The Soldier (1982 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | James Glickenhaus |
| Products | Action-thriller film |
The Soldier, also known under the title Codename: The Soldier', is a 1982 American Cold War-era action-thriller film crafted by James Glickenhaus, who served as writer, director, and producer. The cast includes Ken Wahl, Alberta Watson, William Prince, Joaquim de Almeida, and Klaus Kinski, with a guest appearance by country musician George Strait. Filming took place across several locations including Philadelphia, Buffalo, New York City, West Berlin, and Israel. Additionally, a skiing scene was shot in St Anton am Arlberg, Austria. The soundtrack was composed and performed by the German electronic group Tangerine Dream.
Plot
A faction of rogue KGB operatives, led by Ivan, hijacks a plutonium shipment within the United States and installs a nuclear bomb in Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar Oil Field. They threaten to contaminate half of the global oil supply unless Israel withdraws from the West Bank. Unaware that the KGB orchestrates this threat, the US President contemplates military action against Israel and instructs the CIA to uncover and thwart the nuclear plot. In response, an elite CIA operative known only as 'The Soldier' (portrayed by Ken Wahl) is deployed.
Following an assassination attempt by Russian agent Dracha in the Austrian Alps, The Soldier reaches out to the CIA director stationed in West Berlin. However, this director is assassinated by a KGB agent who frames The Soldier for the murder. Now disavowed and pursued by his own government, he seeks asylum at the Israeli embassy and teams up with Susan Goodman, Mossad’s head of covert operations. Meanwhile, the President authorizes military strikes against Israel.
Confronted with the prospect of either a catastrophic oil disaster or US military intervention in Israel, The Soldier and his team seize control of a US nuclear missile silo located in Smith Center, Kansas, securing independent launch authority. As American air strikes commence, The Soldier and Susan make a bold stand against KGB agents in East Berlin by crashing through the Berlin Wall in a Porsche. They warn that if the nuclear device in Saudi Arabia detonates, they will retaliate by targeting Moscow. This ultimatum forces the KGB to dismantle their bomb and halts the US air campaign.
Cast
- Ken Wahl as The Soldier, operative within CIA’s Special Activities Division
- Alberta Watson as Susan Goodman, Director of Special Operations at Israeli Mossad
- William Prince as President of the United States
- Jeremiah Sullivan as Ivan, renegade Soviet KGB agent
- Joaquim de Almeida as Unus, CIA Special Activities Division operative
- Peter Hooten as Duo, CIA Special Activities Division operative
- Steve James as Tribus, CIA Special Activities Division operative
- Alexander Spencer as Quartus, CIA Special Activities Division operative
- Klaus Kinski as Dracha, rogue Soviet KGB agent
- Al Israel as Keene / Gunman #1
- Ned Eisenberg as Hirsch
- Martin Höner as Michael
- Jeffrey Jones as US Assistant Secretary of Defense
- Željko Ivanek as rogue KGB bomb maker / cleaning lady
- Ron Harper as CIA Director
- Reuben Singer as Israeli Prime Minister
Country singer George Strait appears briefly performing "Fool-Hearted Memory." Director James Glickenhaus included Klaus Kinski’s role after securing his participation for a single day due to budget constraints.
Production
The concept for the film originated with James Glickenhaus after he encountered John McPhee's book The Curve of Binding Energy, which explores the transportation of plutonium. Upon receiving an offer for German funding that required partial shooting in Germany, he conducted location scouting in Berlin and Munich. After spending a month assessing potential sites, Glickenhaus composed an initial draft titled The Soldier, emphasizing scenes that were both practical and budget-conscious. He then dedicated an additional two weeks to script refinement. When the German financial backing fell through, he obtained $6 million from Avco Embassy Pictures, who also took charge of international distribution. At the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, Glickenhaus successfully negotiated foreign sales, recovering the film’s budget prior to its release in the United States.
Soundtrack
The musical score for the film was created and performed by Tangerine Dream, with composition credits to Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, and Johannes Schmoelling. This soundtrack was later issued in 2020 as part of the compilation box set Pilots of Purple Twilight (The Virgin Recordings 1980-1983). It features prominent pieces such as "The Soldier: Opening Theme," which also appears on the unofficial release 70/90 (1990), along with "Soldier on the Beach," included in the fan-curated collection Tangerine Tree Volume 50: Assorted Secrets 2 (2004).