War films are certainly quite common in cinema, but can they provide us with more than just blockbuster thrills, loud explosions, and intense scenes of combat? Well duh...obviously we think that they have more to offer than that. In both Kathryn Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER and Clint Eastwood's AMERICAN SNIPER, the character studies provide interesting insights pertaining to the psychology of soldiers in the midst of war. Whereas Renner's character in THE HURT LOCKER predominately struggles as an addict of war, Cooper's character in AMERICAN SNIPER largely wrestles with feeling compelled to war. What does it take to be a soldier? What does it mean to be perceived as a hero? How does war affect the way that soldiers eventually integrate back into society? How can we find God in war films? Beyond these questions, we also share some of our own "war" experiences (including a fun-filled ninja prank that we did as college students), our many trips to Gettysburg (where ghost hunters abide), Ben's vast gun collection, and our incredible hate for "Lax Bros."
