Buffalo Soldiers is a 2001 film, based on the 1993 novel by Robert O'Connor, which follows the rogue activities of a group of US soldiers based in West Germany during 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Anna Paquin, Haluk Bilginer, Scott Glenn, and Elizabeth McGovern and is directed by Gregor Jordan.
The world premiere was held at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival in early September. However, being a satire of the US Military, the film's wider theatrical run was delayed by approximately two years in response to the increased patriotism and respect for the military within the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1]
Plot
The film is about Specialist Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix), an American soldier stationed in Germany in 1989. He was trained to fight but as there is no war he has become bored. Like many of the soldiers in his regiment, he is devoting his attentions to black market deals and drugs. In his case, he is cooking heroin for a gang of drug-dealing MPs. To aid his double life, Elwood, who is the base clerk, poses as a good soldier and confidant to his commanding officer Colonel Berman (Ed Harris) giving him the power and the opportunity to turn Army protocol to his advantage. It's quite clear that Colonel Berman has no idea what supplies he is requisitioning or that Elwood is sleeping with his wife (Elizabeth McGovern).
However this situation changes when Elwood's company get a new First Sergeant Robert E. Lee (Scott Glenn). The new Top is both menacing and savvy, quickly assessing that many soldiers like Elwood are on the fiddle. When a tank crew, who are under the influence of heroin that Elwood had supplied the base, kill two soldiers in charge of a convoy full of weapons by crashing through a gas station. Elwood and two companions steal the trucks and hide them in a missile base.
Meanwhile, Lee confronts Elwood about his lifestyle and Elwood tries to bribe him with his television. Lee does not go for it and instead removes all of Elwood's privileges. He also makes him share his room with a new soldier, Knoll, an honest soldier who doesn't fit well with Elwood's dishonest lifestyle.
To get back at Lee, Elwood pursues his daughter Robyn (Anna Paquin), whom he takes out for the night and then deliberately brings home to her father's house to have sex with in his car, while Lee is looking on from the window of the house. The next morning, Elwood finds that he and his squad are doing weapons training. It becomes clear that the object of Lee's exercise is to use Elwood's car as target practice. At this point, it is apparent that Lee knows what's going on around the base and leaves a hand grenade trap in the locker that some soldiers have been using to hide the heroin. The grenade explodes and kills one of Elwood's companions.
Meanwhile, Elwood attempts to sell the weapons to a dealer who will only exchange them for opium. Elwood plans to cook the opium into heroin but knows that it will be a big operation. A fight between the soldier in charge of heroin sales, MP Sergeant Saad, and Knoll ensues. Elwood saves Knoll and recruits him to help cook the heroin. In order to have time to cook it, Elwood sells out Colonel Berman on an army exercise against another regiment ultimately leading to the colonel's dismissal from the Army. Poignantly Berman reflects on this turn of events with Elwood who betrayed him.
Later while the opium is being cooked, Elwood sneaks to the base swimming pool to meet with Robyn. Knoll then appears with Sgt Lee. It is then revealed he is a 2nd Lieutenant from the Inspector General's Office. Knoll has been investigating Elwood and his criminal activities. The officer puts Robyn in the car while Lee beats up Elwood and takes him to the base stockade. However, Robyn tells Knoll that her dad is not going to hand him over to the authorities but is going to kill Elwood. Lee attempts to kill the handcuffed Elwood by throwing him out of a top-floor window but before he can succeed the building explodes because of a gas explosion in the basement caused by the burning drugs plant. Elwood and Lee are flung from the window as Knoll is engulfed in flames. Elwood survives by landing on Lee.
The film then concludes with heavy irony. In a major cover-up to hide the major drug dealing going on at the base, the US Army decorates Elwood with medals (it's also noted that his arch-nemesis First Sgt Lee receives a posthumous Silver Star). Elwood is transferred to the tropical island of Hawaii and his new CO is portrayed as naive and easily manipulated like Col. Berman.
The film then ends with Elwood requesting excessive supplies with plans to sell the extra on the black market thus beginning his criminal activities all over again.
Release
In Germany, the film was released under the title Army Go Home!.[2]
Cast
References
- ^ http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/20035q/id2001.htm
- ^ Army Go Home - moviepilot.de. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
External links
