Three Kings
Theatrical release poster for Three Kings
Directed by	David O. Russell
Produced by	Michael Hertzberg Edward McDonnell Charles Roven Paul Junger Witt
Written by	David O. Russell (screenplay) John Ridley (story)
Starring	George Clooney Mark Wahlberg Ice Cube Spike Jonze Cliff Curtis Nora Dunn Jamie Kennedy
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	October 1, 1999
Running time	114 min.
Language	English, Arabic
Budget	~ US$48 million[1]
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Three Kings is a 1999 American film written and directed by David O. Russell from a story by John Ridley about a gold heist in the style of Kelly's Heroes. It takes place during the 1991 Iraqi uprising against Saddam Hussein following the end of the first Gulf War. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (542 × 755 pixel, file size: 112 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher or the creator of the work depicted. ... David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born 20 August 1958 in New York) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... Paul Junger Witt is an American film and television producer. ... David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born 20 August 1958 in New York) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... John Ridley John Ridley is an American film director, actor, inventor and writer. ... George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, who gained fame as one of the lead doctors in the long-running television drama, ER (1994–99), as Anthony Edwardss characters best friend and partner... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Media:Example. ... For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... Italic text For other uses, see Cliff Curtis (disambiguation). ... Dunn at the Laws of Attraction priemere. ... This article is about the actor. ... “WB” redirects here. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born 20 August 1958 in New York) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... John Ridley John Ridley is an American film director, actor, inventor and writer. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... For the 1967 film, see Robbery (film). ... Kellys Heroes is an offbeat 1970 war film about a group of enterprising World War II soldiers from the U.S. 35th Infantry Division. ... The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were rebellions in Southern and Northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

The movie stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze. Film critic Roger Ebert described it as a "weird masterpiece, a screw-loose war picture that sends action and humor crashing head-on into each other and spinning off into political anger."^[2] The films gets its name from the character Conrad's outburst: "We three kings be stealin' the gold...", clearly a parody of the Christmas carol We Three Kings of Orient Are. George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, who gained fame as one of the lead doctors in the long-running television drama, ER (1994–99), as Anthony Edwardss characters best friend and partner... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Media:Example. ... For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... We Three Kings of Orient Are is a Christmas carol, and was written in 1857 by Reverend John Henry Hopkins. ...

Plot

Outline

Three Kings revolves around four U.S. soldiers attempting to steal seized Kuwaiti gold bullion from the Iraqi bunkers. During their journey they become involved with a badly outgunned and desperate group of Iraqi Shia rebels who have risen against Saddam's regime but were abandoned by the Coalition. The film deals with the aftermath of George H. W. Bush's appeal to Iraqis to rise up against the tyranny, and the ensuing massacre as Saddam's loyalists put down the popular rebellion, killing many thousands of civilians. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6 , d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... Bunkers in Albania A bunker is a defensive military fortification. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ...

Synopsis

The film opens with Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow (Wahlberg) shooting a surrendering Iraqi Regular Army soldier due to confusion over the rules of engagement following the end of the Gulf War. Although Private First Class Conrad Vig (Jonze), a simple minded, vaguely racist hillbilly, compliments him on the kill, Barlow takes no pleasure in it. The two begin to disarm and search the surrendering Iraqi soldiers, and while forcibly subduing a resistant Iraqi officer they find a document hidden between his buttocks. The document appears to be a map, and Barlow decides not to notify his commanding officer, instead taking the "Iraqi ass map" to Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin (Cube), a friend of his. While the three of them discuss the implications of their discovery they leave Specialist Walter Wogeman (Jamie Kennedy) to stand guard outside their tent. Sergeant First Class insignia Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant, and is a non-commissioned officer. ... In the days leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Iraqi Regular Army consisted of 300,000 troops, organized into 5 corps. ... This article describes the military term of the rules of engagement. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... US Military In the U.S. Army, Private First Class is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above Private and below Corporal or Specialist. ... This box:      Racism has many definitions, the most common and widely accepted is that members of one race are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other races. ... Hillbilly is a term, often considered pejorative but sometimes endearing, referring to people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas. ... Bottom commonly refers to the human buttocks but also has other uses. ... United States Military Staff Sergeant insignia (U.S. Air Force) Staff Sergeant is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Airman and below Technical Sergeant. ... Specialist arm patch (U.S. Army) Specialist is one section of the fourth enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and below Corporal. ... This article is about the actor. ...

Meanwhile, Major Archie Gates (Clooney), a Special Forces soldier in the same camp, is having sex with a female journalist when he is interrupted by Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn), a television reporter who has been assigned to Gates. Cruz tells Gates of the rumors of a secret map being discovered. Gates ditches Cruz and enters the tent of Barlow, Vig and Elgin, against the protestations of Specialist Wogeman. Gates convinces the three soldiers that the document is a map of Saddam's bunkers, containing gold bullion stolen from Kuwait. They decide to steal the gold themselves and set off in search of it in a Humvee vehicle. Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Blue Light redirects here. ... Dunn at the Laws of Attraction priemere. ... This article refers to the Military HMMWV, not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors General Characteristics (Humvee) Manufacturer: AM General Length: 4. ...

Gates, Elgin and Barlow discover the Kuwaiti gold bullion

Using the cease-fire orders from President Bush, the Americans are able to raid and secure the bunkers without any bloodshed. There, among other goods plundered from Kuwait, they find the gold. As they are leaving they see a female prisoner executed by the newly arrived Iraqi Republican Guard troops, and decide to abandon the plan to "grab the gold and go." They rescue a group of Iraqi prisoners including a local rebel leader and start a private mini-war against the Saddam's loyalist soldiers. Image File history File links Three_Kings_(movie)_Gold_scene. ... Image File history File links Three_Kings_(movie)_Gold_scene. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Looting (which derives via the Hindi lut from Sanskrit lunt, to rob) is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophy or riot, such as during war [1], natural disaster [2], rioting [3], or terrorist attack [4]. The term... Iraqi President Saddam Hussein talks with elite Republican Guard officers in Baghdad on March 1, 2003. ... Rebel may mean: A participant in a rebellion, see Rebellion. ...

After the firefight in the village and arrival of the Iraqi reinforcements, the Americans' vehicles are destroyed as they blunder into a minefield and the Iraqi soldiers capture Sergeant Barlow. A group of rebels rescue the remaining Americans and take them to their underground hideout. There, Vig, Elgin and Gates agree to help the rebels and their families reach the Iranian border, but not before they rescue Barlow. The Cheat Commandos is a fictional cartoon series and line of action figures in the universe of the animated cartoon series Homestar Runner. ... A landmine is a type of mine which is placed onto or into the ground and explodes when triggered by a vehicle or person. ...

Meanwhile, Barlow has been taken to an underground bunker converted from an ancient ruin. Placed in a room full of Kuwaiti cell phones, he manages to call his wife and tells her to report his location to his commanding officer. His call is cut short when he is dragged out and transferred to an interrogation room. Electrical wires are placed around his ears, and an Iraqi Captain (Saïd Taghmaoui) berates him about the hypocrisy of American involvement in the region. Barlow is electric shocked several times, and finally forced to drink motor oil by the Iraqi officer, who had lost his family during the American bombing of Baghdad. Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ... The commanding officer (CO) is the officer in command of a military unit. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Saïd Taghmaoui (born July 17, 1973) is an actor and screenwriter. ... Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a humans body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or hair. ... A typical container of motor oil, with some in a glass. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

The group meet up with a band of Iraqi Army deserters who are willing to help them by selling them a fleet of luxury cars stolen from Kuwait. With these cars they go to the military base to save Sergeant Barlow, and scare away most of its defenders by spreading the rumor that an enraged Saddam is coming to kill them. After storming the bunker they free Barlow, who spares the life of his torturer, and more Shiites held in a dungeon. Leaving the complex, they are attacked by an armed helicopter, which Elgin destroys by throwing a Nerf ball rigged with explosives at it. During a shootout with a couple of returning Republican Guards, Sergeant Barlow and Private Vig are shot. Conrad Vig dies, and Barlow, suffering from a punctured lung, has a needle placed in his chest to allow air to escape. Desertion is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from someone or something to which you owe allegiance, responsibility or loyalty. ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... The dungeons of Blarney Castle. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nerf (disambiguation). ... “Collapsed lung” redirects here. ... Thoracentesis (also known as thoracocentesis or pleural tap) is an invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. ...

Gates then makes radio contact with Specialist Wogeman at base asking for a transport, offering the drivers $100,000 each. He then orders that each of the Shiites be given a bar of gold and the rest buried. Planning to help the Shiites escape, they make their way to the Iran border, heavily guarded by the Iraqi government forces. After finally reaching the border they are stopped by the American soldiers and arrested. Gates finally offers the rest of the gold to the other Americans in exchange for letting the refugees through.

The movie closes stating that all of the soldiers were cleared of their charges thanks to Adriana Cruz's reporting. Gates and Elgin now work as military advisers to action films, and Barlow is the owner of a carpet store. The closing epilogue states that the stolen gold was returned to Kuwait, although the Kuwaitis reported some was missing.

Production

Three Kings was filmed in the deserts of Arizona, California and Mexico, with many of the extras played by real-life Iraqi refugees. According to Russell, two of the cast members had "personally defaced 300 murals of Saddam."^[3] Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... What is Refugees? Refugees is a simple internet community that was created as a homeland and haven for the members of the message board MegaMassMedia. ... Salle des illustres, ceiling painting, by Jean André Rixens. ...

After one of the military advisors to the film died during production, Russell said the death was "perhaps due to chemicals he was exposed to in the Gulf."^[3] Gulf War syndrome (GWS) or Gulf War illness (GWI) is the name given to an illness with symptoms including increases in the rate of immune system disorders and birth defects, reported by combat veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. ...

Script controversy

Former stand-up comic John Ridley had originally written the screenplay, then titled Spoils of War, as an experiment to see how fast he could write and sell a movie. The writing took him seven days, and Warner Brothers bought it 18 days later. When the studio showed a list of their purchased scripts to Russell, the one-sentence description of Spoils of War, "heist set in the Gulf War", appealed to him. Although Russell claimed he never read Ridley's script, so as not "to pollute my own idea", he admits that "John gets credit where it's due. The germ of the idea that I took was his."^[3] John Ridley John Ridley is an American film director, actor, inventor and writer. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ...

Ridley maintains that Russell shut him out of the process, saying "I never heard a word while he was shooting the movie. Never saw any of the script changes. And then finally, a year later, I get a copy of the script, and my name isn't even on it."^[4] Although Warner Brothers worked out a deal to give Ridley a "story by" credit, Ridley remains unhappy with the experience, and has blocked Russell's efforts to publish the Three Kings screenplay in book form.^[4]

Casting

Russell penned the script with several actors in mind. Although Spike Jonze had never acted in a movie before, Russell wrote the part of Conrad Vig specifically for him, and the two practiced Vig's southern accent over the phone while Jonze directed his first feature film, Being John Malkovich. Although Russell had to convince a wary Warner Brothers to cast an inexperienced actor in such a large role, he eventually won out. Russell said Jonze's lack of previous acting work was beneficial to the film, citing the "chaos that a nonactor brings to the set...he really shakes things up."^[5] For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to throughout most of Texas. ... Being John Malkovich is a 1999 film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. ...

The part of Archie Gates was originally planned for Clint Eastwood, but Russell decided to rewrite it as a younger character. George Clooney eventually saw a copy of the script and was "blown away" by it. When he heard the part was being re-written, he jumped at the chance to get involved. At this point in Clooney's career, he was best known for his role as the handsome Dr. Doug Ross on the popular television drama ER. Clooney was ready to pursue a role in film. Unfortunately, Russell seemed unwilling to cast Clooney in the role. For other uses, see Clint Eastwood (disambiguation). ... This article is about the ER character. ... ER is an Emmy-winning American serial medical drama created by novelist Michael Crichton and set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. ...

Persistent, Clooney sent a humorously self-deprecating letter signed "George Clooney, TV actor" to Russell asking for the part, and showed up at Russell's New York City apartment to plead his case. Russell still wasn't satisfied that Clooney could portray the character. He instead convinced Nicolas Cage to play the role. However, when Cage became unavailable after being cast in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead, Russell gave the part to Clooney.^[5] Russell later stated that Clooney "was meant to play the part."^[6] New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Nicolas Cage (born January 7, 1964) is an Academy Award-winning American actor and an exemplar of method acting. ... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... Bringing Out the Dead is a film released in 1999. ...

Many of the Iraqi roles were played by real Iraqi refugees in the United States. (Similar technique was used in The Killing Fields.) The Killing Fields (1984) is an award-winning dramatic British film based on the experiences of the journalists Dith Pran, who survived the Khmer Rouge regime, Sydney Schanberg, and Jon Swain. ...

Russell and Wahlberg reunited for the 2004 existential comedy film, I Heart Huckabees. David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born 20 August 1958 in New York) is an American film director and screenwriter. ... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Existentialism is a philosophical movement that posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives, as opposed to deities or authorities creating it for them. ... I ♥ Huckabees is a film released in 2004. ...

Film techniques

Much to the chagrin of Warner Brothers, Russell decided to use a number of experimental cinematic techniques in the film. Handheld cameras and Steadicam shots were used to give the film a journalistic feel. In addition, Russell shot the film on Ektachrome slide photography stock, and used the bleach bypass process, both to reproduce "the odd color of the newspaper images [of the Gulf War]." Though the process produced a unique quality to the film, it was exceedingly difficult to develop, and many film labs wouldn't provide insurance for the negatives if they didn't develop properly. Russell feared that the scenes would need to be reshot until finally a lab was found that could develop the negatives. To film this recreated Victorian London street scene, the cameraman next to the lamp post is using a steadicam and wearing the harness required to support it. ... Journalism is a discipline of gathering, writing and reporting news, and broadly it includes the process of editing and presenting the news articles. ... Ektachrome photographic films, produced by Kodak are available in most formats including 35mm. ... A scene from the film 1984 which shows the bleach bypass effect. ...

Russell also credited the realism of the firefights to the film's cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, who had shot several documentaries on South American civil wars, saying "he knew what it was like to be in that kind of world."^[6] Cameraman redirects here. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ...

All of the explosions in the movie were filmed in one shot, as opposed to a typical movie where each would have been covered by multiple cameras. Russell explained, "to me that's more real. The car's blowing up on this guy, and we just park the camera. Of course the producer says, 'we gotta run three cameras!' But if I cut three ways, then it just looks like an action picture."^[3] Russell also had the foley department tone down the sounds of gunfire, saying he didn't want to "Bruce Willis-ize" the film."^[3] The Foley artist on a film crew is the person who creates many of the natural, everyday sound effects in a film, which are recorded during a session with a recording engineer. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and double Emmy-winning German-born American actor and singer. ...

One frequently noted shot in the film is an image of a bullet piercing a number of internal organs, releasing bile into the abdominal cavity, used when Gates is describing sepsis as the effect of a gunshot wound. This internal camera is again used when Sgt. Barlow is shot in the torso and his chest begins to fill with air, crushing his lung. Both of these scenes were inspired by Russell asking an emergency room doctor friend "What's the weirdest wound you've ever seen?"^[3] It also erupted a minor controversy, when Russell began to joke around that the gunshots were fired into a real corpse; a statement everyone vehemently denied later.^[7] Bile (or gall) is a bitter, yellow or green alkaline fluid secreted by hepatocytes from the liver of most vertebrates. ... The abdominal cavity is the cavity of the human body (and other animal bodies) that holds the bulk of the viscera and which is located below (or inferior to) the thoracic cavity, and above the pelvic cavity. ... Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις, putrefaction) is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. ... This article refers to the punk band. ... The human torso Torso is an anatomical term for the greater part of the human body without the head and limbs. ... For the village in Tibet, see Lung, Tibet. ... The emergency room is the American English term for a room, or group of rooms, within a hospital that is designed for the treatment of urgent and medical emergencies. ... The word physician should not be confused with physicist, which means a scientist in the area of physics. ...

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (December 2007)

Conflict

The production process of Three Kings was particularly difficult for Russell, who was taking a variety of risks with what was a $42 million studio film. At the time it was made, Warner Brothers had not financed an auteur film in many years and executives were hesitant to put such money in the hands of filmmakers who were used to working independently. The political overtones of the film also worried the studio, especially with conflict still apparent in the Middle East.^[8] The term auteur (French for author) is used to describe film directors (or, more rarely, producers or writers) who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable vision, because they (a) repeatedly return to the same subject matter, (b) habitually address a particular psychological or moral theme, (c) employ a recurring...

As a result, Warner Brothers gave Russell a number of limitations. The shooting schedule was reduced to only 68 days instead of the 80 Russell had initially asked for.^[9] The studio wanted the budget to be lowered to $35 million. Executives were also constantly urging the removal of more violent scenes, such as the exploding cow and the shooting of an Iraqi woman. Russell was also forced to sign a legal document requiring that scenes containing pedophilia accusations against Michael Jackson be removed from the film.^[8] The pressure of delivering the film began to become evident in Russell.

The shoot took place in Arizona during October and proved to be grueling. The crew were unused to the improvisational, on-the-fly directing style that Russell implemented. Rather than preparing organized shot lists, Russell preferred to use ideas as they came to him, often demanding longer hours. Early on, much of the crew began to feel a dislike for these methods and Russell along with them.^[8] Clooney noted that "there's an element of David that was in way over his head... he was vulnerable and selfish, and it would manifest itself in a lot of yelling." When Russell's frustration would lead to outbursts, Clooney would take it upon himself to defend crew members and extras, leading to increased tensions.^[8]

When an extra had an epileptic seizure on set, Clooney ran to his aid while Russell apparently remained indifferent to the matter. Afterward, Clooney scolded Russell for ignoring the incident, though Russell later stated that he was busy setting up a shot some yards away from the extra and wasn't aware that the extra had suffered a seizure.^[8] In drama, an extra is a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street scene). ...

Another on-set conflict between the two arose while shooting footage on a Humvee with a camera mounted to it. Clooney recalls Russell yelling at the driver to drive faster. Clooney then approached the director, telling him to "knock it off".^[8] Russell remembers the incident differently: "The camera broke, we were losing the day and I was upset about that. So I jumped off the truck and I was like, 'Fuck!' I was just kicking the dirt and everything like that. And then George had this big thing about defending the driver, whom I hadn't really said anything to."^[8]

Also during the shoot, Clooney was understandably exhausted as he was still shooting ER in Los Angeles three days a week, working on Three Kings the other four.^[8] He had even more difficulty with the amount of improv the film required. Regardless, Clooney was determined to stay with the role. Loyal to the script, Clooney helped convince executives to support certain aspects of the film (such as the exploding cow scene) even after he was urged to drop out of production, as his contract called for his compensation with or without his decision to stay in the film.

Russell and Clooney fight during filming

After a number of arguments, Clooney wrote Russell a letter that harshly criticized Russell's behavior in a last attempt to make peace between the two, days before their biggest fight would break out during the filming of the movie's finale. In it, the three lead characters attempt to escort Iraqi rebels across the border to Iran. There were a number of actors and extras in the scene, as well as other crucial elements, such as helicopters flying overhead and landing in the center of the location.

The fight began after an extra was having difficulty throwing Ice Cube's character to the ground. After a number of takes, Russell came to the extra and put him through the motions of the action. Some individuals present on the set during the incident state that Russell was simply showing the extra how to convincingly act in the scene. However, Clooney and others thought that Russell had violently thrown the extra to the ground. Clooney recalls: "We were trying to get a shot and then he went berserk. He went nuts on an extra."^[9] Clooney approached a frustrated Russell and began scolding him again, coming to the extra's defense. The two began shouting at one another before entering a physical fight. Second assistant director Paul Bernard was so fed up with the experience when the fight broke out that he put down his camera and walked off the set, effectively quitting.^[8]

Clooney concludes, "Will I work with David ever again? Absolutely not. Never. Do I think he's tremendously talented and do I think he should be nominated for Oscars? Yeah." Russell offered a different view, saying "we're both passionate guys who are the two biggest authorities on the set," and maintaining that the two continue to be friends. Ice Cube felt the conflict helped the movie, saying "it kind of kicked the set into a different gear where everybody was focused and we finished strong. I wouldn't mind if the director and the star got into an argument on all of my movies."^[9]

Though the fight was initially kept under wraps, both Russell and Clooney eventually gave official statements saying that the argument had blown over and neither harbored any ill will towards one another. However, Clooney continued to describe the event in later interviews, as well as the cover story of the October 2003 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, in which he states: "I would not stand for him humiliating and yelling and screaming at crew members, who weren't allowed to defend themselves. I don't believe in it and it makes me crazy. So my job was then to humiliate the people who were doing the humiliating." American actress Demi Moore, on a typical Vanity Fair cover (August, 1991) Vanity Fair is a glossy American glamour magazine monthly that offers a mixture of articles based on sensational exaggerations, jet-set and entertainment-business personalities, politics, and lies. ...

Executive producer and production manager Gregory Goodman later stated about Clooney's comments in the media, "It doesn't reflect well on [Clooney]. It's like some stupid sandbox quarrel."^[8]

Hijinks

Clooney, who has been known as a prankster on the set of his movies, had a memorable run-in on set with co-star Nora Dunn. Clooney was standing atop a Humvee before shooting began when Dunn began heckling him from 25 feet away. Clooney yelled "You watch it because I'll hit you. I'm not scared of hitting women!", to which Dunn replied "Come on, man!" Hearing this, Clooney impaled an apple on the antenna of the vehicle, then catapulted it towards Dunn, hitting her in the forehead. Although Dunn claimed Clooney almost knocked her out, he responded "I come from Kentucky, where we would have snowball fights, and when you smack somebody in the head really good, it's the greatest sound and the greatest feeling, and you never consider the fact that it's gotta hurt like hell. And then later, because they're crying, you go, 'Oh... I'm so sorry.'" Clooney noted that the one cast member he avoided playing tricks on was Ice Cube, saying "Cube's not gonna take it. He doesn't have to. He's from South Central."^[10] This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article refers to the Military HMMWV, not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors General Characteristics (Humvee) Manufacturer: AM General Length: 4. ... Drawing of a Roman ballista For the handheld Y-shaped weapon, see slingshot. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... South Los Angeles South Los Angeles is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. ...

Cast

• George Clooney as Major Archie Gates, a career Special Forces soldier close to retirement, who is disillusioned with the war.

• Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow, who works in an office back in the United States and has a wife and baby daughter at home.

• Ice Cube as Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin, an airline baggage handler who believes he is protected by a ring of "Jesus-fire".

• Spike Jonze as Private First Class Conrad Vig a jobless, semi-literate, redneck from a group home who looks up to SFC. Barlow.

• Cliff Curtis as Amir Abdullah a Shiite Iraqi rebel who has been captured by Hussein's troops. Educated in the US at Bowling Green State University he was an entrepreneur in Baghdad, running several cafes before they were destroyed by Coalition bombs.

• Nora Dunn as Adriana Cruz, a tough cable news correspondent who is determined to get a good story.

• Jamie Kennedy as Specialist Walter Wogaman, an unintelligent soldier who Gates uses to distract Cruz.

• Saïd Taghmaoui as Captain Said, an Iraqi interrogator who tortures Barlow with electric shocks after he is captured.

• Mykelti Williamson as Colonel Ron Horn, Gates' superior officer, who discovers the plan to steal the gold.

• Holt McCallany as Captain Doug Van Meter, Barlow's superior officer, an obstreperous stickler for the rules who claims he grew up wanting to be either a veterinarian or a CIA sharpshooter.

• Judy Greer as Cathy Daitch, a journalist competing with Cruz who has sex with Gates early in the film.

• Liz Stauber as Debbie Barlow, Troy's wife.

George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, who gained fame as one of the lead doctors in the long-running television drama, ER (1994–99), as Anthony Edwardss characters best friend and partner... Blue Light redirects here. ... Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. ... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Media:Example. ... For the musician and bandleader, see Spike Jones. ... This article is about a stereotypical description. ... Italic text For other uses, see Cliff Curtis (disambiguation). ... Shi‘as (the adjective in Arabic is شيعى shi‘i; English has traditionally used Shiite) which mean follower in Arabic make up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%-35% of all Muslim. ... Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public four-year institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA; about 20 miles south of Toledo, Ohio on I-75. ... Dunn at the Laws of Attraction priemere. ... This article is about the actor. ... Saïd Taghmaoui (born July 17, 1973) is an actor and screenwriter. ... Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a humans body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or hair. ... Mykelti Williamson (born March 4, 1960 in St. ... Holt McCallany (born September 3, 1964) is an American actor of film, television and theatre. ... Look up veterinarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... A marksman (also designated marksman) is a profession which is mostly to be found in military context. ... Judy Evans Greer (born July 20, 1975) is an American actress. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Real life parallel

Many of the events in the film bear some resemblance to the uprising, or 'intifadha', in Southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf war. The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were rebellions in Southern and Northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. ...

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq several U.S. troops were caught attempting to steal millions of dollars in U.S. currency from a Baathist cache in Baghdad. This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Baath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in Damascus in the 1940s as the original secular Arab nationalist movement, to combat Western colonial rule. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

On April 18, 2003, Staff Sergeant Matt Novak, a decorated 12-year Army veteran, discovered $200 million in American hundred dollar bills hidden in 50 metal boxes in a cement shed. Novak, accompanied by Spc. Jamal Mann and First Sgt. Eric Wilson, began to divide up the money, stuffing some in their pockets and hiding more in a nearby palm tree. The men also sunk some of the boxes in a nearby canal, planning to come back with scuba gear to recover it. When their commanding officer, Major Kent Rideout, appeared on the scene, he immediately discovered the money hidden in the tree, and began to investigate the case. After amnesty was offered, the men began talking and the money was recovered. Although Mann had mailed $10,000 to his wife in New Jersey, that money was eventually returned as well. is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A scuba diver in usual sport diving gear SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. ... Look up Amnesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Novak, whom the army had determined was the ringleader, was dishonorably discharged. The others were punished more lightly: Wilson remained in the Army teaching ROTC, and Mann received an honorable discharge.^[11] Novak later claimed his friends had nicknamed him "Clooney".^[8] A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. ... The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ... A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. ...

Re-release

DVD cover for the film

In 2004 Warner Brothers, feeling the film had become relevant again due to the Iraq War, decided to re-release it in theaters and on DVD. Having no additional footage to add, Russell instead shot Soldiers Pay, a short documentary about the Iraq War, to accompany the film. Taking its name from William Faulkner's first novel of the same name about an airman's return home in the aftermath of World War I,^[12] Russell said the documentary examined "both sides of the war, people who feel good about the war, who believe in the mission, people who feel bad."^[8] Three Kings movie poster. ... Three Kings movie poster. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... Soldiers Pay is a 2004 documentary film by David O. Russell. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... William Cuthbert Faulkner (born William Falkner), (September 25, 1897–July 6, 1962) was an American author. ... For other uses, see Novel (disambiguation). ... Soldiers Pay is the first novel written by William Faulkner. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

While making the documentary Russell spoke with both Iraqis and U.S. troops, including SSG. Matt Novak, whom Russell tracked down with the help of his brother-in-law, a private investigator.^[13] Asked how the Iraqis he had interviewed felt about the war, Russell said A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ...

Every Iraqi I know is glad that Saddam Hussein is gone. I would completely disagree with Michael Moore about that. I think it's good that Saddam Hussein is gone. And I think basically the movie takes the position of, is Iraq better off without Saddam? Yes. Is the world better off with this war? Not sure, don't think so.^[12] Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ...

Although Russell had planned to release the film before November 2004, hoping to "perhaps make a difference before the election,"^[8] Warner Brothers abandoned the project at the last minute, citing "controversy surrounding the documentary, combined with a later-than-expected arrival of the bonus footage".^[8] Russell disputed the time-crunch excuse, saying "I think if they really wanted to they could make it happen."^[8] Eventually, the documentary was purchased by the Independent Film Channel, where it was aired in its entirety the night before the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election.^[12] The Independent Film Channel (IFC), launched on September 1, 1994, is a premium American digital cable channel dedicated to presenting independent films, unedited and commercial-free. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Notes

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sharon Waxman is an American journalist who writes for The New York Times. ... HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Politics in fiction

This is a list of fictional stories in which politics features as an important plot element. ...

External links

• Three Kings at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website