Buffalo Soldiers (2001)

Director:

Gregor Jordan

Writers:

Robert O'Connor (book)
Gregor Jordan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

31 October 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

War is hell... but peace is f*#!%!! boring.

Plot:

A criminal subculture operates among U.S. soldiers stationed in West Germany just before the fall of the Berlin wall.

Plot Keywords:

Germany | Berlin Wall | Secretary | Heroin | Soldier

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix	...	Ray Elwood
Ed Harris	...	Colonel Berman
Scott Glenn	...	Sergeant Lee
Anna Paquin	...	Robyn Lee
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Mrs. Berman
Michael Peña	...	Garcia
Leon	...	Stoney (as Leon Robinson)
Gabriel Mann	...	Knoll
Dean Stockwell	...	General Lancaster
Brian Delate	...	Colonel Marshall
Shiek Mahmud-Bey	...	Sergeant Saad (as Sheik Mahmud-Bey)
Amani Gethers	...	Kirschfield
Noah Lee Margetts	...	Rothfuss (as Noah)
Tom Ellis	...	Squash
Kick Gurry	...	Video

Also Known As:

Army Go Home! (Germany)
Buffalo Soldiers - Army Go Home! (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, drug content, strong language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

During the scene in which a tank ploughs through a German town, a stuntwoman was given directions to move out of the way of the tank as it was coming towards her. She failed to do so, and had to be pulled out of the road at the last minute (the footage of the incident was included in the final cut). Director Gregor Jordan described the moment as terrifying, as he was convinced that she had actually been run over and killed.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Sgt. Lee and his daughter in the car after the Civil War party, she asks him if he wants to kill Elwood, to which he asks her what she's talking about. She says, "Do you?" However, her lips do not move when saying that line.

Quotes:

Ray Elwood: Uh, guys.
[still talking]
Ray Elwood: Guys. Guys!
[silence]
Ray Elwood: Uh, just letting you know, Parsons is dead.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: Buffalo Soldiers" (????)

Soundtrack:

Say No Go

A Hip, Subversive Film

This is my favourite film of 2003. Why they waited two years before releasing this superb movie in the UK is anyone's guess - although it may have had something to do with its total lack of respect for the U.S. Army. I'm not sure this would have went down too well in the aftermath of 9/11. Regardless, Buffalo Soldiers is an absolute gem. It is nasty, intelligent and hilarious. It is critical of American values, specifically capitalism in the 80s and it takes no prisoners. This is an outsider's perspective on the American occupation of West Germany in 1989: Jordan is Australian and as a result he brings an Australian aesthetic to his work. But it is also a tender film that is structured around a touching central romance between Elwood and Robyn. I love their scenes in the pool, it is such a warm, intimate location - a perfect setting for the heart of an otherwise deeply cynical film. Jordan is a director of considerable talent and Buffalo Soldiers is magnificent.