Three Kings (1999)

Director:

David O. Russell

Writers (WGA):

John Ridley (story)
David O. Russell (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

In a war without heroes they are kings

Plot:

In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, 4 soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Gulf War | Kuwait | Iraq | Map

Awards:

5 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

George Clooney	...	Archie Gates
Mark Wahlberg	...	Troy Barlow
Ice Cube	...	Chief Elgin
Spike Jonze	...	Conrad Vig
Cliff Curtis	...	Amir Abdulah
Nora Dunn	...	Adriana Cruz
Jamie Kennedy	...	Walter Wogaman
Saïd Taghmaoui	...	Captain Said (as Said Taghmaoui)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Colonel Horn
Holt McCallany	...	Captain Van Meter
Judy Greer	...	Cathy Daitch
Christopher Lohr	...	Teebaux
Jon Sklaroff	...	Paco
Liz Stauber	...	Debbie Barlow, Troy's Wife
Marsha Horan	...	Amir's Wife

Also Known As:

Spoils of War (USA) (original script title)
Tres reyes (Argentina) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Les rois du désert (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Üç kral (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kolm kuningat (Estonia) [et]
Kolme kuningasta (Finland) [fi]
Sivatagi cápák (Hungary) [hu]
Three Kings (Italy) [it]
Three Kings - Es ist schön König zu sein (Germany) [de]
Três Reis (Portugal) [pt]
Tre konger (Norway) [no]
Tre kungar (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Trois rois (Canada: French title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic war violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Brazil:18 | Italy:VM18 (tv rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iraq:(Banned) | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36912) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Russell planned a re-release for 2004 due to the Iraq War. The film was to be shown alongside Soldiers Pay (2004) but Warner Brothers decided against it.

Goofs:

Plot holes: When Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg are in the process of loading up the gold, one of the Iraqi characters makes a remark in Arabic (which, in the film, is subtitled) about the American soldiers having blood on their hands (a reference to the cow blood spattered on both Americans' hands and arms from an earlier scene). However, there is no earlier indication that either American characters are able to understand or speak Arabic, so how can they know what the Iraqi is saying?

Quotes:

Conrad Vig: One gold Rolex would get me a very nice split-level house outside of Garland.
Troy Barlow: Five Rolexes would get my family that Lexus convertible.
Chief Elgin: I told you, Lexus doesn't make a convertible.
Troy Barlow: Yes they do, it has room in the back for a kid's seat.
Chief Elgin: Infiniti has a convertible but not Lexus.
Troy Barlow: Wrong.
Chief Elgin: Either way, the Good Lord has put this map in our path and I believe we're gonna find something.
Troy Barlow: Yeah, he could also put a land mine in our path if we go out there.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Just Want to Celebrate

Funny, shocking, thought provoking and honest.

A film for anyone who ever relishes the triumphal note of western war films, who gets carried away by the moral high of being on the winning side. For those who saw the good in the Gulf War, saw how many people America helped and was proud to live in the Western world.

Three Kings is an anti-war film. Its opening scenes are not the declaration of war, but soldiers celebrating its end. Then coming to grips with its consequences.

Of course, Saddam Hussein is depicted in the customary role of the villain, but then so is George Bush whose abandonment of the Iraqi people he had called to rise against Saddam is illustrated with examples of human suffering - emotional as well as physical.

Don't get the idea that this is a bleak and 'worthy' film, in many ways it is, but it does it with such style and black humour - that forces you to laugh even while being disgusted or perturbed - that it is eminently watchable. But still edgy, I was pleased to see one couple walk out (though they might just have gone to the toilet, who knows, I was absorbed by the film and didn't pay enough attention).

Director, David O Russell, ensures that the film never gets carried away with action scenes - bullets have consequences (good and bad) even when fired by an all-American soldier. There is some stunning cinematography. Particularly shocking to me was when Iraqi soldiers fire at a tanker. Nothing's more shocking than the unexpected and dramatically understated (I didn't see the trailer, though I believe that scene was actually in it).

There are some interesting cinematic devices in the film. The next time that sepsis comes into conversation I'm sure anyone who has seen the film will call to mind scenes of a bullet travelling through the body. I've seen less violent films than some people, but have been swept away by their power many times - become blasé about bullets and cinematic death. I've seen it all too often before to care about nameless victims that stand in the way of the power, wit, and understanding of the hard-bitten, long-serving soldier, wielding a justice in the shape of a gun.

Russell claimed to make every bullet count in the film, and in one memorably calm scene of confusion and crossfire, he certainly does. The style of the film however doesn't detract from its content. Three Kings doesn't have pretensions of addressing difficult issues by showing the manly, serious face of George Clooney looking a little concerned after killing a few dozen of the enemy. It has intelligent dialogue and moving scenes of confrontation between the opposing ideologies of the Americans and their 'allies' and 'enemies' alike.

Not the best date movie in the world. Funny, shocking, thought provoking and honest, 8.5/10.