Movie Review - Three Kings
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1999 / 114 Minutes / R
Reviewed by Dale Nauertz
From the trailers for “Three Kings”, you wouldn’t know what a groundbreaking film it actually is, but in a year of wild rides, this is one of the wildest.
The most surprising thing, however, is that beneath its astounding style, there beats a great deal of heart.
“Three Kings” concerns three men who find a map in the ass of an Iraqi soldier. Shortly thereafter, they decide to pursue the map to a bunker which they believe is filled with gold bullion which Saddam has purloined from the rich Kuwaitis. Since the war is over and they will all soon be returning to their day jobs, they decide to do so with a little money in their pockets. So off they go, under the command of Archie Gates (George Clooney) to find the gold and go home rich.
On the way, however, they are forced to confront the harsh reality of the war and how Saddam is treating the peasants they encounter along the way. It is here that the movie really takes off. The film has a gutsy, ambitious style and it is also quite a bit smarter than it starts out being. The film does a good job of showing the consequences of violence, both inside the body and inside the mind, and it does a good job of showing the unexpected consequences of growing a conscience as well when these soldiers soon find that doing the right thing is hardly ever easy.
This is ballsy, on-target filmmaking with a lot to say. The action scenes are intense, exhilarating, absurd, balletic and they actually matter. Through all the action scenes in the film, you remember the sight of that one bullet as it passes through a man’s chest, opening pockets of bile. Throughout the movie, that is never far from your mind, and therefore the actions onscreen make you squirm a little more than you usually would. This film has everything: drama, comedy, action and suspense, often in the same scene. All the performances are right on target and not a moment of the film feels phony. The tone veers wildly between scenes at times, but we get the sense that it is intentional. Life does not adhere to a single tone at all times. Why must our movies? The film makes its villains imposing without demonizing them. In fact, it goes to great pains to show us the humanity of most all its characters. It asks some tough questions and never goes for the easy answers.
In a world filled with light movies that bounce on the brain but rarely penetrate, “Three Kings” is a wonder to behold.
