BUFFALO SOLDIERS

6/10

UK (UK/Ger) 2001 (released 2003) : Gregor JORDAN : 98 mins

The US army is now bigger than that of the next ten countries put together: a dangerous imbalance made all the more worrying by events before, during, and after the Iraq “war” revealing an institution whose arrogance is exceeded only by its incompetence. Though oft-postponed in the aftermath of 9/11, Buffalo Soldiers could hardly be more topical: a freewheelingly black comedy set in and around a West German US army-base as the Berlin Wall is crumbling, it presents America’s military as an ill-disciplined, bickering bunch of thugs, drug-freaks, patsies, crooks and racketeers. Chief among the latter is Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix), whose many schemes and scams eventually attract the unwelcome attentions of hard-assed Sergeant Robert E Lee (Scott Glenn) – who isn’t exactly thrilled when Elwood starts romancing his daughter Robyn (Anna Paquin), either.

Propelled by an effortlessly cool David Holmes score, Buffalo Soldiers coasts along engagingly on Elwood/Phoenix’s glib, cynical, attitude-heavy charisma - but loses its way when scriptwriter Eric Weiss (adapting Robert O’Connor’s novel) has to knuckle down and concentrate on plot. What could have been a bracing combination of M*A*S*H and Three Kings falls short – not least because director Jordan lacks both Altman’s flair and David O Russell’s visual boldness. The results, though never less than entertaining, end up more like a smug, post-modern Sgt Bilko with drugs n’ guns - but inferior jokes.

9th July, 2003
(seen 7th June: Showcase, Dudley)

by Neil Young

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