Starship Troopers

Year: 1997 Rating: R Overall Evaluation: 7.0 Significance Suppositions Story Style 8.0 / 10 6.0 / 10 8.0 / 10 4.0 / 10 Click HERE for evaluation criteria.

Style

The style of this film is rather unique. It was deliberately shot in a campy, futuristic (from a 50's point of view) style in keeping with the book upon which it was based. There is a lot of gore (both human and alien) and two nude scenes that were not really necessary (yes, I know the shower scene was a commentary on gender politics, but they could have stuck with the head-and-shoulders shots and made the same point). The gore was probably also making a statement (because history often contradicts anti-war messages they must rely heavily on emotion rather than rational discourse). These unnecessary elements dropped the score to barely acceptable.

Story

The story revolves around the hero joining the "army of the future" in its war against another race - the "bugs." While in basic training the bugs attack and he and his friends are sent to war. The main issue in the hero's life is to see if he has what it takes to succeed and earn the right to be a citizen (military service is required for citizenship and voting rights in the future). It is littered with a strange mix of social commentary.

Suppositions

Of course we must begin by accepting life (such as it is) on other planets. No biggie for a sci-fi film. Evolution is assumed but not argued which is so typical now it's barely even noticeable (which is one reason the view is so popular - unthinking acceptance). It is humorous to me in a sad way that the film accepts evolution and yet tries to make a statement about not killing to stay alive - the very force that supposedly drives evolution. Oh well, no one said we need to be coherent.

Significance

The odd thing about this movie is that it is difficult to grasp the message. It is easy on the one hand to view certain scenes as obviously satirizing war (e.g. the mother clapping hysterically while her children squash bugs) and fascism (e.g. the very nazi-ish uniforms and unquestioning hatred of the bugs). On the other hand, the characters are shown as heroic (if naive / brainwashed) and we do root for their success. Well which is it? This ambiguity left a lot of people confused. Luckily for us the writer and director made their message very clear in their commentary. They come right out and admit that the movie is "stating that war makes fascists of us all. . . . that was the theme. . . . in fact the movie was modeled on propaganda films made during World War II." Well there you have it (note: I find it interesting that American WWII propaganda films are being satirized when it was America in WWII that freed Dutch director Paul Verhoeven to even make the film!).

Verhoeven points out the oft-overlooked fact that the bug attack was in response to American (oh, excuse me - Earth's) "invasion" of a bug planet. So let's get this straight - a colony of Mormons settles on a planet (the film is not clear as to whether or not it was known to be inhabited), they are utterly and grotesquely wiped out, and just to top it off the bugs launch an asteroid to earth and kill over 8 million people. THIS is how Verhoeven paints America (oh, excuse me, Earth) as being fascist? Can liberals be this stupid? The idea that the slaughter of peaceful colonists and the added murder of over 8 million people should be answered by "live and let live" is so supremely ridiculous that it only be stated to be refuted. I suppose Verhoeven would argue that we should have just let the Nazis overrun Europe since "war never solves anything."

Now this typical liberal whining was NOT the focus of the excellent book upon which the film was based. Author Robert Heinlein correctly foresaw the dangers of letting social scientists and psychologists take over the justice system. His solution was no bleeding heart attempt to correct evil with "understanding" or "live and let live"(even the director admits that this fictional society has turned out very well despite what he thinks are improper methods).

Despite these attempts the truth eventually does break through as it often does. The heroes are a team. They love one another and fight for what's right (well, except for Carl who is basically a Nazi by the end of the film, willing to sacrifice anything for victory - but even this is a negative message against that sort of thing). I think it was this mixture of truth and error made the movie by itself somewhat confusing.