Review of An Officer And A Gentleman

Introduction

Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) is damaged goods; a loner and a loser who was raised (sort of) by an unwilling and inattentive Navy Sergeant father (Robert Loggia) in a room over the busiest whorehouse in the Philippines. Partly inspired by his father and partly to spite him, Zack enrols in a Naval Officer training school. There he meets a ragtag bunch of fellow candidates – the spunky female, the decent country boy, the sensitive one - half of which will drop out before the gruelling thirteen week programme ends. Drill Sergeant Foley (Lou Gossett Jr.) has the job of ensuring that the candidates are whittled down as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Foley is, of course hard as nails but, ultimately, decent and fair.

To blow off steam, Zack and his friend Sid (David Keith) engage in a casual relationship with two girls from the paper factory across the river from the Academy. What starts out as a casual fling between Zack and Paula (Deborah Winger) soon becomes more serious but will Zack drop her whenever his thirteen week stint is over?

To be honest, the answer to that is pretty obvious, but it is still fun getting to the answer. An Officer and a Gentleman was one of the defining films of the early Eighties but has faded from view somewhat. Maybe, with the release of this DVD, it is time to re-evaluate it.

Video

Presented in an Anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer, the film looks as good as you could possibly expect. The image is crisp and clear of any obvious flaws.

Filmed in the downbeat, realistic style that was in vogue in the Eighties, this isn’t the most visually exciting movie, especially if the sight of Gere doesn’t throw you into a maidenly swoon. There are, however, a few standout scenes, especially the famous climax.

Audio

The sound is mono. But it’s good mono, being both clear and forceful. Dialogue is well presented and the ambient details (birds, choppers, etc) are built up to create as expansive a soundscape as you could expect from a single channel.

Jack Nitzsche’s score and THAT song (Up Where We Belong) are rousing and evocative and sound great.

Features

Aside from a dull trailer, you get a commentary from the director Taylor Hackford. I must say that this is one of the best commentaries that I have heard. Hackford starts talking as the Paramount logo fades in and doesn’t seem to take a breath until the final second of the credits. In two hours, you learn everything there is to know about the film. Hackford also throws in some entertainingly bitchy insights into the personalities and power plays in Hollywood at that time (there’s a great Don Simpson story at the very end).

Hackford has an engaging and enthusiastic personality and you feel that he is talking to you rather than at you. The two hours passes effortlessly in his company. This is a benchmark commentary.

Conclusion

An Officer and a Gentleman is one of the iconic films of the Eighties with numerous memorable (and often parodied) scenes – Gere in his Navy dress uniform, Gere on motorcycle, navy recruits jogging while engaging in a call and response with the drill instructor. And, of course, the final scene with Gere marching through the paper mill to sweep Deborah Winger up in his arms and away to a better life to the intro of Up Where We Belong.

It’s not a great film (Pauline Kael, the great film critic, called it “crap”) – it is cliched, predictable, full of plot holes and probably sexist. But it is great manipulative entertainment with something for everyone. For the girls (and I know I’m being sexist here, sorry), you’ve got a brooding Gere and an ultimately touching love story. For the guys, there’s male bonding, loyalty, assault courses and some martial arts. There’s also some pretty intense sex (the 15 cert is justified and according to Hackford was going to be X rated until he made a minor tweak) and a scene stealing performance from Lou Gossett Jr as the drill instructor with a heart of gold.

The performances are all good. As mentioned Gossett is great and got a Best Supporting Oscar. Deborah Winger is suitably vulnerable and noble. David Keith does a good decent, naive best friend. And, Gere is, well, iconic as the brooding and emotionally stunted Zack.

I said earlier that Pauline Kael called the film “crap”, and she did. But she qualified it by saying that it is “crap, but crap on a motorcycle”. And that just about captures the essence of the film. The plot is cliched but the direction by Hackford gives it a style, a panache and sense of pace that sweeps you through two hours and will leave you with a tear in you eye and a cheer on your lips at the final scene.

Sure, it’s crap but it’s still better than 95% of the crap that gets made and is well worth watching. The sterling commentary makes the DVD a worthwhile purchase. Recommended.