Times of conflict can produce the strangest forms of censorship. During 1991's Desert Storm conflict, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Two Tribes' and Laura Brannigan's 'Love is a Battlefield' were banned from UK airwaves, Massive Attack were pressurized into just calling themselves Massive on the cover of their first album and television stations refrained from programming anti-war films such as M*A*S*H or Catch-22, opting instead for more innocuous entertainment.Ten years on and Massive Attack once again found themselves releasing an album during a Gulf conflict, but this time their name remained the same and their anti-war feelings were expressed without public censure (which is more than could be said for The Dixie Chicks). However, the climate had not improved enough to convince the makers of Buffalo Soldiers to release the movie in the 18 months following its premiere at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. 9/11 certainly had much to do with the initial delay in the film's release. However, as other withheld movies finally hit the screen, Gregor Jordan's American debut still showed no signs reaching of the light of day, let alone projector. For some, this may have offered the promise of a biting satire at the expense of the US military, in the spirit of Heller, Kubrick and Altman. Robert O'Connor's novel certainly offered such an opportunity. Unfortunately, good things do not always come to those who wait.
Buffalo Soldiers is set in West Germany in 1989, in the days leading up to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. On an army camp rife with apathy and inaction, Ray Elwood has built a business out of getting what people want, from drugs and cars to satisfying the sexual needs of the station commander's bored wife. And his future financial security appears safe, thanks to the discovery of a large shipment of tactical weapons. All that stands in his way is a new staff sergeant and his precocious daughter.
Jordan's film starts well, with a reference to Slim Picken's final moments in Dr Strangelove and a parody of the opening shot of Patton. The first ten minutes also includes the funniest scene, reminiscent of the anarchic humour of M*A*S*H, when a tank driven by crack-addled GI's rampages through a picturesque German town. After that, things don't go so much downhill, as just fizzle out. For all its pretensions of being anti-establishment, Buffalo Soldiers is little more than a conventional comedy drama with a smattering of black humour thrown in to give it an edge. Imagine a more ambivalent version of Harold Ramis' Stripes and you wouldn't be far off the mark.
A member of the US army setting up a drug cartel on an overseas base throws up any number of opportunities for a more explosive film. Unfortunately, Eric Weiss and Nora Maccoby's screenplay seems intent on playing safe, drawing the drama away from what is happening in the outside world, only to refer to it briefly in the climactic scenes, through a television broadcast of the collapsing wall. Likewise, many of the characters are too broadly sketched to offer anything more damning than farce. Ed Harris, cast against type as the bumbling Station Commander and Scott Glen as the hardened Robert E. Lee (get the joke?) both offer strong support, but would be just at home in any comedy featuring authority figures, from Bilko to the Police Academy series. And if anyone was in doubt that Lee makes the staff sergeants of Full Metal Jacket and An Officer and a Gentleman look like puppy dogs, his declaration that he loved his tour of duty in Vietnam emphasises his psychotic personality and hammers the final nail in the coffin marked 'subtle'.
In one of the film's early scenes, Public Enemy's 'Fight the Power' is playing in a bar. This was previously used as a very different battle cry, in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, a film that raged against every conceivable – and real – issue that was wrong with America. Whether the use of the song in Jordan's film was intentional or just a general kick against the picks, it highlights the most troubling aspect of the film. Buffalo Soldiers is neither a rant against injustice or a blazing critique of American militarism (the flawed Three Kings at least managed to broach this subject). What it may inadvertently be is a litmus test of general opinion. The most radical aspect of this film is that some people could think it is. Now that does scare me.
Reviewed by Ian Haydn Smith
Reader comments about Buffalo Soldiers
Cristy Mitchell (Email address withheld) writes:
I live in the United States and heard about this film "Buffalo Soldiers" only 2 weeks ago from a fellow Buffalo Soldier Living History and Heritage member. Our biggest complaint is not the movie itself (satires and poor excuses for comedies are a dime a dozen), but the title "Buffalo Soldiers". For the ignorant and confused in this country, they will equate this movie with the actions of real Buffalo Soldiers who helped clear this land for the Anglo settlers and freed slaves. The movie "title" is a slap in the face to the real Buffalo Soldiers, some of which are still alive. Betcha didn't know that. The term Buffalo Soldier was applied to the segregated, all NEGRO batallions and troops of the U.S. Army. Once intergration hit the Army, the term was no longer used (the Navy has always been intergrated but not always equal treatment). I wish I knew this film was first shown at the 2001 Toronto Film. Thanks for the enlightenment. I shall pass your web site and commetns on to others.
Bojana Kosanovic (bojana_kosanovic@hotmail.com) writes:
What a breath of fresh air in the blockbuster season! Will keep you glued to the screen with the good storyline and excellent acting. The only bad thing is that once it's finished, you'll be left wanting more. Thank god it finally got made and took a stand against the usual summer movies. Definitely one to watch!
Paul (php@sold.co.uk) writes:
Message to Cristy. There was a very good made for TV movie Buffalo Soldiers in 1997, which was about the original buffalo soldiers.
Paul (php@sold.co.uk) writes:
I agree with the reviewer that the beginning of the film gave a promise that was not delivered.
Jamez (Email address withheld) writes:
A very good film, well crafted with good direction, acting, scripting and moments that stick in the head long after the film is over.
There seems to be a lot of furore on this site on aspects of the movie I wasn't expecting.
I've gotta say that I think the reviewer here just wanted to make an interesting and entertaining article at the cost of the film instead of fairly representing the viewing experience. There's nothing wrong with that neccessarily but if people are reading this wondering whether or not to watch it don't be put off by the review or the people who have sent in their own comments. Primarily I think the film aims to tell it's story and does that in a creative and entertaining way, and more to the point I think it's a very good story. Any wider allegories/implications this film does/does not make about anything outside of the basic Dr Strangelove meets Mash meets Trainspotting 'war is ludicrous' message is subjective to the individual viewer. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but as well as the review appearing to be pretty irrelevant to the positive viewing experience this film gave me it's very small fry compared to the comments about the name, which I find pretty baffling really. The films title struck me as pretty lighthearted and the person who wrote in quivering with righteous indignation about the 'slap to the face the film's "title" gives' etc perhaps needs to recognise this point as well as the right to creative freedom.
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