Featured Image Credit: Universal
Topics: Netflix, Film, Jake Gyllenhaal
Michael Slavin
Netflix have added yet another cult classic film to their ever-growing catalogue, and this time it’s a Jake Gyllenhaal-led forgotten classic.
Whilst this film is highly reviewed and beloved, praised for its commitment to realism, one of the things that many don’t know is that Gyllenhaal attacked his co-star while on set.
The movie, added to Netflix UK today (June 11), is a war movie that several have actually called an ‘anti-war film’, starring Gyllenhaal alongside an all-star cast.
Directed by Sam Mendes, Gyllenhaal was joined in the cast by Peter Sarsgard, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black, and John Krasinski.
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The 2005 film, called Jarhead, follows the true-life story of Anthony Swofford, a US army sniper who worked on Operation Desert Storm.
The book the film is based on, written by the ex-Army Sniper himself, was banned by multiple school districts for being ‘flagrantly obscene’, a decision which Swofford called ‘un-American’.
The pressure of the film was a major factor in the shocking incident in which the Brokeback Mountain star attacked his co-star.
This came about in a scene in which he chipped his tooth filming a scene with his co-star Brian Geraghty.
The scene in question involved Gyllenhaal’s character putting a rifle to his mouth and, filming the last take, he asked Geraghty if he could hold the rifle less tight, an instruction he didn’t adhere to.
The actor’s tooth became chipped as a result of the scene.
Speaking about the incident in an interview with Radio Free Entertainment, he said: “Sam had told me before we did the take, 'think about boot camp in this take. Let's just think about boot camp'.
“So I, for some reason, just started hitting him, and I just got so angry that he had chipped my tooth and I just started hitting him. We didn't talk for like a month, actually, after that.”
Director Sam Mendes defended the actor, saying in an interview with the Calgary Sun: “It's 115 degrees [Fahrenheit], you're away from trees, cars, everything. You can't hear anything because the wind's blowing. You don't have your clothes, your car, your girlfriend, anything.
“I really think Jake forgot he was acting a lot of time.”
Despite this, Gyllenhaal and Geraghty made up with each other, and the film has been called a cult classic by many.
One took to Reddit to discuss it, saying: “Just finished Jarhead, it was my second time watching it and I'd easily go and play it again. The cinematography is so damn good. A few times I was just too stunned by it.
“I can easily pick some frames from the movie and set it as my computer wallpaper. Actors were amazing, mainly Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx.”
Jarhead is available to watch on Netflix now.