Buffalo Soldiers
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Movie Reviews of Buffalo Soldiers
Movie Review: It's not a satire
Summary: 5 Stars
I was in the Army in the same time period and almost the exact same area where this film was portrayed, in a little town called Neu Ulm, Germany. I can promise you, this film is not over the top and it's not necessarily taking any artistic license.
Not that every soldier was like Elwood and the rest of them. There were plenty of people who were very strait laced and did their job profesionally. But there were also plenty of people just like the ones in this film, and all of this stuff and worse did take place in the real US Army in this period. In fact I knew a guy who was eerily like Joachim Phoenixes character in this movie. He even looked kind of like him.
I'm sure it's all quite well documented, I know there were plenty of articles in Stars and Stripes and especially in the German media. Look it up online if you don't believe it. There were shootings on base, smuggling and theft rings, drug rings. Horrible racial incidents. Corruption. Riots between different Army units. Just like in the movie there were horrible "training" accidents in which numerous G.I.'s were injured and killed. Routinely. Thats just a fact of military life.
In reading some of the other reviews, I have to wonder. Who do you think your military is? A bunch of saints? A bunch of geniuses? Middle of the road high school graduates, tasked to do very difficult jobs under very trying circumstances (like staying up for days on end which the DOD seemed to have a fetish for making people do) using Extremely dangerous equipment (like tanks!)
Sometimes these kids rose to the occasion, sometimes they cracked under the strain and / or succumbed to temptation. It's just human nature.
Watch this entertaining film but only if you can handle the truth.
Movie Review: Surprisingly good!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was actually quite surprised by this black comedy. It's really much more sympathetic and amusing than I expected, though it has its' dark moments too. I would suggest that those viewing it not take things too seriously and don't go into it thinking this is going to be a documentary about real life in the military--its' not that kind of movie. As the bonus material indicates, the point of the movie is that it was supposed to take place in 1989, the end of the Cold War, when for a short period it was believed that this was a good thing that was happening and that it might be the end of wars. (The cynical among us knew better, of course, and can scoff at such misconception now.) The result is that without a real war, some will create their own, out of boredom or whatever.
Anyway, all that said, this movie worked for me. As usual, actor Joaquin Phoenix takes an unethical, uncaring opportunist and gives the audience permission to like him and root for him, even though he's not a traditional good guy. His character, Ray Ellwood, has just the right mix of charming wit and inevitable screw up. This is a character that the audience could have just written off as an idiot and a bad guy without the nuances and layers Phoenix brought (and always brings) to his roles.
I liked the German scenery, thought the music was great, loved the mix of comedy and tenseness.
There's a couple of great twists at the end of the film too. The movie definitly exceeded my expectations.
Movie Review: A dark look at US Army life in Germany in the late 1980's
Summary: 5 Stars
Buffalo Soldiers is the story of US Army supply clerk Ray Elwood, played by the handsome and mysterious Joaquin Phoenix. Elwood is one of those go-to-guys who can score anything you need in exchange for the right favor. He has his hands all over the supply chain, drives a sweet German sports car, and knows who to cook up a batch of heroin in spare warehouses. He's a stoic who is well-respected by his peers. He helps his goofball desk jockey boss (played by Ed Harris) keep the base in West Germany in line.
Elwood's life is thrown into personal and romantic turmoil with the arrival of Sgt. Lee (played by Scott Glenn) and his beautiful daughter (Anna Paquin). Sgt. Lee has a personal goal of cleaning house and exposing Elwood's dabblings in the black market. Elwood, of course, decides to antagonize Lee by dating his daughter, and then he falls hard for the young lady. The movie is a dark game of cat and mouse between Lee and Elwood, with the base commander bumbling around in the background in truly comedic fashion. With a few healthy plot twists and elements of both satire and horror, Buffalo Soldiers is a movie to catch on DVD for anyone who likes dark drama/comedy in which the viewer ends up rooting for a handsome "bad guy." Fans of this movie should check out Wonderland and Lord of War.
Movie Review: Who says soldiers can't be creative, a dark comedy of a soldier pushing the limits.
Summary: 5 Stars
This was an interesting film I discovered by chance, overlooking it on the rental shelf, and hearing about it last year through a friend. Finally I rented it, and now own a copy of it. Joaquin Phoenix plays private elwood, a young man that chose the army instead of jail. Most of the movie takes place in 1989 germany, just before the berlin wall fell. Elwood has managed to make it through training and is now stationed in one of the supply divisions. He manages to become in charge of ordering for his company, and ordering he does. Though paperwork and orderforms, he manages to become a big suppler of goods (cleaners, equipment etc) to many germans as well as the rest of europe, making a few pennies as well. Eventually, he decides to put some other skills he has to use becoming a supplyer of refined heroin, attempting to make one last big profit. Along the way, love is thrown into the mix, and amazingly he falls in love with the worst available option, his commanding officer's daughter, played by ed harris. this doesn't make the boss happy. Well, the movie goes from their, and lets just say elwood's life gets complicated, just a bit. The ending is great. Must watch. you'll be suprised.Movie Review: Original...Unlike anything Ive seen!
Summary: 5 Stars
Forget the tagline, "Steal All That You Can", which makes BUFFALO SOLDIERS seem like every other heist movie in the last ten years. It is not that movie! As a matter of fact it's hardly even a heist movie at all (even though that's part of it). It is instead dark, funny, gripping, and more importantly, more original than any movie Ive seen in quite some time. As soon as the movie began I knew I was in for a treat but by the time the movie reached its climax - complete with drugged up US soldiers battling one another to the death - I knew I was watching something classic. Ive liked everything director Gregor Jordan has layed his hands on (TWO HANDS and NED KELLY, both with Heath Ledger) but this is easily his best work and Joaquin Phoenix (as he did in GLADIATOR and SIGNS) delivers a flawless performance.
If you're in the mood for something highly entertaining and entirely different I recommend trying BUFFALO SOLDIERS. I don't think you'll be dissapointed.