Soldier- From Script to Screen

A book review, for a change; Danny Stewart is a big fan of the Paul WS Anderson movie Soldier, and creating this volume of essays and interviews about this neglected film was clearly a labour of love for him. Of course, Soldier wasn’t a big deal back in the day; despite a healthy budget, a reliable box-office star, and a script from David Webb Peoples of Blade Runner fame, Soldier proved a little too dark and gnarly for 90’s audiences, but has built up a claim to cult status since then.

Stewart contacted me earlier this year, and I re-watched the film at his suggestion for a review here, and he’s right to feel that Soldier has been generally overlooked since release. With just over a hundred pages of text, Soldier- From Script to Screen does a neat job of tracing some of the creative forces behind the film; that means talking to Peoples, but also tracking down the crew and technicians who worked on the film. This in itself is of value for a film released long before the internet provided a repository of all possible information on every movie released, but Stewart also comes up with some essays about how Soldier relates to the Blade Runner universe, and also how Peoples and Anderson updated Western tropes in the manner of Outland.

So while Soldier connects up with classic Westerns like Shane and Unforgiven, there’s also a focus on the sci-fi world depicted; mention of Tannhauser Gates and other Blade Runner connections would be a far bigger deal in 2023 than back in 1998, and Stewart doesn’t let his obsession stop him from getting into the nitty-gritty of how Soldier predicts modern trends like outmoded technology; Todd 3465 (Kurt Russell) is presented as a breed of hired killer who has become redundant and gets dumped on an abandoned planet. He’s been raised as a soldier from a child, and the film doubles down on the notion of a man who is seeking validation of his own humanity, an inverted mirror image of Blade Runner’s Deckard.

As often with unauthorised books, there’s a few typos to navigate, and there’s also room for expansion here, with some key talent not included, but you’ve got to make the best of what you’ve got, particularly when you’re dealing with a film that hasn’t been well covered elsewhere. Soldier is a way better film than the initial reviews and audience reactions might suggest, and Stewart’s Soldier is a worthwhile read for sci-fi or Western fans, as well as a testimony to Stewart’s obvious passion for this movie.