Review of Buffalo Soldiers (2002) by Sean C — 19 Apr 2005

Best in Show: Joaquin Phoenix.

One for the future: Joaquin Phoenix (post rehab).

Stand-out scene: Final fall.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

DVD.

Joaquin Phoenix, who checked into rehab earlier this month over his alcohol dependency, here plays an American soldier on a tour of duty in East Germany whose Bilkoesque shenanigans imperils his army career and ultimately his life. A joint venture between the UK and Germany (in Germany the movie title was extended by the words 'Army Go Home!', this portrays the American Army abroad of the 1980s in a less than flattering light. G.I. Blues this is not - and the American premiere predated September 11 2001 by only a few weeks. Having joined the army rather than serve a prison term for stealing a car, Ray Elwood has his grossly exaggerated supplies orders ratified by his gullible superior (Ed Harris - refreshingly playing against type) and sells the proceeds on the black market. The arrival of a new by-the-book Sergeant Lee (Scott Glenn) throws a spanner in the works and when Elwood starts dating - and subsequently falls for - his daughter Robyn (Anna Paquin) just to annoy him, a showdown is inevitable. The rank and file army recruits range from the over-idealistic through to the drug-addled.. The scene towards the end where they are seen discussing what the Berlin Wall is and whether they are in East or West Germany may seem far-fetched to Europeans but Americans' geographical knowledge of anywhere outside of their own landmass seems to vary from some to zilch. You want evidence? The contestant on the Weakest Link who thought that the capital of Poland was Worcestershire (mispronounced of course). Of course this movie has come in for criticism from those claiming that it shows the American army in a bad light - but to those people I say the accuracy of this movie has been corroborated by soldiers who served at the time and place this movie is set. To quote Colonel Jessop from A Few Good Men "You can't handle the truth".