Soldiers Pay

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Soldiers Pay
Poster of the movie Soldiers Pay.jpg
Directed by Tricia Regan
David O. Russell
Release date(s) 2004
Running time 35 min.
Country U.S.A.
Language English

Soldiers Pay is a 2004 documentary film by David O. Russell. It takes its name from Soldiers' Pay, a novel by William Faulkner.

In 2004, Warner Bros., feeling that Russell's 1999 film Three Kings, about a gold heist that takes place during the 1991 Iraqi uprising against Saddam Hussein following the end of the Gulf War 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 World War I's aftermath,[1] 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."[2]

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.[3] Asked how the Iraqis he had interviewed felt about the war, Russell said:


Although Russell had planned to release the film before November 2004, hoping to "perhaps make a difference before the election,"[2] Warner Bros. abandoned the project at the last minute, citing "controversy surrounding the documentary, combined with a later-than-expected arrival of the bonus footage".[2] Russell disputed the time-crunch excuse, saying "I think if they really wanted to they could make it happen."[2] 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.[1]


  2. ^ a b c d Waxman, Sharon (2005). Rebels on the Backlot. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-054017-6. 
  3. ^ Lim, Dennis (September 28, 2004). "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2006-09-27. 

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