...
149
00:08:24,504 --> 00:08:28,179
...and we spent a lot of hours,
countless hours...
150
00:08:28,341 --> 00:08:30,685
...let's say a couple hundred hours
on the phone.
151
00:08:30,844 --> 00:08:34,144
And it was this chance for her...
152
00:08:34,305 --> 00:08:39,607
...to secure his legacy
and make sure that it was done right.
153
00:08:39,769 --> 00:08:46,618
I was a grieving widow in the midst of
the biggest trial of my life...
154
00:08:46,776 --> 00:08:51,657
...and he was part friend,
part writer, part therapist.
155
00:08:51,823 --> 00:08:54,872
He also did not have to stay up
till 2 in the morning...
156
00:08:55,035 --> 00:08:56,628
...to talk to me on the phone.
157
00:08:56,786 --> 00:08:59,539
It meant that much to him to get it right.
158
00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:01,458
I was very inquisitive...
159
00:09:01,624 --> 00:09:05,470
...and I didn't pull any punches,
and I was asking really hard questions.
160
00:09:05,628 --> 00:09:09,633
And she was able to provide another side
to Chris that wasn't in the book.
161
00:09:09,799 --> 00:09:12,473
And so I got to hear
this whole other side of his story.
162
00:09:12,635 --> 00:09:14,387
And it changed the entire movie.
163
00:09:14,554 --> 00:09:17,398
The movie wouldn't be what it is
without Taya Kyle.
164
00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:20,686
Without Taya opening up their life to us.
165
00:09:20,852 --> 00:09:24,277
Jason went back
and we talked about reframing the story...
166
00:09:24,439 --> 00:09:27,784
...and making it much more about the
relationship between the soldier and the family.
167
00:09:27,942 --> 00:09:32,539
And the almost schizophrenic nature of having
to go from tour to home, back to tour.
168
00:09:32,697 --> 00:09:37,123
What I got from talking to Taya in those
hours and hours and hours on the phone...
169
00:09:37,285 --> 00:09:42,542
...was how beautiful this story was
between this man and his wife.
170
00:09:42,707 --> 00:09:45,176
Because you saw this guy
who was sacrificing so much...
171
00:09:45,335 --> 00:09:50,011
...and who was under these
extreme, extreme situations...
172
00:09:50,173 --> 00:09:53,973
...and was still able to be the kind of husband
that he was able to be when he came home...
173
00:09:54,135 --> 00:09:56,638
...and still be the kind of father
that he wanted to be.
174
00:09:56,805 --> 00:10:02,528
That was the key to making this movie
very human and real...
175
00:10:02,685 --> 00:10:05,313
...unlocking those areas
where people can relate to...
176
00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,403
...who have gone through that experience
and say:
177
00:10:07,565 --> 00:10:11,115
"That actually has a glimmer of reality to it."
It's because it actually is real.
178
00:10:12,070 --> 00:10:14,289
NARRATOR:
Armed with a more sophisticated screenplay...
179
00:10:14,447 --> 00:10:18,748
...that balanced Chris Kyle's
military career with his home life...
180
00:10:18,910 --> 00:10:21,459
...the producers began to look
for the right director.
181
00:10:21,621 --> 00:10:25,091
The first director attached to the project
as far as I know was Steven Spielberg.
182
00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:29,551
And he had worked with Jason
on the script.
183
00:10:29,712 --> 00:10:34,513
They were going to do it at Warner Bros.
and for some reason that deal fell apart.
184
00:10:34,676 --> 00:10:39,477
Clint and Steven have a close relationship.
They really enjoy each other's company.
185
00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:42,233
So I think that Steven was quite pleased...
186
00:10:42,392 --> 00:10:45,566
...that if anyone was gonna take over
the project, it would be Clint.
187
00:10:45,728 --> 00:10:50,325
NARRATOR: ironically, Chris Kyle had
the same instinct as Steven Spielberg.
188
00:10:50,483 --> 00:10:54,829
The only director that Chris ever mentioned
as wanting to tell his story was Clint Eastwood.
189
00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:58,583
- The only director.
- I think Chris wanted Clint Eastwood...
190
00:10:58,741 --> 00:11:01,244
...like he wanted a Ferrari.
191
00:11:01,411 --> 00:11:05,461
I don't think he thought there was a pig's
chance in hell he was getting Clint Eastwood.
192
00:11:05,623 --> 00:11:06,966
The studio called and asked...
193
00:11:07,125 --> 00:11:10,675
...if I'd be interested
in being involved with this picture.
194
00:11:10,837 --> 00:11:13,636
And, ironically, I was reading his book.
195
00:11:14,257 --> 00:11:16,635
I was down to about the last 30 pages.
196
00:11:16,801 --> 00:11:19,896
And I said, "Let me finish the book
and then call you back."
197
00:11:20,054 --> 00:11:22,432
And I called them back
the next day and I said:
198
00:11:22,599 --> 00:11:24,351
"Do you have a script on the project?"
199
00:11:24,517 --> 00:11:28,067
And they did. They had a screenwriter
and a script. 80 I read that.
200
00:11:28,229 --> 00:11:31,733
LORENZ: When we first got the script,
it was sort of unanimous amongst all of us...
201
00:11:31,900 --> 00:11:34,949
...and especially between Clint and I,
that it was extremely effective...
202
00:11:35,111 --> 00:11:37,990
...in terms of Chris's experience at war...
203
00:11:38,156 --> 00:11:41,000
...and his experience at home.
204
00:11:41,159 --> 00:11:45,335
Everybody seemed to be on the same page.
They thought it was an exciting story.
205
00:11:47,999 --> 00:11:50,548
NARRATOR'. To bring the true story
of Chris Kyle to the screen...
206
00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:53,429
...the producers knew
they would have to go to the source.
207
00:11:53,588 --> 00:11:56,762
LORENZ: When Clint and I started the project,
Chris Kyle had already passed away.
208
00:11:56,925 --> 00:12:00,020
So neither of us got a chance
to meet him or know him.
209
00:12:00,178 --> 00:12:04,228
So really the only way to get to know him
was through his wife, Taya.
210
00:12:04,390 --> 00:12:08,486
Bradley and I took a trip down to Texas
and met with Taya.
211
00:12:08,645 --> 00:12:11,649
Met the family and the kids.
He has two adorable kids.
212
00:12:11,814 --> 00:12:17,947
It was just an incredibly intimate experience
researching this movie.
213
00:12:18,112 --> 00:12:21,116
I didn't view them as Clint Eastwood
and Bradley Cooper...
214
00:12:21,282 --> 00:12:24,957
...coming to my house. I viewed them
as people that I'm gonna need to work with...
215
00:12:25,119 --> 00:12:29,249
...to really give whatever I can give
to contribute to this project.
216
00:12:29,415 --> 00:12:33,966
You know, I haven't changed very many things
from when Chris was alive.
217
00:12:34,128 --> 00:12:36,256
You know, his closet's the same.
218
00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:39,050
I can't bring myself to change it yet.
219
00:12:39,217 --> 00:12:44,599
And so they got to see just sort of our life.
220
00:12:44,764 --> 00:12:47,734
I got to see hundreds of hours
of footage of Chris...
221
00:12:47,892 --> 00:12:50,145
...just behaving with his family,
with his two children.
222
00:12:50,311 --> 00:12:52,313
Before his children were born,
when they were born.
223
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,108
And then, you know,
thousands of photographs...
224
00:12:55,275 --> 00:12:58,779
...e-mail exchanges of all four tours
between Taya and Chris.
225
00:12:58,945 --> 00:13:04,623
It was very informative, because we got
an idea of the guy without actually seeing him.
226
00:13:04,784 --> 00:13:07,628
I had to pretty much beg Clint
to put his feet up on the coffee table...
227
00:13:07,787 --> 00:13:12,042
...but by the time he finally did, it was like,
"Ah, now we're good." You know?
228
00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:15,428
And she just told us so many stories,
and a lot of them are in the movie.
229
00:13:15,587 --> 00:13:19,512
And it was important for me, too, to see them
as far as casting the picture.
230
00:13:19,674 --> 00:13:24,020
So when I cast those characters in the picture,
starting with Taya on down...
231
00:13:24,178 --> 00:13:27,899
...I had to have people
that I thought could effect...
232
00:13:28,057 --> 00:13:31,027
...that same kind of enthusiasm she had.
233
00:13:31,185 --> 00:13:34,780
NARRATOR:
Casting the role of Taya Kyle was no small task.
234
00:13:34,939 --> 00:13:37,317
Dozens of actresses were screen-tested.
235
00:13:37,483 --> 00:13:41,033
LORENZ: Among the many tapes
that were submitted was Sienna Miller.
236
00:13:41,195 --> 00:13:43,323
None of us had seen her do a role like that.
237
00:13:43,489 --> 00:13:48,541
She had such a natural performance on tape
that it just bowled us all over.
238
00:13:48,703 --> 00:13:52,708
It was-- Right away we all knew
that she was the top candidate.
239
00:13:52,874 --> 00:13:57,755
She's a very good actress. I've liked her
in other things that I've seen along the way.
240
00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:02,801
But she came in and did a reading for us,
and she was splendid.
241
00:14:02,967 --> 00:14:05,641
You were right. The doctor says it's a boy.
242
00:14:06,012 --> 00:14:10,108
NARRATOR: Like Bradley Cooper,
Sienna Miller had the opportunity...
243
00:14:10,266 --> 00:14:13,395
...to enrich her performance
by going directly to the source.
244
00:14:13,561 --> 00:14:16,485
Taya and I Skyped a lot. I live in London.
245
00:14:16,647 --> 00:14:19,617
And she's in Texas now.
So we met via Skype.
246
00:14:19,776 --> 00:14:21,778
The wonder of the modern world.
247
00:14:21,944 --> 00:14:23,491
And we talk on the phone a lot.
248
00:14:23,655 --> 00:14:26,829
And then she came to L.A. before we started
shooting and we spent a day together.
249
00:14:26,991 --> 00:14:29,995
Sort of crying and hugging,
and it was amazing.
250
00:14:30,161 --> 00:14:32,755
She's a really formidable woman.
251
00:14:32,914 --> 00:14:38,216
Taya comes across like she may
kick your butt, or she'd give you a hug.
252
00:14:38,378 --> 00:14:40,597
She brings all of that heart to it...
253
00:14:40,755 --> 00:14:42,757
...but she also brought
some of that toughness.
254
00:14:42,924 --> 00:14:46,224
I admire her so hugely
for her resilience and her graciousness...
255
00:14:46,386 --> 00:14:48,730
...in being as accommodating
as she was to me...
256
00:14:48,888 --> 00:14:51,061
...and trying to understand how she felt.
257
00:14:52,266 --> 00:14:53,768
MAN 1:
Have you heard from them?
258
00:14:55,353 --> 00:14:58,607
MAN 2: I wanna have them nearer the door.
MAN 3: Then we'll get...
259
00:14:58,773 --> 00:15:00,775
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
260
00:15:02,485 --> 00:15:06,786
LORENZ: This was a movie about snipers.
Most of it takes place up on rooftops.
261
00:15:06,948 --> 00:15:09,042
So we needed an urban landscape...
262
00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,295
...that felt like Iraq.
263
00:15:12,453 --> 00:15:18,551
So we looked around at a few places and
Rabat, Morocco, seemed like the ideal choice.
264
00:15:18,709 --> 00:15:21,963
Morocco was especially good
for the architecture of the towns.
265
00:15:22,130 --> 00:15:26,101
It's very much like Fallujah.
There's sort of a style that they use over there...
266
00:15:26,259 --> 00:15:28,353
...that you can't mimic here.
267
00:15:28,511 --> 00:15:31,230
NARRATOR:
After over a year of script development...
268
00:15:31,389 --> 00:15:34,017
...followed by months
of casting and preparation...
269
00:15:34,183 --> 00:15:37,733
...American Sniper began production
on location in the Middle East.
270
00:15:37,895 --> 00:15:40,819
MAN 1: A mark.
MAN 2: B mark.
271
00:15:41,274 --> 00:15:45,199
When you start a movie on location,
no one goes home to their homes.
272
00:15:45,361 --> 00:15:47,204
You go to a hotel. You go to the same hotel.
273
00:15:47,363 --> 00:15:50,788
So really being over there
for three weeks and bonding...
274
00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:54,705
...I think some of the best war footage
was shot in Morocco.
275
00:15:54,871 --> 00:16:00,173
Especially doing a movie like this about war,
being away from your home...
276
00:16:00,334 --> 00:16:03,804
...and being in a new environment
is sort of unsettling.
277
00:16:04,172 --> 00:16:07,301
And I think that was very useful
to the actors...
278
00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:11,017
...to feel kind of out of place
like a soldier would.
279
00:16:11,179 --> 00:16:16,185
And it just enabled people to really be together
not just on-screen but off-screen.
280
00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:19,820
So by the time we hit California
to do the rest of the movie...
281
00:16:19,979 --> 00:16:23,779
...there was a real strong sense of bond
and camaraderie with the actors.
282
00:16:23,941 --> 00:16:27,195
We were able to go do two
six-day weeks in Rabat, Morocco.
283
00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:31,491
And where we shot in Rabat
has such a specific energy...
284
00:16:31,657 --> 00:16:33,785
...and the people there
were actually wonderful...
285
00:16:33,951 --> 00:16:37,876
...but it is a whole different world
than Los Angeles and much of America.
286
00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:41,964
More than anything, you realize
just what it's like to orient yourself...
287
00:16:42,126 --> 00:16:45,801
...as a soldier in those areas,
because you're basically clearing houses...
288
00:16:45,963 --> 00:16:48,386
...which means you're setting up
on a place...
289
00:16:48,549 --> 00:16:51,348
...and then basically going through
and making sure everything is safe.
290
00:16:51,511 --> 00:16:54,230
So you're "clearing," meaning
going through each house one at a time.
291
00:16:54,388 --> 00:16:56,811
These are very narrow Stairways.
Five-story walk-ups.
292
00:16:56,974 --> 00:17:01,980
You have 80 pounds on your back, and if
you're a sniper, you have a huge weapon also.
293
00:17:02,146 --> 00:17:07,869
So just being able to, quite frankly, maneuver
within that space was very informative...
294
00:17:08,027 --> 00:17:11,577
...and you just realize
just how difficult the job is.
295
00:17:11,739 --> 00:17:15,118
LORENZ: We hired Jim Dever, who's been
with us on a number of war pictures.
296
00:17:15,284 --> 00:17:17,002
Jim is an extremely knowledgeable guy...
297
00:17:17,161 --> 00:17:20,381
...and made sure that
we had all the right equipment...
298
00:17:20,539 --> 00:17:22,166
...and all the right uniforms.
299
00:17:22,333 --> 00:17:24,677
Being a true story,
like American Sniper really is...
300
00:17:24,835 --> 00:17:28,180
...we have to make sure everything is accurate.
They have all the correct weapons...
301
00:17:28,339 --> 00:17:33,311
...of those time periods, from '03 to '08,
and the weapons that Chris Kyle carried.
302
00:17:33,469 --> 00:17:37,895
LORENZ: Jim ended up finding all of the tanks
and helicopters and planes...
303
00:17:38,057 --> 00:17:41,903
...that we were able to modify
to make the whole picture as real as possible.
304
00:17:42,061 --> 00:17:44,610
We used a real military from Morocco.
305
00:17:44,772 --> 00:17:49,448
So I was working the Moroccans' army.
We had tanks from there and Humvees.
306
00:17:49,610 --> 00:17:54,207
And you could see the big scope of the movie,
when you see it, it looks really like Iraq.
307
00:17:54,365 --> 00:17:58,040
That's why we filmed in Morocco
for the wide shots and everything else.
308
00:17:58,202 --> 00:18:01,046
LORENZ: And then we were fortunate enough
to have Kevin Lacz.
309
00:18:01,205 --> 00:18:04,004
He had been instrumental to Jason
during the writing of the script...
310
00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:06,009
...so we wanted to meet with him.
311
00:18:06,169 --> 00:18:10,174
NARRATOR: lfAmerican Sniper
had a secret weapon, it was Kevin Lacz...
312
00:18:10,339 --> 00:18:14,094
...one of Chris Kyle's fellow soldiers
from SEAL Team 3.
313
00:18:14,260 --> 00:18:15,978
COOPER:
Kevin Lacz was assigned to train me.
314
00:18:16,137 --> 00:18:20,187
Kevin had done two tours with Chris in Iraq
as a Navy SEAL sniper also.
315
00:18:20,349 --> 00:18:23,853
I really just thought he was incredible,
and he taught me so many things.
316
00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:27,399
Was supposed to train Bradley,
do long-range sniper work.
317
00:18:27,565 --> 00:18:30,819
We did a three-day course,
and two hours into it, Bradley's like:
318
00:18:30,985 --> 00:18:32,953
"You ever consider
playing yourself in the movie?"
319
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:37,037
And I'm like, "I don't really know about
my acting skills, but I'll see what I can do."
320
00:18:37,199 --> 00:18:39,076
I just thought he had a great
face and voice...
321
00:18:39,243 --> 00:18:41,496
...and he was a character
in the movie...
322
00:18:41,662 --> 00:18:45,383
...and I thought, "Why would we ever hire
somebody to play you, when--?
323
00:18:45,541 --> 00:18:46,667
Would you play you?"
324
00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:49,428
And it became obvious
to Clint and Bradley and all of us...
325
00:18:49,587 --> 00:18:52,591
...that he might as well play himself
if he could pull it off.
326
00:18:52,757 --> 00:18:56,762
Having him there, having a real SEAL there,
really upped my game.
327
00:18:56,928 --> 00:18:59,306
When you're trying to perform
a maneuver...
328
00:18:59,472 --> 00:19:03,852
...with an actual SEAL, it just is invaluable,
as opposed to all actors.
329
00:19:04,477 --> 00:19:08,198
NARRATOR: With the help of Kevin Lacz,
Bradley Cooper began the process...
330
00:19:08,356 --> 00:19:13,658
...of becoming Chris Kyle, starting with
transforming his normally slender frame.
331
00:19:13,819 --> 00:19:19,451
When we went down there Bradley
was 180 pounds or something like that.
332
00:19:19,617 --> 00:19:22,587
And when we started, he says,
"Well, I'm going to have to get bigger."
333
00:19:22,745 --> 00:19:26,124
I was really light when we started.
I was like 185 pounds.
334
00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:31,547
And I think in the end
I was almost 238, 235, I think.
335
00:19:31,712 --> 00:19:35,387
Down, down, down...
336
00:19:35,549 --> 00:19:40,020
I had to become that big and talk like him
so that I believed I was him.
337
00:19:40,179 --> 00:19:43,274
And if I believed I was him,
then there's a chance you would believe it...
338
00:19:43,432 --> 00:19:46,652
...because if I didn't believe it,
there's no way in hell you're gonna believe it.
339
00:19:46,811 --> 00:19:48,654
There's a weight-lifting scene in the movie...
340
00:19:48,813 --> 00:19:51,487
...and Bradley actually lifted.
Those were not fake weights.
341
00:19:51,649 --> 00:19:54,994
And I think it was well over--
I think it was 425.
342
00:19:55,152 --> 00:19:59,077
The training that I went through
with this incredible trainer, Jason Walsh...
343
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,163
...consisted ofjust heavy weights...
344
00:20:01,325 --> 00:20:04,499
...no cardio for all the months
that we were prepping and shooting...
345
00:20:04,662 --> 00:20:08,257
...and just eating basically
upwards of 6000 calories a day.
346
00:20:08,416 --> 00:20:10,418
And that was a dead squat
that we would do.
347
00:20:10,584 --> 00:20:14,680
So I pitched to Clint, "Why don't we just
come around and you just hear this clanking?"
348
00:20:14,839 --> 00:20:18,264
And it's a beautiful shot.
It's when he's about to go back home...
349
00:20:18,426 --> 00:20:21,020
...after his first tour, and his mind is racing.
350
00:20:21,178 --> 00:20:24,182
And we just wanted to show
just how powerful he was.
351
00:20:24,348 --> 00:20:27,602
So I did say to Clint,
"Let's just put the weight on. I can do it."
352
00:20:27,768 --> 00:20:30,738
The most he could do is like seven.
Just when the camera came around, like:
353
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:32,944
"Oh, my gosh, I hope
the camera's gonna get there."
354
00:20:33,107 --> 00:20:37,362
Because I was feeling for him.
Like, "No. How many more can he do?"
355
00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:38,950
I said, "Just film it. I can do it."
356
00:20:39,113 --> 00:20:43,163
I think he was worried, but we did it
like three or four times.
357
00:20:51,208 --> 00:20:53,381
NARRATOR:
In addition to his physical transformation...
358
00:20:53,544 --> 00:20:57,048
...Bradley Cooper
underwent extensive sniper training.
359
00:20:57,214 --> 00:21:00,184
COOPER: The research process was
when I was sort of bowled over...
360
00:21:00,342 --> 00:21:02,265
...by what a Navy SEAL sniper has to do.
361
00:21:02,428 --> 00:21:05,773
I mean, I was very ignorant
to what it actually means...
362
00:21:05,931 --> 00:21:07,649
...to actually line up a target.
363
00:21:07,808 --> 00:21:10,652
You have to take, for example,
into consideration...
364
00:21:10,811 --> 00:21:14,315
...the rotation of the Earth,
because obviously the world isn't flat.
365
00:21:14,482 --> 00:21:16,951
So as the target
is further and further away...
366
00:21:17,109 --> 00:21:22,161
...the rotation of the Earth is gonna
influence the pathway of the bullet...
367
00:21:22,323 --> 00:21:24,542
...along with windage
and so many other things.
368
00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:28,204
Just sniping with real bullets,
live ammunition, which I got to train with...
369
00:21:28,370 --> 00:21:31,374
...which was invaluable,
that alone, realizing the power of a gun.
370
00:21:31,540 --> 00:21:34,214
It was so impressive to see
how Bradley transformed...
371
00:21:34,377 --> 00:21:36,379
...and was committed to Chris Kyle.
372
00:21:36,545 --> 00:21:39,765
You could see
his level of commitment every day.
373
00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:42,143
And I think it was like it inspired us.
374
00:21:42,301 --> 00:21:47,432
He could have made a very good movie
without doing all the work he did to be Chris.
375
00:21:47,598 --> 00:21:51,193
He has the talent.
He's very gifted at his craft.
376
00:21:51,352 --> 00:21:53,195
No, we can't do that.
We need you on overwatch.
377
00:21:53,354 --> 00:21:56,733
- If I'm on the street--
- Look, house to house is the deadliest job here.
378
00:21:57,483 --> 00:21:59,451
You got some sort of savior complex?
379
00:21:59,610 --> 00:22:02,079
I just want to get the bad guys,
but if I can't see them, I can't shoot them.
380
00:22:02,238 --> 00:22:05,913
All these guys? They know your name,
and they feel invincible with you up there.
381
00:22:06,075 --> 00:22:08,794
- They're not.
- They are if they think they are.
382
00:22:09,078 --> 00:22:10,375
Why don't you
just keep banging on the long gun.
383
00:22:10,538 --> 00:22:12,961
We'll let these dogs sniff out Zarqawi.
384
00:22:13,165 --> 00:22:17,215
People see this movie, they get
the heart, the soul, the character...
385
00:22:17,378 --> 00:22:20,302
...the real Chris, not one-dimensional.
386
00:22:20,464 --> 00:22:22,887
Multifaceted Chris.
387
00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:26,771
There was this psychic element to it...
388
00:22:26,929 --> 00:22:31,105
...where somewhere along the way
he picked up some element of Chris Kyle...
389
00:22:31,267 --> 00:22:34,612
...transforming his voice and his body...
390
00:22:34,770 --> 00:22:37,899
...where I'd be watching the monitor
and he'd stand a certain way...
391
00:22:38,065 --> 00:22:41,535
...and it was kind of over his shoulder,
and just his aura...
392
00:22:41,694 --> 00:22:45,790
...you could feel Chris Kyle, and I'd just get
these goose bumps down my arms.
393
00:22:45,948 --> 00:22:49,043
You know, I'd met Chris, and I'd seen him,
and I'd hung out with him.
394
00:22:49,201 --> 00:22:54,128
And it was like, you look
and you're like, "Holy cow. That's Chris."
395
00:22:54,290 --> 00:22:56,793
I did feel like I had Chris with me
the whole movie...
396
00:22:56,959 --> 00:23:01,089
...as sort of mystical as that sounds.
I can't believe I'm actually saying it.
397
00:23:01,255 --> 00:23:04,850
But that is what I felt like. There was a reason
why I felt so confident and at ease...
398
00:23:05,009 --> 00:23:09,185
...and able to just dip into any scene,
because I felt him there.
399
00:23:10,264 --> 00:23:13,188
NARRATOR: Bradley Cooper's commitment
to American Sniper...
400
00:23:13,350 --> 00:23:15,227
...went beyond playing the lead role.
401
00:23:15,394 --> 00:23:17,362
He was also one of the film's producers...
402
00:23:17,521 --> 00:23:20,821
...involving himself
in every phase of the production.
403
00:23:20,983 --> 00:23:24,203
In fact, Cooper's commitment
reminded his director...
404
00:23:24,361 --> 00:23:26,864
...of another young actor he once knew.
405
00:23:27,031 --> 00:23:30,706
EASTWOOD: He has great interest
in the whole project and every aspect of it.
406
00:23:30,868 --> 00:23:35,874
He's a very activist actor,
as I was when I was young.
407
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,510
I was interested in the overall project...
408
00:23:39,668 --> 00:23:43,138
...and that's probably what drove me
into being a director.
409
00:23:43,297 --> 00:23:47,393
And I probably would suspect
that in the future years...
410
00:23:47,551 --> 00:23:50,976
...he would be wanting
to direct films himself.
411
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,148
All right, Cole.
412
00:23:54,558 --> 00:23:58,608
NARRATOR: Well into his eight decade,
directing his 35th feature film...
413
00:23:58,771 --> 00:24:01,615
...Clint Eastwood's professionalism
and sheer stamina...
414
00:24:01,774 --> 00:24:04,653
...inspired everyone on the production team.
415
00:24:04,818 --> 00:24:07,867
LAZAR:
Clint is the quintessential leader.
416
00:24:08,030 --> 00:24:10,283
When Clint was in Morocco,
he didn't sit down.
417
00:24:10,449 --> 00:24:12,952
He'd be on set all day long
in the hot sun, and I'm like:
418
00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:15,746
"Oh, my gosh, please, have a seat."
419
00:24:15,913 --> 00:24:19,713
You wouldn't want to sit down.
When you're around set and Clint's working...
420
00:24:19,875 --> 00:24:22,503
...you actually don't want
to sit down, because he never sits down.
421
00:24:22,670 --> 00:24:25,890
Clint is-- What I found him to be
was very instinctual.
422
00:24:26,048 --> 00:24:32,181
He really trusts himself, and he has
this inherent ability to know where the truth is.
423
00:24:32,346 --> 00:24:34,474
MILLER:
He's so relaxed and so trusting...
424
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:38,144
...and so confident in his ability
to know when he has what he needs.
425
00:24:38,310 --> 00:24:41,814
And it just forces this freedom
in you as an actor.
426
00:24:41,981 --> 00:24:46,782
He brought a grittiness to the movie,
and a sort of sand-in-your-mouth feeling...
427
00:24:46,944 --> 00:24:49,948
...where it felt authentic
and it didn't feel like something...
428
00:24:50,114 --> 00:24:53,368
...that was trying
to ring emotion out of you.
429
00:24:53,534 --> 00:24:55,832
He let this thing happen in front of us...
430
00:24:55,995 --> 00:24:59,875
...and he's letting the audience choose if they
want to go along with this journey or not.
431
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:06,389
From the very first moment I met Taya
and the rest of the family down in Texas...
432
00:25:06,547 --> 00:25:09,391
...I had a pretty good idea
of how I thought everything should be.
433
00:25:09,550 --> 00:25:14,522
Jason, who wrote the story,
he had done a lot of research on it...
434
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,652
...so I just took advantage of what
everybody else knew and put it all in the mix.
435
00:25:19,810 --> 00:25:23,189
He has the ability at this point
in his career and his life and his talent...
436
00:25:23,355 --> 00:25:26,029
...to be so confident
that he's willing to step aside...
437
00:25:26,191 --> 00:25:29,616
...and let Chris take over,
which is what I experienced even as an actor.
438
00:25:29,778 --> 00:25:34,124
We really did step aside
and let the story be at the forefront.
439
00:25:34,283 --> 00:25:37,878
It wasn't an overly directed film,
it wasn't an overly scored film...
440
00:25:38,037 --> 00:25:41,837
...and the camera movements
are not anything other than economical.
441
00:25:41,999 --> 00:25:44,969
And I think it's because
he really was aware of:
442
00:25:45,127 --> 00:25:47,676
"Well, for this one,
we're gonna focus on him."
443
00:25:47,838 --> 00:25:49,636
And as an actor, I felt the same way.
444
00:25:49,798 --> 00:25:55,146
The vain part of me could have wanted
some big moment of a thing.
445
00:25:55,304 --> 00:25:58,183
But, no, it's just not who Chris was.
446
00:26:00,142 --> 00:26:02,691
NARRATOR:
After 12 shooting days in Morocco...
447
00:26:02,853 --> 00:26:06,983
...the cast and crew return to California
to film the rest of American Sniper...
448
00:26:07,149 --> 00:26:10,244
...including the love story
of Chris and Taya Kyle.
449
00:26:10,402 --> 00:26:13,372
For me, the beating heart
of the movie is Chris and Taya...
450
00:26:13,530 --> 00:26:17,034
...and that love story
that I think totally transcends...
451
00:26:17,201 --> 00:26:19,829
...just being a Western
or just being a military movie.
452
00:26:19,995 --> 00:26:22,373
It's so much deeper than that.
453
00:26:22,539 --> 00:26:26,544
Though Bradley Cooper admired
Sienna Miller's work in other films...
454
00:26:26,710 --> 00:26:30,385
...the question of their on-camera chemistry
had yet to be answered.
455
00:26:30,547 --> 00:26:32,549
COOPER:
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
456
00:26:32,716 --> 00:26:35,310
We were just lucky that right away it clicked.
It was easy.
457
00:26:35,469 --> 00:26:38,393
Clint does this fantastic thing
where he just doesn't cut.
458
00:26:38,555 --> 00:26:42,059
Sometimes he doesn't even say "action,"
so you're very unaware of what's going on.
459
00:26:42,226 --> 00:26:44,570
But I think he let the camera roll
in that first scene...
460
00:26:44,728 --> 00:26:47,572
...for about seven minutes,
at which point you just--
461
00:26:47,731 --> 00:26:49,654
You're grasping. You're free-falling.
462
00:26:50,109 --> 00:26:52,032
You're obviously military.
What branch?
463
00:26:52,194 --> 00:26:54,071
I just finished BUD/S.
464
00:26:54,238 --> 00:26:56,536
- Are you kidding me? You're a SEAL?
- Yes, ma'am.
465
00:26:56,699 --> 00:27:01,045
I mean, it's pretty egotistical of you
to think you can protect us all. Isn't it, Chris?
466
00:27:01,203 --> 00:27:05,549
Well, our BUD/S office commander said
that it's three--
467
00:27:05,958 --> 00:27:07,005
Okay.
468
00:27:07,167 --> 00:27:10,888
He said there's three things we gotta
worry about: ego, booze and women.
469
00:27:11,046 --> 00:27:12,218
Well...
470
00:27:12,381 --> 00:27:14,509
...it sounds like you're under attack.
471
00:27:15,509 --> 00:27:17,887
COOPER: The thing about Clint Eastwood,
there's no rehearsal.
472
00:27:18,053 --> 00:27:20,897
So you don't work on any scenes together
until you actually shoot them...
473
00:27:21,056 --> 00:27:23,309
...which I like as long as you do your work.
474
00:27:23,475 --> 00:27:28,151
But what that lends itself to
is spontaneity and organic back-and-forth...
475
00:27:28,438 --> 00:27:30,987
...and, quite frankly, a lot of surprises.
476
00:27:31,150 --> 00:27:34,575
Creatively, it became so much more
than I had imagined it would be.
477
00:27:34,736 --> 00:27:39,162
Once you accept what it is, you accept
that you have two or three takes, if that...
478
00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:41,452
...once you become
a part of that environment...
479
00:27:41,618 --> 00:27:44,872
...it's kind of the most creatively liberating
experience I've ever had.
480
00:27:45,038 --> 00:27:48,508
And getting to work with Bradley,
who is probably the most amazing person...
481
00:27:48,667 --> 00:27:52,262
...I've ever worked with
in terms of his openness and generosity...
482
00:27:52,421 --> 00:27:56,051
...and willingness to experiment
and improvise.
483
00:27:56,216 --> 00:28:00,722
And we both felt a tremendous responsibility
to serve this couple.
484
00:28:00,888 --> 00:28:02,982
It was amazing to have a partner like her.
485
00:28:03,140 --> 00:28:05,484
MILLER: And to play somebody
who's got that much going on...
486
00:28:05,642 --> 00:28:08,987
...to be a woman in this environment,
to be a woman who's trying to raise children...
487
00:28:09,146 --> 00:28:13,117
...who's trying to understand and be supportive
of her husband but inside is imploding...
488
00:28:13,275 --> 00:28:16,996
...and having met her, I feel a huge
responsibility to have done it justice.
489
00:28:17,154 --> 00:28:22,285
NARRATOR: Doing justice to Chris Kyle's story
was on the forefront of everyone's mind...
490
00:28:22,451 --> 00:28:25,830
...when production wrapped
after 44 shooting days.
491
00:28:27,206 --> 00:28:31,837
I felt like we did tell a story
in a human way...
492
00:28:32,002 --> 00:28:36,724
...and that there was a nugget of truth
that I thought that people would relate to...
493
00:28:36,882 --> 00:28:40,853
...that I hadn't really seen before,
that we got a little bit of him right.
494
00:28:42,262 --> 00:28:46,187
NARRATOR'. In the months that followed,
through the film's release and beyond...
495
00:28:46,350 --> 00:28:49,945
...the creative team that brought
American Sniper to audiences...
496
00:28:50,103 --> 00:28:53,698
...held out hope
that its themes would endure.
497
00:28:53,857 --> 00:28:56,827
It's not a preachy movie.
What's great is it's a character study.
498
00:28:56,985 --> 00:29:01,206
But I think what will result in the movie
is people will ask a lot of questions...
499
00:29:01,365 --> 00:29:05,541
...because there are serious issues
that the movie brings up.
500
00:29:05,702 --> 00:29:09,081
LORENZ: Regardless of whether
you believe in a particular war or not...
501
00:29:09,248 --> 00:29:13,173
...you have to value the fact that these people
are willing to go over there...
502
00:29:13,335 --> 00:29:15,633
...and make these sacrifices for us.
503
00:29:15,796 --> 00:29:19,096
That to me is the most important
aspect of this movie.
504
00:29:19,257 --> 00:29:23,478
It's a complicated story, and people are
gonna have very mixed emotions about it.
505
00:29:23,637 --> 00:29:25,480
Some people will come out
and see a film...
506
00:29:25,639 --> 00:29:29,234
...that's celebrating somebody who did,
in many people's eyes, many heroic things.
507
00:29:29,393 --> 00:29:32,647
Other people will be probably
deeply affected by what they've seen...
508
00:29:32,813 --> 00:29:34,235
...and be shocked by some of it.
509
00:29:34,398 --> 00:29:37,072
But this is the world we're living in.
This happened.
510
00:29:37,234 --> 00:29:40,579
I was just hoping that it really would be
a movie seen for what it was...
511
00:29:40,737 --> 00:29:43,911
...at least intended to be, which was a movie
about soldiers and their families.
512
00:29:44,074 --> 00:29:45,701
That's it. Two days before it came out...
513
00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:49,917
...I went to San Antonio, Texas.
We showed the movie and talked to the vets.
514
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,630
And one Marine stood up and was very
emotional, saying that we got the story right.
515
00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:57,763
And if you know anything about the military,
for a Marine to cry in front of other Marines...
516
00:29:57,921 --> 00:29:59,298
...means something's happening.
517
00:29:59,464 --> 00:30:02,559
Jacob, who was a Marine sniper,
who was with me...
518
00:30:02,718 --> 00:30:07,849
...said to me, "The amount of guts it took
for him to do that, you have no idea."
519
00:30:08,015 --> 00:30:11,986
And I thought, "Yeah." And I thought,
"Well, that's it. We got it right, then."
520
00:30:13,603 --> 00:30:15,230
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]