A Forgotten Man Fights for His Humanity in Soldier (1998)
Movie reviews in 5 minutes or less
Exploring the themes of obsolescence, identity, and the dehumanizing effects of technology and militarism, Soldier (1998), directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and written by David Peoples, is an action film set in the same dystopian universe as Blade Runner.
Kurt Russell stars as Sergeant Todd 3465, a soldier trained from birth as the perfect soldier — a cold-blooded killing machine. With the advance of technology, a new breed of genetically engineered soldiers replaces him; after being defeated by an enhanced soldier, the military leaves him for dead on a junkyard planet.
Bleak, industrial visuals, and oppressive military uniforms that strip soldiers of individuality amplify the film’s dystopian setting. Todd’s exile on the junkyard planet by Colonel Mekum (Jason Isaacs) and Captain Church (Gary Busey in a time when Gary was best known for his on-screen presence and not his off-screen troubles), where society discards its obsolete technology and people, mirrors his own…
