Potent anti-war drama

Three Kings is a rare contemporary war film that will satisfy the action junkies in addition to those looking for a more emotional experience. One of the film's most admirable qualities is the absence of drawn out political mumbo jumbo. In its place the filmmakers have opted to focus on the soldiers and their situation in the desert during the first Television War (i.e. the first Gulf War). It's a fitting and triumphant portrait that acts as an absorbing character study containing a commendable balance of drama and action.

Three Kings delivers a potent anti-war message. The film does not begin with the announcement of war, but soldiers celebrating its conclusion before coming to grips with its consequences. The film examines the impact of the media in the warzone: images and propaganda that the gullible American public were fed. With America under the rule of George Bush Snr. there is little wonder why the war suffered from such poor regulations. Just think...this is a man that actually said "I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them". Yes, he truly said that.

Anyway, David O. Russell's Three Kings is a film split into two phases: the first phase is about a group of bored American soldiers planning to steal some gold, with the second phase concerning the American soldiers witnessing the consequences of their decisions and actions. Major Archie Gates (Clooney) is looking forward to his retirement in a couple of weeks as he is disgusted with the war. Troy Barlow (Wahlberg), Chief Elgin (Cube) and Conrad Vig (Jonze) are three bored soldiers under the command of Gates who discover a map detailing the location of stolen gold. Greed getting the better of them, the four plan to venture out into the desert with the intention of stealing the gold for themselves. In theory it's a simple plan, but troubles ensue in its execution. The soldiers soon realise that the war (that they have been told is over) is still deeply in progress with Saddam Hussein's Iraqi soldiers now attacking the civilian population. With the civilians facing slaughter and eradication, the four men rise to the heroic challenge.

Director David O. Russell has created a very different war movie. Russell wanted to make every bullet count and he completes this objective. On that note, the cinematography and editing is outstanding. Early in the movie the character played by George Clooney talks about the effect of a single bullet when it penetrates the body. In so many other combat-oriented war movies we see characters firing off endless amounts of random ammunition. Three Kings makes the audience sincerely comprehend everyone who is shot - even the nameless grunts. There are a few unique images in the film as we see the interior damage of a bullet. Not entirely graphic by any means (seems like something from a simple documentary), but it really hits home. This is a tremendously effective cinematic device. A good creative decision for sure; however it occasionally overwhelms the story. Instead of being immersed in the events, the audience knows that it's a movie.

My interest in Three Kings was originally fired up when I looked at the cast list, with George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube portraying the central characters. George Clooney rarely, if ever, churns out a faulty product. He hits all the right notes with this film. He proves that he is something much more than just a sex symbol. Mark Wahlberg is deep and engaging in his role. Credit must also go to Ice Cube for his best performance to date. It's a shame that Ice Cube's career soon went down the drain after his sublime performance here. A notable fact is that although the film's title refers to three characters, there are in fact four central protagonists (the fourth being portrayed remarkably by Spike Jonze).

Three Kings is a film with heart and action. Flawed only marginally in its script department, this is a solid film about war and men's actions during war. No gross exaggerations are present.

8.1/10