Soldier’s Story

Twenty-five years after its release, Paul W.S. Anderson’s Soldier (1998) is a film that, despite its initial mixed reception, has acquired a cult following. Now, thanks to author Danny Stewart’s Soldier: From Script to Screen (BearManor Media) readers who appreciate it — or want to better understand it  — can learn quite a bit about the creation and production of what Stewart describes as “part military movie, part Western, and part outsider allegory.”

The heart and meat of this book are Stewart’s interviews with more than a dozen film professionals who worked on the project, notably screenwriter David Webb Peoples. They are presented much in the style of Tom Weaver’s acclaimed books on older sci-fi and horror films, allowing us to hear the interviewees’ voices even from the printed page. While one or two of them have little of interest to say, on the whole they provide a substantial amount of behind-the-scenes information of the kind that warms a film buff’s heart. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone had done this with so many classic films while the opportunity was there? Stewart deserves kudos for capturing this information in a timely way; the clock of motion picture history is always ticking away, more rapidly than we realize. 

Though it’s clear the author greatly admires the film, he allows other opinions to be aired. The always-welcome and astute John Kenneth Muir contributes a review that ably assesses what works — and what doesn’t — about Soldier. Stewart also explores the ways in which Soldier intersects with Blade Runner.

This book was clearly a labor of love for its author. Those who share his regard for Soldier will read it with pleasure and gratitude.

NOTE: I was given a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.