“Everyone knows war is hell. But Peace? Peace is f***ing boring.” That statement sets the tone for the film “Buffalo Soldiers”. Slated to hit theaters in fall of 2001, its release date was pushed back due to concerns of being perceived as Anti-American. Some mistake.
“Buffalo Soldiers” tells the story of Ray Elwood, a disenchanted Army supply clerk stationed in Stuttgart, Germany in 1989 at the end of the Cold War. As the Berlin Wall is falling, Elwood, played nicely by Joaquin Phoenix, and his Army buddies fill their days with stealing and selling Army cleaning supplies while cooking heroin for the base drug dealers at night. As a new hard-nosed First Sergeant arrives on the base (Scott Glenn), two truckloads of military weapons fall into Elwood’s lap. This sets in motion a chain of events with comedic and sometimes horrific consequences.
This film did not deserve the reputation it received. Not Anti-American in the least, it simply showed a slice of Army life that had never been revealed: what do soldiers do when there is no enemy?
If you are looking for another film about the spoils of Army life, be sure to check out “Three Kings”. Set in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, four soldiers try to find a hidden bunker containing the gold that Saddam Hussein stole from the Kuwaiti people. Before they can take the loot, human nature gets the best of them and they quickly come to the aid of Iraqi civilians being tortured by Saddam’s army.
A biting satire, this film has it all: humor, excellent camera work and an incredible soundtrack. The leads, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube, play well off each other and convey the desperation of soldiers who fought a war without knowing why they were there.
Of particular note is a sequence in which George Clooney’s character explains to his men how a gunshot wound actually affects internal organs. Through a series of animations and close up camera shots, we are taken inside the human body to watch as the bullet pierces each organ. Brutal? Maybe. But an excellent example of what sets this movie apart from your average big Hollywood action pic.
So, next time you are at your local video store looking for something besides the latest slasher pic or dumb blonde chick flick, give one of these films a shot.