Review of Tigerland (2000) by Simon G — 13 Feb 2004

[size=3]One of the most effective ways to show the horror of war is to depict the brutal training that soldiers must endure before they even begin firing at the enemy. Joel Schumacher's film [i]Tigerland [/i]is a gritty, documentary-like examination of training soldiers who are preparing to go to Vietnam. Kubrick attempted to convey the brutality and cruelty inherent in military training in [i]Full Metal Jacket[/i], but R. Lee Ermey was so inventive in his sadism he actually became a rather entertaining figure. Schumacher's movie does not contain any Hollywood romanticism: it is a bare-bones look at the process the soldiers must undergo, and how that process can corrupt the soul and lead to psychopathic behaviour. Matthew Davis plays an idealistic young writer who wants to gain life experience and believes, foolishly, that becoming a soldier will provide it. He befriends Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell), a charismatic Texan who demonstrates natural leadership abilities but is likely too rebellious to succeed in the army. Some of the other soldiers are presented as ticking time bombs who resent Bozz' cavalier attitude. [i]Tigerland [/i]is generally more successful when focusing on the training process...it seems to have a good knowledge of its subject and portrays the anguish of the soldiers quite deftly. Davis and especially Farrell give powerful, raw performances and make us believe that they are truly enduring mental and physical hardships. However, [i]Tigerland [/i]is less satisfying in its portrayal of the growing madness of certain soldiers. A subplot involving a sociopathic soldier does not seem as fleshed out as the rest of the film. As a result, the ending of the movie is not particularly powerful or upsetting. Still, this film represents a significant improvement for Schumacher...a director who could not find much success in either mainstream or independent fare. [i]Tigerland [/i]is nowhere near a perfect movie, but it is a powerful look at the hellish nature of preparing for war.[/size].

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