Three Kings (David O. Russell, 1999): USA

Reviewed by Diego Moreno. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020.

Three Kings is a unique war film that even non-war movie fans should see. The fact it manages to balance comedy and drama in a war setting is remarkable and is what stands out in the movie. Three King is directed by David O. Russell (who has directed other films you may be familiar with such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Joy) and stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, and Cliff Curtis. I viewed this film as a free screening at the Lobero Theater for its 20th anniversary as one of SBIFF’s events.

The film follows a group of American soldiers on a mission to find gold stolen by Saddam Hussein in the aftermath of the Gulf War. During their attempts to find the gold going from village to village, they discover a group of refugees who need to help each other if they want to accomplish each of their goals.

Despite the film being part comedy with pretty hilarious, greatly written scenes, it does not even a bit take away from the serious war tone. In fact, Three Kings manages to create the raw war movie tone successfully. From the loud, punching sounds of the bullets to the well-directed action sequences to the saturated filter and grime on the characters’ faces, David O. Russell successfully creates that raw feel that war movies need. It also manages to add the horrors of war in there. The film contains some shocking and intense scenes that remind you how ugly war is. When David O. Russell said every bullet counted in this movie, he really meant it. The shooting in this movie only happens when it needs to happen, and not just mindless gunfire, which is a cliché in many action movies. Because of this, when violence occurs in this movie, it packs a bigger punch. I thought that showing the inside of a body when it’s punctured by a bullet at a couple points was a nice touch and makes the bullets fired in this film feel more deadly.

Three Kings is a fantastic war film that balances drama, comedy, and action all in one without getting in the way of the film’s overall tone. Even if you’re not a fan of war films, I highly recommend this, because it’s a very fine crafted piece of cinema and a shining example of excellent directing. If you are a fan of war films, this will be an absolute treat for you. If you liked this film, I recommend David O. Russell’s other film Silver Linings Playbook, another excellent film. I haven’t American Hustle, which he also directed, but I do hear great things about that one. Go see Three Kings whenever you can!