"Why 'Starship Troopers' is on every military reading list" Topic

"It's safe to say that the vast majority of troops and veterans today have seen the 1997 film, Starship Troopers. It's an expertly crafted film and its tasteful use of special effects (for late 90s, anyway) was beyond astounding.

The film is terrific in its own right, but Robert A. Heinlein's novel, upon which the movie is (loosely) based, elevated the science fiction genre and has a place on nearly every single required reading list created by the United States military. If you're a young private in the Marines or a battalion commander in the Army, you will be asked to read this classic — and this is why…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Due to the more open view of male/female "fraternization" in their military, perhaps?

That's an odd read of the novel.

The film has somewhere between little and nothing to do with the book barring sharing a title and some character names.

But it's important to read, particularly when the viewpoint character admits he's scared shitless before a drop.

Total, full and complete agreement with Lion. Film's director needs to be staked out over an ant hill.

My only concern about staking out the director of that movie over an anthill would be any possible inconvenience to the ants.

But if Eric Milzarski there actually read the novel--well, I lost track of the points he missed or got backward. Some sort of remedial training would seem to be in order.

Back in the day, one of my friend drop everything and spent a Summer as a extra on the movie. IT was filmed in Wy and SD. He camped for 3 months and only made a half body appearance in the movie.

The Director was a complete asshole. My friend made the mistake of mentioning the book(which he had with him) to the director, He exploded in a anti Fascism speech and left the set. It was one of the days they got all their scenes done on time.

The costumes were really uncomfortable in the Wyoming sun and the boot were bad tennis shoes with a gader. SO many extras broke or sprained ankles in Hell 1/2 acre location to need a massive medical unit on hand.

I liked the book.
The film – yes good visual effects.

The article does call out the point that the book and movie started out unrelated and were mushed together, which oddly makes the movie better. Not particularly good, mind you, but better.

The movie was adequate, as long as you didn't think it had more than a passing resemblance to the book.

The book is truly a good read and a classic. If the reader thinks that it espoused fascism then either they don't understand fascism or the book.

The societies of book and movie are both based on the same political premise: The only way to get the right to vote is to serve a term in the military. Otherwise, they are quite different stories, each very good on its own merits.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Would you like to know more?

Oberlindes, you just flunked out of History & Moral Philosophy. The only way to obtain the franchise in Heinlein's Starship Trooper is to volunteer to serve, period. You can express a preference for the military, but you serve where you're sent, and as the H&MP instructor is careful to point out, many or most are never subject to military discipline. The point is that the franchise is confined to those willing to earn it, not that they are all trained soldiers.

I didn't read the book ( though read some of his other books like "Friday", which I really enjoyed), and I thought the movie was pretty good. It's a fun movie with some underlying themes of service and citizenship which I agree with.

+1 Robert

@Robert Piepenbrink: I got it right for the exam 30+ years ago!