Glory, Saving Private Ryan, and We Were Soldiers are exceptional war films. But they can’t hold a candle to the Clint Eastwood-directed picture American Sniper in at least one important sense: Box office revenue:
Worldwide, "American Sniper" has earned $500.1 million, making it the most successful war film ever released.
Astonishingly, American Sniper has also reached another impressive milestone:
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1" was previously the highest-grossing film released in 2014 with $336.9 million, but now Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated war film has taken the top spot.As of this weekend, "American Sniper" has grossed $337.2 million since its limited release in December. The film was No. 1 for three consecutive weekends in January, shattering box-office records over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend and Super Bowl weekend.
The success of American Sniper is not surprising. From America to Iraq the film is earning strong plaudits and rave reviews. The film celebrates the life of the late Chris Kyle, who served four tours of duty in Iraq as a Navy SEAL and was the most successful sniper in American history. One cannot help but leave the theater contemplating the horrors of war and the strains it puts on separated families and returning soldiers alike; nor about Chris Kyle and his surviving loved ones.
Despite what some trolls have said, however, and the controversy surrounding the book on which the film is based, American Sniper is exceptional. It it well worth seeing in theaters.
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