Clooney plays Archie Gates, Special Forces, who, soon to retire, becomes the
leader of a merry band of pilferers who set off to steal Saddam's gold after
they find a map detailing its location stuffed between the butt-cheeks of a
captured Iarqi soldier.This is an action film of the best type; it's got some great action, some
really neat set pieces, has a dynamic momentum and, whilst packed with a good
deal of humour, has an intelligence and seriousness which fit together well.
The photography was fantastic, the visual effects excellent, the story was told
well.
The basic plot is simple. With the map found and the gold reserves located, a
bunch of war weary soldiers, having never actually seen battle and sick to
death of the mop-up operation, decide to make themselves a pretty penny for
when they return home.
Like a well planned bank heist they set off on their way. Foiled at the first
hurdle by a bit of deception they head back to the village where the gold is
actually hidden and help themselves whilst the Iraqi soldiers look on.
A surreal situation as the Americans and Iraqis keep their distance respecting
the peace accord in place, and, in the midst of this, Saddam's soldiers are
busily sorting out their country's internal affairs and taking revenge on those
within Iraq who supported George Bush's call to take up arms against their
leader.
Unable to stand back, diplomatically, whilst innocent people are massacred by
Saddam's troops, the GI Joes not only help themselves to the gold but decide
to help the long suffering population out.
In its portrayal of the Iraqi soldier's brutality against its own population
it is a very anti-Saddam film. That Bush failed to offer any support to those
who stood up against Saddam once the war was over and left them to suffer the
consequences, makes the film equally critical of America.
It also made clear that much of the brutality from Iraqi soldiers, only
following orders for fear of their own lives, was a result of the lack of any
real political change after the war.
A mix of high-action jinx and political analysis which comes over much better
than it sounds in this short synopsis.
