The first prerequisite for full enjoyment of "Buffalo Soldiers" is a propensity to laugh at violent death and drug use on cultural cue. The second is open-mindedness about how American soldiers are portrayed. If you've got those down, you're in the target audience, so don't worry; the movie will be great.
Set in West Germany in 1989, "Buffalo Soldiers" looks back at a time when murder and suicide were more common in the U.S. military, and some soldiers in Europe felt like their assignments were pointless.
Director Gregor Jordan has said that although the movie is based on a book of fiction, everything that happens on the screen happened in real life. The release date has been pushed back repeatedly because the subject matter touches on some issues that have been especially sensitive lately. The film was completed over two years ago, before Sept. 11, 2001, and, of course, the latest war in Iraq.
Some critics from the media and the military have taken exception to the quasi-surrealistic criminality of the soldiers in the film and the title itself, which is taken from the book and refers to the original Buffalo Soldiers' duty: to fight Native Americans. Jordan has said that, like the originals, the soldiers in this movie don't stand to gain much from their assignments. Today was the latest opening date to be scrapped.
It's the story of Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix), Army soldier and black marketer extraordinaire, and his cocky misadventures with drug dealers, a meddling boss and said boss's daughter, gap-toothed cutie Robyn (Anna Paquin).
Elwood makes the most of his bleak assignment to a supply battalion by manufacturing heroin out of morphine and selling M-16s and mop 'n' glow to the locals. Life seems tolerable, if not ideal, for the ex-con. When a new supervisor (Scott Glenn) transfers in and sees though Elwood's charade, things get interesting.
If you're the type who projects the self into movies (like I do), you may jump or gasp a few times. One skull-cracking scene is particularly cringe-worthy. There are a few Hollywood-style explosions and shootouts for those whose tastes run in that vein, and a love scene or two for that other appetite.
In the most enjoyable and redeeming scene, Elwood and Robyn are on their first date. In a German club, Elwood confesses to Robyn, after some interrogation, that he asked her out just to get at her father. He's secretly infatuated with her, though, as she is with him. The later it gets, the more they both reveal their feelings. As they make out on the dance floor, the original mix of New Order's "Blue Monday" asks a question especially pertinent given the juxtaposition of Elwood's romantic inclinations toward his boss's daughter and his dead-end criminal career; "Tell me now, how should I feel?"
"Buffalo Soldiers" is rated "R" for violence, drug content, strong language and some sexuality. It has a running time of 95 minutes.
Reach the reporter at jesse.christopherson@asu.edu.
