Geog 321
Professor Craine
California State University Northridge
Spring 2015
Due: 5/15/15
Word Count: 1,310
The Geographic Themes of the movie Shooter
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring Mark Wahlberg, the movie shooter is an intense action drama film that includes various geographical settings. In brief summary, Bob Lee Swagger, an ex-military sniper, is recruited by Colonel Isaac Johnson in an effort to stop an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. However, the assassination attempt is partially successful and Swagger is double-crossed and blamed for the shooting. Bob suddenly becomes a wanted fugitive for murder overnight and becomes subject to a massive nation-wide manhunt. While being pursued, he goes on an investigation in hopes to discover who double-crossed him and why they did so. In this paper we will discuss various geographical themes that influence swagger in his journey. This will be done by addressing several different settings portrayed in the movie and identifying the geographical implications of each one.
The very first scene of shooter features Swagger in his military days carrying out an operation in Ethiopia. He finds himself up on a massive cliff overlooking various hostile individuals who are attempting to kill him.[footnoteRef:1] In this setting we can see various geographical influences. First off, in the background there appear to be steep hills with low lying shrubs. This tells us that the climate here may be similar to that of the desert regions of California where there is little precipitation.[footnoteRef:2] We can also see that the massive cliff that Bob is situated on seems to have been created through tectonic processes. This can be said because the cliff has sheer walls, which can be indicative of lateral faulting and other mountain building processes.[footnoteRef:3] Furthermore, to Swaggers left we are able to see a small v-shaped valley cutting through the cliff. V-shaped valleys are more often than not formed by a river or stream cutting through the landscape.[footnoteRef:4] The geography of the region heavily influences Swagger and the actions that he takes. For example, the lack of precipitation implies that there will not be much vegetation. This requires Bob to use a means of camouflaging that is more desert like in appearance. Swagger’s position on the large cliff that was formed through lateral faulting gives him a perfect overlook position on those below him. The v-shaped valley to Bob’s left that was shaped by a river is likely to block any effective escape route in that direction. [1: “Shooter” 5 minutes] [2: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 283 under the section titled “Environmental setting” ] [3: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 285 second paragraph under “Landforms”] [4: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 229 second paragraph under “Landforms”]
The next setting the movie takes its viewer to is the Rocky Mountains. This is where Swagger lives after his encounter with the hostile forces in Ethiopia.[footnoteRef:5] In this setting we see expansive mountain ranges, high spruce trees, spread out snow and not much developed land. Because of these observations, we can infer that Bob lives at an altitude between 9000 and 11000 feet.[footnoteRef:6] He probably lives in this region because he desires to be secluded from other people. Development of the Rocky Mountain region is difficult because of the extremely rigorous terrain. This means that there are few cities and population hubs where Swagger is living, giving him this said seclusion. We can also infer that Bob is living on the windward side of the mountains. This is because of the large, engulfing forests. When air is lifted and cooled, it tends to drop large amounts of precipitation on the side of the mountain it blows up. This is known as orographic rainfall.[footnoteRef:7] The resulting precipitation fuels the growth of vegetation that is dependent on vast quantities of water, such as the tall spruce trees seen surrounding Bobs cabin. This would give Swagger plenty of water to carry out his everyday tasks, giving him independence and thus further isolation from others. With all of that said, we can assume from his location in the Rockies that Bob highly desires to not be around people. [5: “Shooter,” 10 minutes 30 seconds] [6: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 231 Figure 12.4] [7: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 305 first paragraph]
The next setting we will discuss in that of Philadelphia. Swagger finds himself here when he attempts to help others prevent the assassination of the president of the United States. Unfortunately, an assassination on an Ethiopian official takes place instead and he is blamed for it. After the assassination Swagger desperately tries to flee from authorities.[footnoteRef:8] The vast interconnectedness of the city proves to make it difficult for Bob to leave. Philadelphia is part of the Megalopolis region of the United States,[footnoteRef:9] a region that is incredibly populated and diverse. The city serves as a major port for the United States, as well as a highly influential historical landmark.[footnoteRef:10] These variables and others have contributed to its massive population of roughly 1.6 million people.[footnoteRef:11] The immense population of Philadelphia requires an increased presence of law enforcement and governmental personal in order to carry about effective law enforcement practices. This makes Swaggers escape substantially more daunting than it may have been in a smaller city. Bob eventually escapes through the city’s canal system.[footnoteRef:12] [8: “Shooter,” 25 minutes and 20 seconds] [9: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 140 second paragraph] [10: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 140 second and third paragraph] [11: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 140 fourth paragraph] [12: “Shooter,” 40 minutes]
The last scene that we will discuss in Shooter is one of the last ones. Here Bob discovers who set him up (we will call him Jim in order to not spoil anything) and plans an encounter with him. In order to do this he uncovers a recording that connects Jim with the murder of an entire village. While deciding where to have a meeting, Jim says to Swagger I want to meet “somewhere I can see you.”[footnoteRef:13] They decide to meet in a high altitude location in the Rocky mountain region. Altitudes above 12000 feet are generally considered to have an alpine terrain.[footnoteRef:14] This type of setting the weather is extremely harsh, temperatures cold, and air generally dry.[footnoteRef:15] Because of these conditions, large trees are replaced by extremely small plants that are protected from the cold weather by their size.[footnoteRef:16] This is the ideal area for Jim to see Swagger coming because it features a landscape that is covered with snow that has little foliage. Anything that is not white will stand out against the landscape. Unfortunately for Jim, Swagger uses the snow to his advantage by wearing white and blending in. He manages to take out all of Jim’s guards through this means of camouflage. This can be seen as an ideal instance of how the geography of a region can influence people’s actions when they are placed into that region. [13: “Shooter,” 1 hour, 39 minutes and 24 seconds] [14: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 231 figure 12.4] [15: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 233 paragraph before “Environmental Hazards”] [16: Hardwick, “The Geography of,” page 233 paragraph before “environmental Hazards”]
In conclusion, we have just seen how the geographical settings feature in the movie Shooter play a role in the characters decisions and generally influence the entire movie. From the very first scene we saw how the cliff formed through lateral faulting proved to be a vital asset for Swagger in his encounter with the hostile Ethiopian forces. We also saw that Bob’s choice of cabin in the Rocky Mountains allowed for his seclusion and independence from other communities. When the movie placed Bob in Philadelphia we saw how the city’s enormous population and police force made it extremely challenging for him to escape. Furthermore, the fact that Philadelphia is a port city helped him escape because it provided numerous means of water ways and passages. Finally, we saw how the geographic processes that influence terrain in the rocky mountain region played a role in both Jim’s and Swagger’s decision to meet there.
Bibliography
Hardwick, Susan W., Fred M. Shelley, and Donald G. Holtgreieve. The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, Economy. 2nd ed. Glenview: Pearson Education, 2013. Print.
Wahlberg, Mike. Shooter. DVD. Directed by Antonie Fuqua. Paramount Pictures, 2007.