Starship Troopers (1997)

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven | 129 minutes | action, adventure, science fiction, thriller | Actors: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, Seth Gilliam, Patrick Muldoon, Michael Ironsde, Rue McClanahan, Marshall Bell, Eric Bruskotter, Matt Levin, Blake Lindsley, Anthony Ruivivar

‘Starship Troopers’, after the book by Robert A. Heinlein, looks like a well-made and especially violent science fiction war film. Underneath this packaging is a satire on a fascist superpower and as such perhaps a harbinger of modern East/West relations. The film also fits thematically well into Verhoeven’s genre. Let’s start with the satirical aspect. If the film is a satire, it is primarily one on American imperialism. The alien opponents are literally beasts (called ‘bugs’ in the film) that people do not tolerate on their planet and from that moment on they form a threat to the world. This logic is fed and maintained by a powerful propaganda machine. News spots that look like commercials show images of the enemy and call on brave men and women to sign up for battle. The advanced machinery will guarantee victory.

The satirical aspect now sounds quite familiar and the parallel with the Iraq crisis speaks prophetic volumes in that regard. Another striking parallel is the feeling of superiority, which leads to a chronic overestimation of one’s own strength and underestimation of the opponent. In the wafer-thin story, the warfare is served up like a soap opera. The casting of former soap actors Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards can be regarded as a successful practical joke. In terms of acting and imagery, the film has deliberately chosen the look of a soap opera in order to pare down the almost romanticized propaganda. The soldiers look like a cartoon hero in their war outfit reminiscent of Nazi costumes. The heroism with which the warriors are portrayed is reminiscent of Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda films.

The drama that takes place next to the war is as follows: Johnny Rico (Casper van Dien) becomes a trooper in order to impress Carmen (Denise Richards) who is training to become a pilot. Not hindered by all kinds of macho-bullshit, this succeeds. Point. However, this frivolous reality comes to an abrupt end when the curtain of alluring war marketing is lifted and a veritable horror unfolds before their eyes. Thanks to the excellent CGI, the film is quite shocking.

The film has many similarities with other films by Verhoeven. The propaganda that determines who are heroes and who are terrorists is also reflected in ‘Black Book’. Just like the theme of man as a programmed individual who carries out conditioned tasks to protect a higher system (religion, fascism or combinations of) and has to sacrifice his individuality. In that respect, ‘Robocop’ is perhaps his most metaphorical film. In the end, they unconsciously follow a similar kind of system as the insects they fight against.

‘Starship Troopers’ was mainly received as cleverly made science fiction. Both the reception and the appreciation has changed in recent years, perhaps partly because of the painful similarities with the world as it has become after the attacks in New York. ‘Starship Troopers’ is an interesting film on all fronts, also for those who doesn’t care about a message but wants to curl up with a bag of nacho chips and watch a lot of cleverly made action.