I can see both sides – I would agree that Post-traumatic stress definitely plays a large role in Jim’s actions – but I have to suspect he was a bit of an idiot before all of that as well – I mean, until they get closer to the end of the film, it would seem that Mike especially, doesn’t have much of a problem with what Jim is doing, and seems to almost expect Jim to do what he’s doing , as if this was fairly normal behavior for Jim pre-war. You can see a similar thing with his latino ex-girlfriend – she’s already aware that Jim is a jerk, and he’s already burned her before, and she and her sister seem to be fully aware of what he’s capable of. Back to Mike, he doesn’t even seem all that worried about what Jim’s doing (as if he’d probably do the same thing himself) until Jim really goes off the rails after a while. These two are definitely idiots, but I think that’s just an element of the story. I think it shows us more the picture of a guy who’s already messed up to begin with, but then gets sent way over the edge by his PTSD.
I think the film is kind of an interesting statement on the differences and similarities between living in a real war overseas, but then still having to wage war with the harsh realities of life in a rough part of America… Jim is kind of dealing with a lot of different wars and conflicts in this film. One being the actual war that he was in, another being the war he wages against society as he simply tries to live the only way he knows how to, and the third being the war he fights within himself – does he become the responsible father, the government employee with the shady job, or the punk-ass kid that he is during most of the film (which seems to be closest to his actual nature).
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