THE COVENANT Star Jake Gyllenhaal Says Movie Made Him ‘Proud To Be An American’
By Movieguide® Contributor
In his latest movie, THE COVENANT, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a U.S. soldier, something he says made him “proud to be an American.”
Gyllenhaal plays John Kinley, a U.S. Army sergeant working to save his Afghan interpreter, Ahmed, after he was taken by the Taliban.
“There was something about this story that was just, it was a parable… It was about doing good, reluctantly,” Gyllenhaal said of THE COVENANT. “I feel like America is made up of heroes and sometimes reluctant ones, but that is our fabric.”
The actor continued, “That is who we are, and I felt that, when I read it, I felt like it made me proud to be an American and, in that way, I wanted to be a part of it.”
Gyllenhaal also said that the movie, written and directed by Guy Ritchie, is “about the best of what we can be.”
“It’s oftentimes not as easy for me to watch movies I’m in and be emotionally connected to it but, when I got to the end of this movie, I was so moved,” he explained. “I sat there crying, watching what happens at the very end, and it just reminded me — I walked out feeling, feeling proud to be an American and knowing what we can do and what we can be.”
Gyllenhaal’s co-star, Dar Salim, echoed his statements, saying THE COVENANT is a “universal story” that “shows us that much more unites us.”
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of THE COVENANT reads:
GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT is a realistic look into the war between the U.S. and Taliban in Afghanistan. It has a powerful message about moral duty, sacrifice, patriotism, and standing up for what’s right no matter the cost. However, the movie does contain intense war violence and lots of strong foul language. The violence is realistic, but not excessively gory. Ultimately, GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT is a powerful movie that deals with the ideas of freedom, morality and promises in a compelling, unique way. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.
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