“American Sniper” follows the journey of the most lethal sniper in American history, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), over the course of his four tours in the Iraq War.

The movie is based on Kyle’s best-selling memoir “American Sniper,” published in 2012. The movie adaptation was directed by Clint Eastwood.

Viewers watch Kyle struggle with the morality of war and balancing patriotism with his family, all while trying to accomplish his mission.

“American Sniper” begins by showing Kyle as a young man in a Texas rodeo. After an arm injury ended his rodeo career, Kyle attempted to join the Marines. When they rejected him, he joined the Navy instead, and later became a Navy Seal.

During Kyle’s first tour in Iraq, he completes his first confirmed kill; a kill that foreshadows his undoing later in the film.

His first tour is also when Kyle is assigned the mission to terminate the most notorious sniper within the Iraqi forces.

Throughout the movie, Kyle struggles against the title given to him by Iraqi insurgents: “Devil of Ramadi.”

Viewers are shown the hardships faced by war veterans attempting to assimilate back into their old lives.

The movie does an excellent job of evoking sympathy for both Kyle and his struggling wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), as they both grapple with life between deployments.

“American Sniper” takes the viewer on an emotional roller coaster as they experience the high of Kyle’s wedding and family life, and the lows of struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Eastwood solidifies himself as an accomplished director with “American Sniper” by adding another dimension to the movie with the use of well-placed symbolism and metaphors.

The editing during battle scenes was outstanding, giving the viewer just enough action without bombarding the viewer with gore.

Eastwood does an incredible job of telling the story of the Iraq War without bringing politics into the mix, which is a feat considering the very polarized opinions on the war.