The Soldier
The Russians steal a nuclear device and are stating that unless the Israelis pull out from the West bank, they will detonate it, which they have planted in an oil field and if it should go off; 50% of the World's oil will be contaminated. And the Israelis are unwilling to cooperate and the Americans knowing that they can't allow this are making preparations to force the Israelis off the West bank. The President then calls the Director of the CIA to do something about this. The Director assigns the agent who works outside the official channels codenamed the Soldier. He starts by trying to see if the Russians are indeed behind it but the Russians have him marked for termination. When he tries to contact the Director, the Russians placed a bomb in his office that leaves the soldier with no one but his team and the Israelis to help him.
Working with a modest budget of $5.5M, the film achieved a modest success with $6.3M in global revenue (+16% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Soldier (1982) exemplifies carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of James Glickenhaus's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
The Soldier
Susan Goodman
The Director
Ivan
McBride
Terrorist Leader
Main Cast & Characters
The Soldier
Played by Ken Wahl
A nameless CIA black ops agent who leads an elite covert team against Soviet-backed terrorists threatening to detonate a nuclear device in Saudi oil fields.
Susan Goodman
Played by Alberta Watson
A Mossad agent who becomes an ally to The Soldier, providing crucial intelligence and combat support during the mission.
The Director
Played by Jeremiah Sullivan
The CIA director who oversees The Soldier's operations and navigates the political complexities of the nuclear threat.
Ivan
Played by Klaus Kinski
A Soviet KGB operative working with terrorists to execute the nuclear blackmail plot against the West.
McBride
Played by William Prince
A member of The Soldier's elite covert team, skilled in combat and tactical operations.
Terrorist Leader
Played by Steve James
The ruthless leader of the terrorist group that has stolen a nuclear warhead and threatens to destroy half the world's oil supply.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Opening sequence establishes the Cold War tension as Soviet operatives steal plutonium from a U.S. Facility, setting up a world of espionage and nuclear threat.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when The terrorist ultimatum is revealed: unless Israel withdraws from the West Bank within days, the nuclear device will detonate and destroy half the world's oil supply. The Soldier's team is activated.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to The Soldier makes the decision to go rogue, operating independently of CIA oversight to pursue the terrorists directly. He commits to an unauthorized mission that puts him against both enemies and allies., moving from reaction to action.
At 44 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False defeat: The Soldier discovers the KGB has infiltrated American intelligence. His own agency is compromised, and he realizes the enemy is far more embedded than anticipated. The stakes escalate dramatically., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The Soldier's team is decimated in a brutal KGB ambush. Key allies are killed, the mission appears impossible, and the nuclear deadline looms with no clear path to stop the detonation., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 70 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The Soldier devises an audacious counter-gambit: he will seize Soviet nuclear missiles and threaten to destroy their oil fields unless they stand down. Fighting fire with fire becomes his only option., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Soldier's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Soldier against these established plot points, we can identify how James Glickenhaus utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Soldier within the action genre.
James Glickenhaus's Structural Approach
Among the 2 James Glickenhaus films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Soldier takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete James Glickenhaus filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more James Glickenhaus analyses, see Shakedown.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Opening sequence establishes the Cold War tension as Soviet operatives steal plutonium from a U.S. facility, setting up a world of espionage and nuclear threat.
Theme
A CIA superior states that sometimes unconventional soldiers operating outside the rules are the only ones who can protect the nation - establishing the theme that moral ambiguity is necessary in fighting evil.
Worldbuilding
The world of black ops is established: The Soldier (Ken Wahl) leads an elite covert team operating without official sanction. We see their brutal efficiency and the geopolitical stakes as terrorists plant a nuclear device in a Saudi oil field.
Disruption
The terrorist ultimatum is revealed: unless Israel withdraws from the West Bank within days, the nuclear device will detonate and destroy half the world's oil supply. The Soldier's team is activated.
Resistance
The Soldier gathers intelligence and debates strategy with his team. They learn the KGB is behind the plot and must navigate both Soviet agents and their own government's bureaucratic interference.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The Soldier makes the decision to go rogue, operating independently of CIA oversight to pursue the terrorists directly. He commits to an unauthorized mission that puts him against both enemies and allies.
Mirror World
The Soldier forms an unlikely alliance with Israeli Mossad agents who share his goal but represent a different moral framework - they fight for survival while he fights for ideology. This partnership will define his approach.
Premise
High-octane espionage action as The Soldier and his team pursue leads across Europe. Spectacular set pieces include ski chases in the Alps and shootouts in Vienna, delivering the promise of elite black ops action.
Midpoint
False defeat: The Soldier discovers the KGB has infiltrated American intelligence. His own agency is compromised, and he realizes the enemy is far more embedded than anticipated. The stakes escalate dramatically.
Opposition
The Soldier faces attacks from all sides - KGB assassins hunt his team while CIA bureaucrats try to shut down his operation. Team members are killed, and every lead seems to end in betrayal or ambush.
Collapse
The Soldier's team is decimated in a brutal KGB ambush. Key allies are killed, the mission appears impossible, and the nuclear deadline looms with no clear path to stop the detonation.
Crisis
In the aftermath of devastating losses, The Soldier must reckon with the cost of his methods. Isolated and outgunned, he faces the dark reality that conventional approaches cannot succeed.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The Soldier devises an audacious counter-gambit: he will seize Soviet nuclear missiles and threaten to destroy their oil fields unless they stand down. Fighting fire with fire becomes his only option.
Synthesis
Explosive finale as The Soldier executes his desperate plan. He infiltrates a Soviet missile base, takes control of nuclear weapons, and delivers his ultimatum to Moscow, forcing a standoff that mirrors the terrorists' original threat.
Transformation
The Soviets capitulate and the crisis ends. The Soldier walks away victorious but unchanged - he remains the same lethal instrument, now validated. The world is saved through methods as ruthless as the enemy's.