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Three Kings
Directed By David O. Russell
Under the guise of a B movie and a sneaky preview destined to amateurs of testosterone flicks, Three Kings is a fairly surprising film since it employs action and humor as a vehicle for a political message about the hypocrisy of a "humanitarian" America during the Gulf War.
Yes, the Three Kings does have shades of a bad action movie haunting the dusty shelves of your local video store. And the film's trailer won't contradict me since it plays the action card with hopes of seducing the Box Office.The casting won't contradict me either: George Clooney (nickname: Box Office Poison) as well as two bad rappers converterd to actors Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube. One can't help but inquire as to where Lou Diamond Philips was during the casting call. And it certainly can't be certain low level gags and other unbelievable scenes where the protagonists enter and leave from enemy underground territory as if they were going to the mall.
So there, the film is not as primitive as it appears. For the first piece of evidence, it was directed by David O. Russell to whom we owe Spanking the Monkey & Flirting With Disaster, and who is recognized for his taste for provocation. If you look closely, the action and humor serve only as a pretext to denounce the hypocrisy of American involvement during the Gulf War. America appears in her conquering capitalism as the Bart Simspon doll attatched to front of the Jeep. The message is clear: America must impose her culture even in the most isolated lands.The fact that our three protagonists help themselves to stealing local riches is a direct illusion to America coveting the natural resources of poor countires. And precisely regarding that point, during a fairly amusing torture scene, the film directly objects to the "humanitarian America" argument during the Kuwaiti crisis by indicating clearly that the only goal was the protection of its interests in Kuwaiti oil (the naïve American soldier forced to swallow oil by Iraqi soldiers). Other allusions to the capitalist invasion invade the film, like stolen electronic stock (televisions, vcrs, stereos) to hilarious questions from the Iraquis about Michael Jackson. The fact that the Iraquis watch the Rodney King video as a movie bears witness to the harmful influence of this cultural invasion. And the humanitarian in all of this? Well, when the choice is given the soldiers hesitate, opting instead for the solution that will satisfy their own interests at the same time. Without a doubt it is revealing in regards to the non intervention in other conflicts…
The film also benefits from unexpected arty shots that work well. The soundtrack does not inflict us with Wahlberg and Ice Cube. The general tone is always ironic, just like its title, an allusion to the three kings who come bearing gifts instead of the contrary. As for the casting, it's not as bad as it seems. But before sending me the usual hate mails, let me explain. Each one of the three actors represents what is decried by the film: Clooney represents the t.v. cultural invasion, and the film in one scene directly alludes to his tenure at ER, while Wahlberg and Cube symbolize the musical invasion and the power to do anything without having any talent.
The problem of the film is not always knowing how to juggle between action humor and second degree humor. Certain scenes are really weak and wallow in what the film denounces. The humor and action sometimes flirt too much with the third rate qualities of the genre, the movie cannot be stomached at some point. The exercize was perilous and could not avoid certain pitfalls.
Imperfect yet audacious, Three Kings is, like it's casting, a big hoax. Just like its subject, the Gulf War.
Fred Thom
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Three Kings review
