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Three Kings
A group of American soldiers stationed in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War find a map they believe will take them to a huge cache of stolen Kuwaiti gold hidden near their base, and they embark on a secret mission that's destined to change everything.
1999 · Directed by David O. Russell · 114 min · Action · Comedy · War · Screenplay in the scene database · 8 frames
Tagline
It's good to be king.
Plot
Following the end of the Gulf War, U.S. soldiers remaining in theatre are bored from the lack of action and throw parties at night. Major Archie Gates, a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, is trading sex for stories with a journalist, Cathy Daitch, when he is interrupted by Adriana Cruz, the television reporter he is assigned to escort.
While disarming and searching an Iraqi officer, U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow, his best friend Private First Class Conrad Vig, and their unit find a map in the officer's anus. Troy asks Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin to help interpret the document. Major Gates identifies it as a map of bunkers near Karbala containing gold bullion stolen from Kuwait. They decide to steal it, and Gates distracts Adriana by assigning Specialist Walter Wogeman to take her to investigate a false news tip.
They find the gold among other Kuwaiti plunder, and stumble on the interrogation of Amir Abdullah, whose wife pleads with them not to abandon the anti-Saddam dissidents. She is executed by the Iraqi Republican Guard and the group decides to free the Iraqi prisoners, triggering a firefight. They withdraw as Iraqi reinforcements arrive. Trying to evade a CS gas attack, they blunder into a minefield and get separated. Iraqi soldiers capture Troy while the others are rescued by a group of rebels who take them to their underground hideout. Conrad, Chief, and Archie agree to help the rebels and their families reach the Iranian border after they rescue Troy. Confined in the bunker in a room full of Kuwaiti cell phones, Troy calls his wife on a MicroTAC and tells her to report his location to his local Army Reserve unit. The call is cut short when he is dragged to an interrogation by Iraqi Captain Saïd.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: David O. Russell
- Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
- Edited by: Robert K. Lambert
- Music: Carter Burwell
- Production design: Catherine Hardwicke
- Produced by: Charles Roven, Paul Junger Witt, Edward McDonnell
Cast
- George Clooney as Archie Gates
- Mark Wahlberg as Troy Barlow
- Ice Cube as Chief Elgin
- Spike Jonze as Conrad Vig
- Cliff Curtis as Amir Abdullah
- Nora Dunn as Adriana Cruz
- Jamie Kennedy as Walter Wogaman
- Saïd Taghmaoui as Captain Said
- Mykelti Williamson as Colonel Horn
- Holt McCallany as Captain Van Meter
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English, Arabic
- Studios: Village Roadshow Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, Village-A.M. Partnership, Coast Ridge
- Budget: $75,000,000
- Box office: $108,000,000
- Themes: rescue, gold, gulf war, three kings, iraq, treasure map, kuwait, interracial relationship, soldier, u.s. soldier
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