Paul Verhoeven turned conservative Starship Troopers novel into film about “fuckable” exterminators

Starship Troopers remains one of the most remarkable examples of cinematic irony ever made. But director Paul Verhoeven’s sarcastic tribute to American fascism and the brave men and women gladly tossing themselves into the wood chipper to make a race of space slugs “afraid” was played straight in Robert Heinlein’s pro-war, archly conservative novel, originally published in 1959. In the mid-’90s, Verhoeven was intensely aware of America’s numerous military failures since World War II. America, no stranger to throwing troops at pointless conflict in hopes that it would project strength to the broader world and continue America’s imperialist goals, was in active decline—regardless of how chiseled Casper Van Dien’s chin may be. That’s Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, a “beautiful world” of “fuckable” bug killers. 

At today’s Starship Troopers panel at New York Comic-Con, Starship Troopers star and Verhoeven mainstay Michael Ironside confirmed Verhoeven’s intent. “Starship Troopers was a right-wing novel originally,” Ironside said. But that’s not the movie Verhoeven wanted. Ironside recalls the director saying, “I’m gonna make a beautiful world where everyone’s so fuckable, but it’s only good for killing bugs.” 

Obviously, people are always told not to listen to the artist’s intent and to allow the work to speak for itself. After all, no one wants to get stuck defending an artist’s personal life. But Verhoeven’s elevator pitch for his movie is pretty spot on—and, wow, such a good description of the movie. Starship Troopers looks like military propaganda, where characters act like they’re in an Army commercial. Yet, the film’s content shows nothing but failure, death, and mayhem coming from the supposedly intelligent and civilized humans. It’s a world of “fuckable” bug killers who can only gain citizenship through military service. Survive the meat grinder and, one day, you’ll have the right to vote and procreate. Verhoeven wanted a beautiful world of hot exterminators. Mission: accomplished.