Buffalo soldiers is a distinctly different military film as it occurs in the peace-time period shortly before the end of the cold war in 1988. It's lead role is filled by Joaquin Phoenix (Emperor Commodus in Gladiator) as Batallion Clerk Ray Ellwood. He and his unit are based within Berlin, but Ellwood fills his time by selling procurred army supplies to the locals and drugs to his various base acquintances.
His main sideline includes the cooking of Heroin shipments for a local drug supplier. This tends to be how he keeps most of the soldiers into drugs.
The film begins with the recruits playing a game of American Football indoors, and an unpopular member of the batallion is killed in a heavy tackle as his head hits a table. The recruits throw him out of the window to make it look like an accident. However, when his blood toxicity tests come back, it becomes eveident to the top brass that there are massive amounts of drugs on the base.
Phoenix has the original sergeant (Ed Harris) in the palm of his hand, but after the drug revelation, a much sterner commander (Scott Glen) is brought in to lead the troops. This is where the film starts to open up.
The new commander takes a massive dislike to Elwood and his friends and is more than suspicious that they are behind all of the bases problems and indescretions. Rightly so. A Vietnam veteran, Sgt Lee takes a hard line approach with some really amusing punishments and exercises. Ellwood however, fights back in some colourful ways and the on screen verbals are really entertaining.
The trouble escalates when, Ellwood and a few others acquire a truck full of heavy duty US weapons which they then attempt to sell right under the noses of their superiors. This is all made worse when they are given a substantial amoint more drugs instead of the money they expect for these guns.
Ellwood also pushes his luck by dating the Sergeant's daughter (Anna Paquin) much to the horro of his superior. Fro m here the film really develops into an interesting piece of cinema.
I know I have divuldged a fair part of the story, but their is far much more to this film that what I've just described. While the above information may appear to be a spoiler, trust me, it will not tarnish your experience of the movie at all.
Ed Harris plays his part as a cuckolded, weak sergeant who has lost any notion of aggression and combat. Servant to his wife, he shows are real lack of courage and conviction.
As this film lacks any military combat, I probably wouldn't suggest it as a war film. But more of a hidden camera behind the Iron Curtain movie. A well-acted, well-scripted, well-cast piece of cinema, Buffalo Soldiers will appeal to more than just people who like a good old war film. The film is drizzled with plenty of darkly comic moments to break from the seriousness of the general story.
When I first watched this movie, I personally really enjoyed it and found it to be quite original. There are very few criticisms I can find without being pedantic and would recommend this film to most people reading this review.
I no longer own this DVD so cannot comment on the special features really, however, if I remember rightly, they were few and far between. I find this to be quite inconsequential as the film alone merits the price you pay. I would advise this as a purchase to anybody looking for something new to watch.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1957 - Drama - Director: Leo McCarey - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Cathleen Nesbitt, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Fortunio Bonanova
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Great review. ^_^ Watched this a few times on Film Four, quite a solid entertaining film.
headcase44 26.05.2008 19:07
Very good review...Thanks. J.
eljimbob 26.05.2008 18:21
Good review, I have been a bit picky with my rating on this because if it had been me I would have left out the rather oversighted dvd features and done this as film only review. I would have rated as VH that way :¬) James
It's 1989 and bored US soldier Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) is finding some original ways ... more
to keep himself busy. Tuck on duty as Batallion Clerk at a US Army base in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall Elwood is maintaining a lucrative side...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
May 26th, 2008
(Aug 2nd, 2008)
very helpful by (90%):
helpful by (10%):
