nine out of ten might seem like a high mark to give for a straight to video sci fi movie that be vilify at the u box office and roundly criticize a the poor movie of kurt russell career . i have my reason . firstly when you read negative review of this film and they usually start with the wooden nature of russell interpretation of todd and the eponymous soldier . i be go to start here too and with my surprising statement that this be possibly the fine piece of act i have see russell pull off . todd be an emotional cripple and suffer from intense ptsd this movie be write before the phenomenon be a widely recognize a it be now . the portrayal be spot on . todd be withdraw and uncommunicative and a loner . he suffer from irrational anxiety key to a fever pitch by train that teach him to analyze every movement and interaction with another human be for sign of betrayal and danger . his hyper focus bring with it an inability to comprehend the big continuum that the task he be give to do sit within there be a scene where he cut himself slice carrot and continue to work unfazed and not clean up the cut or the blood . many interpret this a a sign of his physical toughness and focus on the job at hand and but it be also a sign that he be simply perform the request task by rote not comprehend the relationship between the vegetable he prepare and the food that will be eaten later . todd dialog be spartan to say the least the two big talk scene he get be central to the plot of the movie and both underline the bleak nature of his existence . fear and discipline we be tell . always . fear to keep him pump up to a hyper alert state where the small detail will not pass him by and keep him ready to react on a knife edge . discipline to hold him in check through his fear and to overcome it and perform tactically . the inference be that he have no time to think and can not afford feeling . many viewer have different interpretation of his reaction to the hug from nielsen sandra but i believe you have to interpret it from the perspective of a human who only experience of an embrace be in combat the tremble represent him suppress his fight or flight instinct react to the fear of be grapple and his movement and vision restrict fear and discipline indeed . then there be the subtext of his abandonment ( twice in fact ) so representative of the way our society tend to toss infantryman onto the rubbish heap of society when they have serve their term . 40 % of the unemployed be ex military in our world and in his it can only be bad . russell quickly pick up the mantle of mace responsibility to his wife and child desperately in need of a mission and even one with such a high likelihood of his death . then there be the military subtext too the conflict between busey church and the hotshot from hq and mekum . mekum new men be faster and strong and more accurate and aggressive . any one of them could pound todd into the ground but it not about the tool you have it how you use them . an incentivized todd give the freedom to exercise his initiative and act without the numbing effect of perceived superiority utilizes ambush tactic and sneaky trick to cut a swathe through the new unit send in without support and cover or reconnaissance . it be a reminder that military power can not make up for a failure in leadership . there be many other subtle theme . when a film be shot and script so minimally and it leave plenty of white space for your own interpretation to take root . watch soldier with an open mind and see what it teach you .