Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Soldiers (2001) is a captivating mixture of dark comedy, drama, and crime. Directed by Gregor Jordan, the film boasts a strong lead performance by Joaquin Phoenix, supported by Anna Paquin and Ed Harris. Crafting a narrative that brings warmth to a genre typically dominated by cut-and-dry heroes and villains, Buffalo Soldiers uses its military base setting to illustrate the moral ambiguities, balancing the line between black humor and critical insight.

Set in 1989, on a US Army base in West Germany, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Buffalo Soldiers navigates the complexities of the peacetime military. Joaquin Phoenix takes on the role of Specialist Ray Elwood, an opportunistic and charming supply clerk for the base. Ray has long since turned his service into a lucrative business, exploiting the army supply system to trade miscellaneous goods and services for personal gain. The plot begins to thicken when a new top sergeant arrives, offering a stern antithesis to Elwood's rule-bending operations.

Sergeant Robert E. Lee, played masterfully by Scott Glenn, is a Vietnam Veteran with a bone to pick. Unhappy with the indiscipline he finds, he sets out single-mindedly to bring order, not realising just how deep the corruption runs. This gives rise to a tense rivalry between Elwood and Lee that defines much of the film's narrative. Anna Paquin, as Lee's rebellious daughter Robyn, also brings an interesting dynamic to the mix. As Elwood begins a dangerous romance with Robyn, the personal and professional rivalry between Sergeant Lee and Elwood escalates, leading to a tall tale of love, war, and the military's ambiguity.

Ed Harris inhabits the character of Colonel Berman, the base's commander and somewhat of a mentor to Specialist Elwood. Doning the uniform of a hands-off, willfully blind leader, Harris brings the right mix of absent authority that becomes a backdrop to Elwood's shenanigan.

Buffalo Soldiers does an excellent job of painting a picture of a peacetime military base, filled with bored soldiers looking for ways to stave off tedium. The film weaves a masterful tale of the hedonism and corruption that emerges from this inactivity. It captures brilliantly the uniquely human ability to engineer chaos in the absence of it, set against the backdrop of the imminent geopolitical chaos signalled by the falling of the Berlin Wall.

While Buffalo Soldiers is a military film, it is not your typical war movie. Instead, it uses its military context to tell a darkly humorous and riveting tale of human greed and power, reflecting on the absurdities that result from systems of unchecked authority. Phoenix’s splendid portrayal of Specialist Ray Elwood is both mischievous and endearing as you watch a man who is simply making the most out of serving his country, albeit in a very unconventional way.

Buffalo Soldiers, with its black humor and morally complicated characters, invites the audience to question the systems of power that operate within structured institutions of authority. The irony that the film was set to launch shortly before 9/11 gives it a multi-layered narrative, unintentionally forcing viewers to reconsider the idea of 'enemies within' and the forces that drive men like Elwood to manipulate the system.

Despite the film's comedy, Buffalo Soldiers boasts some moments of deadly tension and outright violence, injections that remind one of the setting's potential for havoc. These spectacular scenes serve as explosive punctuations to an already taut narrative, keeping the viewer riveted and on edge.

In conclusion, Buffalo Soldiers is marked by brilliant performances, a shrewd script, and sharp direction. It fashions a tale where a stage of humour, crime, and unpredictability is set, pulling the viewer into a world they are unlikely to forget. It's a thrillingly unconventional take on the military, full of wit and originality, carving out its unique niche in the genre. A must-watch for those who love films that offer something a bit different, especially if you are a fan of Joaquin Phoenix's intense and diverse body of work.