A Glimpse of the Ideological Aspects of Three Kings

Stephen Himes’s essay on Three Kings appears in the 2003 April edition of Flak Magazine. Himes’s essay is broken down into four major parts; he titles each part of his essay with specific quotes from the film itself such as, Part One: "Are We Shooting People or What?” in order to discuss how the film can be interpreted on a more universal level. In Part One, Himes summarizes the plot of Three Kings and examines the Americans’ war victory celebration. According to Himes, “rarely has being in the army been portrayed as an intercontinental frat party…” He furthers this point by quoting Seymour Hersch of “The New Yorker” who claims that the Three Kings presents the idea that the conclusion of a war leads to an “erosion of discipline.” Himes explains that the action of the Three Kings begins with the unusual discovery of the map for gold and develops when the men are subjected to violent and dangerous encounters. In Part Two: “I’m Confused with All This Pro-Saudi-Anti-Iraqi Stuff,” Himes sheds some light onto the debate surrounding the idea of a possible “regime change in the Middle East, with the goal of reforming these countries into civil societies.” The essay continues discussing how American intervention in the Iraqi government has created much tension; Himes provides support for each perspective from “The New Yorker” and the former Speaker of the House.

Next, in Part Three: “The Shock and Awe of a Bullet Entering the Body,” Himes interprets a few scenes from Three Kings. For example, Himes mentions how Russell’s choice to include the truck’s milk explosion creates an unexpected comedic effect, but Himes goes on to explain that, “the tone quickly changes, when you see the Iraqis slurping the sand—caught in the crossfire of the overall conflict…” Himes analyzes this scene because he believes that it is Russell’s “antiseptic perception of the Gulf War” in terms of the violence in the film. Furthermore, Himes elaborates that Three Kings builds up to show the American double standard concerning violence and wealth. Finally, Part Four of Himes’s essay explains that despite the twists and turns in the film, Russell chose to feature a “happy ending” and that this “Hollywood ending” for such a dramatic film is an attempt to illustrate the complications between the Iraqi situation and the efforts of the U.S. Himes concludes his essay with a set of questions that draw attention to how he believes that the Three Kings is a trigger to the American public to get a glimpse into the difficulties surrounding the moral issues of a war.

*to view the second, third, and fourth parts of Himes's essay, go over to the left and click on the links that will bring you to the rest of the essay--or, there is also a link to each part of the essay at the bottom of each page.