Three Kings (film)

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Many of the Iraqi roles were played by real Iraqi refugees in the United States. (Similar technique was used in "The Killing Fields".)

Russell and Wahlberg reunited for the 2004 existential comedy film, I Heart Huckabees.

Film techniques

Much to the chagrin of Warner Brothers, Russell decided to use a number of experimental cinematic techniques in the film. Handheld cameras and Steadicam shots were used to give the film a journalistic feel. In addition, Russell shot the film on Ektachrome slide photography stock, and used the bleach bypass process, both to reproduce "the odd color of the newspaper images [of the Gulf War] ." Though the process produced a unique quality to the film, it was exceedingly difficult to develop, and many film labs would not provide insurance for the slide films if they did not develop properly. Russell feared that the scenes would need to be reshot until finally a lab was found that could develop the slide films.

Russell also credited the realism of the firefights to the film's cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, who had shot several documentaries on South American civil wars, saying "he knew what it was like to be in that kind of world."

All of the explosions in the movie were filmed in one shot, as opposed to a typical movie where each would have been covered by multiple cameras. Russell explained, "to me that's more real. The car's blowing up on this guy, and we just park the camera. Of course the producer says, 'we gotta run three cameras!' But if I cut three ways, then it just looks like an action picture." Russell also had the foley department tone down the sounds of gunfire, saying he didn't want to "Bruce Willis-ize" the film."

One frequently noted shot in the film is an image of a bullet piercing a number of internal organs, releasing bile into the abdominal cavity, used when Gates is describing sepsis as the effect of a gunshot wound. This internal camera is again used when SFC Barlow is shot in the torso and his chest begins to fill with air, crushing his lung. Both of these scenes were inspired by Russell asking an emergency room doctor friend "What's the weirdest wound you've ever seen?" It also erupted a minor controversy, when Russell began to joke around that the gunshots were fired into a real corpse; a statement everyone vehemently denied later. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/459676.stm BBC News | Entertainment | Clooney corpse report denied ] ]

Conflict

The production process of "Three Kings" was particularly difficult for Russell, who was taking a variety of risks with what was a $42 million studio film. At the time it was made, Warner Brothers had not financed an auteur film in many years and executives were hesitant to put such money in the hands of filmmakers who were used to working independently. The political overtones of the film also worried the studio, especially with conflict still apparent in the Middle East.]

Cast

*George Clooney as Major Archie Gates, a career Special Forces soldier close to retirement, who is disillusioned with the war.

*Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow, who works in an office back in the United States and has a wife and baby daughter at home.

*Ice Cube as Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, an airline baggage handler who believes he is protected by a ring of "Jesus-fire".

*Spike Jonze as Private First Class Conrad Vig a jobless, semi-literate, redneck from a group home who looks up to SFC Barlow.

*Cliff Curtis as Amir Abdullah a Shi'ite Iraqi rebel who has been captured by Hussein's troops. Educated in the US at Bowling Green State University he was an entrepreneur in Baghdad, running several cafes before they were destroyed by Coalition bombs.

*Nora Dunn as Adriana Cruz, a tough cable news correspondent who is determined to get a good story.

*Jamie Kennedy as Specialist Walter Wogaman, an unintelligent soldier who Gates uses to distract Cruz.

*Saïd Taghmaoui as Captain Said, an Iraqi interrogator who tortures Barlow with electric shocks after he is captured.

*Mykelti Williamson as Colonel Ron Horn, Gates' superior officer, who discovers the plan to steal the gold.

*Holt McCallany as Captain Doug Van Meter, Barlow's superior officer, an obstreperous stickler for the rules who claims he grew up wanting to be either a veterinarian or a CIA sharpshooter.

*Judy Greer as Cathy Daitch, a journalist competing with Cruz who has sex with Gates early in the film.

*Liz Stauber as Debbie Barlow, Troy's wife.

Real life parallel

Many of the events in the film bear some resemblance to the uprising, or 'intifadha', in Southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf war.

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq several U.S. troops were caught attempting to steal millions of dollars in U.S. currency from a Baathist cache in Baghdad.

On April 18, 2003, Staff Sergeant Matt Novak, a decorated 12-year Army veteran, discovered $200 million in American hundred dollar bills hidden in 50 metal boxes in a cement shed. Novak, accompanied by Spc. Jamal Mann and First Sgt. Eric Wilson, began to divide up the money, stuffing some in their pockets and hiding more in a nearby palm tree. The men also sunk some of the boxes in a nearby canal, planning to come back with scuba gear to recover it. When their commanding officer, Major Kent Rideout, appeared on the scene, he immediately discovered the money hidden in the tree, and began to investigate the case. After amnesty was offered, the men began talking and the money was recovered. Although Mann had mailed $10,000 to his wife in New Jersey, that money was eventually returned as well.

Novak, whom the army had determined was the ringleader, was dishonorably discharged. The others were punished more lightly: Wilson remained in the Army teaching ROTC, and Mann received an honorable discharge.cite news
last = Mabrey
first = Vicki
title = Show Me The Money
publisher = 60 Minutes II
date = April 27, 2005
url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/25/60II/main690763.shtml
accessdate = 2006-09-27] Novak later claimed his friends had nicknamed him "Clooney".cite news
last = Waxman
first = Sharon
title = Three Kings, documentary linked
publisher = New York Times
date = August 18, 2004
url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040818/news_1c18document.html
accessdate = 2006-09-26]

Re-release

In 2004 Warner Brothers, feeling the film had become relevant again due to the Iraq War, decided to re-release it in theaters and on DVD. Having no additional footage to add, Russell instead shot "Soldiers Pay", a short documentary about the Iraq War, to accompany the film. Taking its name from William Faulkner's first novel of the same name about an airman's return home in the aftermath of World War I,cite news
last = Snipes
first = Stephanie
title = 'Three Kings' director looks at Iraq war
publisher = CNN
date = November 1, 2004
url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/01/soldiers.pay/index.html
accessdate = 2006-09-26] Russell said the documentary examined "both sides of the war, people who feel good about the war, who believe in the mission, people who feel bad."While making the documentary Russell spoke with both Iraqis and U.S. troops, including SSG. Matt Novak, whom Russell tracked down with the help of his brother-in-law, a private investigator.cite news
last = Lim
first = Dennis
title = The Unbearable Lightness of Being
publisher = The Village Voice
date = September 28, 2004
url = http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0439,lim,57118,1.html
accessdate = 2006-09-27] Asked how the Iraqis he had interviewed felt about the war, Russell said blockquote|Every Iraqi I know is glad that Saddam Hussein is gone. I would completely disagree with Michael Moore about that. I think it's good that Saddam Hussein is gone. And I think basically the movie takes the position of, is Iraq better off without Saddam? Yes. Is the world better off with this war? Not sure, don't think so. Although Russell had planned to release the film before November 2004, hoping to "perhaps make a difference before the election," Warner Brothers abandoned the project at the last minute, citing "controversy surrounding the documentary, combined with a later-than-expected arrival of the bonus footage". Russell disputed the time-crunch excuse, saying "I think if they really wanted to they could make it happen." Eventually, the documentary was purchased by the Independent Film Channel, where it was aired in its entirety the night before the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election.

Notes

ee also

*Politics in fiction

External links

*imdb title|id=0120188|title=Three Kings