The Plot is a Messy Masterpiece. Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) is not your typical hero. He is a soldier stationed on an American military base in West Germany's, and he does not care about democracy or communism. He just cares about heroin and cleaning supplies. He spends his days cooking drugs in the base laundry room and selling them to the local thugs. Everything is going great until a new sergeant shows up who actually cares about rules. This movie is dark and mean but it is also very funny if you have a twisted sense of humor. It shows the military as a bunch of bored guys with too much power and not enough to do.
Joaquin Phoenix Is a Total Weirdo
Elwood with this smug look that makes you want to punch him and be his best friend at the same time. He is charming but also a complete sociopath. He manages to make a guy who steals from the government and ruins lives seem like the only sane person in the room. The chemistry between him and the angry sergeant played by Ed Harris is the best part of the film. They hate each other so much it feels like a weird romance.
Why It Was Banned or Whatever
This movie came out at a bad time. It was supposed to release around September 11 terror attack in 2001, but people were not ready to see American soldiers portrayed as criminals and idiots. It sat on a shelf for a long time. That is a shame because it is honest about how boring and corrupt life can be when people are stuck in a place with no purpose. It is not a patriotic movie. It is a movie about greed and how being bored makes people do very stupid things.
