People come and go in life, but one individual you never forget is your Drill Instructor (D.I.).  Jack Webb's portrayal of Technical Sergeant Moore has been criticized as "campy," "inauthentic," and "stiff;" yet, it is one of the most realistic (including documentary footage, which is always ‘tamed' for the cameras) ever put on film.  While the movie itself is based on public relations and recruitment, it is an attempt to convey both the best of what the Marine Corps represents along with what it takes to become one of the few and the proud.  Bearing in mind that it was created in a different era, careful viewing shows how it is exactly the same delivery, message, and institution as that presented in what modern critics deem more "realistic" movies.  All of this being accomplished in an entertaining and educational context, exuding respect for both the institution and the audience.

DVD Details

It's interesting to note that many are unaware that The D.I. has made it to DVD - finally.  In a sense, even Warner Brothers seems to have put little effort into the concept; copyrighted packaging in 2009 and released in June with a warning which states:

"This disc is expected to play back in DVD video ‘Play Only' devices, and may not play back in other DVD devices, including recorders and PC drives."

Originally filmed in 1957, it is a 106 minute, Black & White movie and presented on the DVD in widescreen format.  I've played it on two different, standard DVD players and two different types of televisions; thus, the issue doesn't seem to impact my ability to play the movie.  However, there is a very obvious ‘issue' in that there is no menu; simply a screen which says "Play Movie" and instructs that you may use the scan buttons to skip through the movie in 10 minute increments.
 
I suspect, but have no way of confirming, that the reason it has taken so long for this movie to appear on DVD, as is the case with far too many movies and television programs created before DVD and newer media were envisioned, is that there are probably legalities involved vis a vis copyright, residuals, etc.  (The cover notes that part of the reason for the ‘play only' is for protection against copying.  Jack Webb stars in, directed, and produced this film; making it a Mark VII Limited Production.)  This is not idle speculation in that The D.I. is part of the Warner Brothers "Archive Collection" (announced in March of 2009)  - a series consisting of pre-1986 films by MGM, RKO, and Warner Brothers.  There are some REAL classics in this series, but they come at a price.  The D.I. itself runs $25.99 at Amazon.com; with others in the series going for almost $30.  In that context, the pricing, the ‘issue' with play only devices, etc. are based on the ‘collectible' nature of the films in the series.

The Story

Warning: From here on, important elements (spoilers) will be discussed.   While it is a subject of debate as to just how much one can ‘spoil' the plot of a 52-year old film, just be advised...

The story appears pretty simple.   You have one of the best D.I.'s in the business, Sergeant Moore (Webb) confronted with a ‘confused' recruit, Private Owens (Don Dubbins); a recruit who is the best in the platoon when he sets his mind to it, but seems to be afraid to complete anything he starts - in essence, running from something while trying to find something to run to.   You know, that stage of life typically referred to as "growing up" and/or "becoming a man."  While your D.I. will remind you that he is not your Mother, his job makes him many things you need at that point in life; e.g., a father figure, mentor, coach, teacher, critic, and the guy who gives you a swift kick in the posterior (literally and figuratively) when you're spending too much time with your head therein.  In a very real sense, it is about an individual going through a rite of passage to manhood, leaving behind ‘childish' self-indulgence to become a contributing member of a society.  It is also about the mentor we all have, in one form or another, which helps see us through this transition.

The subplots are never fully developed, but do help contribute to the audience's sense of how Moore's D.I. character fits into that society himself; not to mention how this impacts his ability to function with members who, in a different sense, are part of that society as well.  In a way, these subplots are an attempt to demonstrate that the film is more than simply about recruit training; but, how those doctrines, philosophies, and beliefs which are inculcated in the recruit come into play after boot camp.  Recruit training is simply about making sure you "pack the gear" to confront the expectations and challenges of ‘citizenship' in a most exclusive society.  Remember... Once a Marine, ALWAYS a Marine.

Context

I stated in the beginning that The D.I. (1957) is an effort at public relations and recruiting.  Many believe that it is the Marine Corps' response to the infamous Ribbon Creek Incident in 1956.  In a nutshell, this is where a junior drill instructor took a recruit platoon on a night exercise as ‘punishment' for disciplinary infractions.  The exercise took place in a swampy area and six recruits drowned; with the drill instructor eventually convicted of negligent homicide and drinking on duty.  (see Marine Corps Historical Reference Series Number 8, A Brief History of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina 1891 - 1962, Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1962)

The incident created a public relations nightmare for the Corps; one which they still find themselves dealing with.  It is one that is directly or obliquely referenced in many movies and television programs, even today; having almost become an archetype for all that is seen as "wrong" with the military and military training.  All of this was a direct result of the media's representation (or misrepresentation) of the incident - jumping to conclusions without facts; distorting reputations based on every innuendo, rumor, and ‘expert commentary' that could be found; paradigmatic/ideological pontification which had little or no relevance to the actual case; all with an eye to ratings and circulation.

Aren't you glad the media has ceased this type of egregious ‘reporting' as related to such occurrences?

According to A Brief History of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina 1891 - 1962, it was determined that:

"Basically, nothing was wrong with recruit training at Parris Island, but some changes were instituted in training procedures, customs, and philosophy.  Most of the changes can be traced to the objective of saving for the drill instructor his over-all authority while eliminating every reason that might cause him to abuse it... Drill instructors were more carefully selected, and a special school was established to assure that only the best of them became recruit trainers.  Three instructors were assigned each recruit platoon instead of two... All training was closely supervised by a team of officers... instructors were directed to put a greater premium on example, persuasion, psychology, and leadership... A special training unit was set up at Parris Island to take care of recruits with specific problems.  A conditioning platoon, designed to take care of those overweight, provided special diet and proper exercise to help its members lose up to 30 pounds within three weeks.  A motivation platoon for the recalcitrants and a proficiency platoon for the slow learners were established.  A strength platoon provided for those requiring special exercises to build up flabby muscles, and a hospital platoon took care of those requiring medical attention... The Marine Corps does not give up on a recruit until he has had thorough physical and psychiatric examinations and has had repeated interviews and careful study by a board of officers.  Most of them get through boot camp, with the rejection rate about 4-½ percent at Parris Island in 1959..."

Careful viewing demonstrates that The D.I. notes all of these changes.  We'll get back to the "special school" and the issues of example, persuasion, psychology, and leadership when we talk about the realism of the film; but, the rest are obvious if you are aware that they were something the Corps and the filmmakers wanted to emphasize.  The Captain to whom Moore answers asserts control regarding Private Owens; putting Moore on notice that he, the captain, is the one ultimately responsible.  Moore is asked why he doesn't simply "survey" Owens; i.e., send him to the ‘motivation platoon,' with Moore indicating that when he gets a ‘punk,' he gets rid of him, but when he gets a guy like Owens, he ‘cultivates' him.  You are introduced, right at the beginning of the film, to a recruit who has lost - care to guess? - 30 pounds in three weeks - with Moore specifically detailing his diet.  The entire movie and its climax are based around the very concept of not giving up on Private Owens.  In fact, it is very easy to deduce that significant care was taken with the script to incorporate these points.

Realistic?

Many will point to Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987) as the most "realistic" portrait of Marine Corps recruit training.  Such attribution is based solely on R. Lee Ermey's incarnation of a drill instructor.  Ermey himself was a drill instructor in the Corps and had previously portrayed one in The Boys of Company C  (1978).  In fact, the "Gunny" has recounted in numerous interviews how he had a major impact on the script as related to Marine recruit training and the approach D.I.'s take.  Audiences hear the racial epithets and the obscenities that are sometimes found in real training; along with the ‘abuse' that many feel, claim, or assume actually transpires.  Do such things, in and of themselves, make Ermey's portrayal more realistic than Webb's?

Most decidedly, the answer is - NO!!

If you can catch it, the History Channel has a one hour program dedicated to looking at the history of drill instructors.  Ermey is interviewed in this program.  He is very pointed in stating that striking a recruit has always been against regulations and did (as it still does) result in rather severe disciplinary action.  He further notes that his incorporation of such physicality was based on that period during the Vietnam era when recruit training was reduced from 12 to 8 weeks.  As he said, they were training people who would be quickly shipped to Southeast Asia and, as a result of this reduction, there wasn't always time to let the lessons ‘sink in.'  He doesn't apologize for it.  He simply acknowledges that it did happen.

In The D.I., Webb deals with this very issue.  As he addresses the recruits in the barracks, he makes a statement regarding knowing that the recruits call him bad names when he's not around.  But, he won't hear them call him those bad names, because if he does... He'll "go to the brig."  In other words, Webb, through Sergeant Moore, is specifically noting that it is against regulations to strike or mistreat a recruit, no matter the cause, and there will be punishment for doing so.

As for the obscenities and racial epithets...  Racial epithets will cause a D.I. to lose his position; maybe even face stricter disciplinary action.  Of course, that's today.  Bear in mind that we're talking about fifty years ago, when such epithets weren't as "politically incorrect" as they are today.  However, further bear in mind that there is absolutely no way, even if Webb had been desirous of incorporating such language, that the movie would have made it past the censorship board in 1957.  That doesn't mean some of it isn't there.  It's just more ‘palatably' presented.  For example:

In Full Metal Jacket, Sergeant Hartman (Ermey) tells a recruit that he thinks the best part of him ran down his Momma's...  In The D.I., Webb confronts a recruit and asks him if his parents ever had any children that lived.  Same message.  Only the style of delivery is different.  In fact, this style difference represents the heart of the debate over which is the more realistic; as well as the criticism related to the authenticity of The D.I.

If you compare the barracks scene in The D.I. to the one in Full Metal Jacket, something which is easily accomplished on You Tube, you might be surprised to see that, sans, the obscenity/epithets/striking, the delivery, the metaphors, the message is almost identical.  In fact, they are so similar that such differences as do exist can be realistically found between two, actual drill instructors.  Further, it is almost as if the script for that portion of Full Metal Jacket was plagiarized from the one used, thirty years earlier, for The D.I.  If we marry this observation with Ermey's contention that Kubrick simply recorded his input regarding how a drill instructor would actually perform, then used that recording as the basis of the script, we're left with the obvious conclusion that both Webb and Ermey got the same schtick from somewhere.

That place would be the "special school... established to assure that only the best of them became recruit trainers;" i.e., Drill Instructor School.  To say that drill instructors learn their ‘script' and all of them read from that script would not be an oversimplification.  Maybe the best, on screen, incarnation of this actually appeared in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).  When the main character "Mayo" (Richard Gere) encounters Marine Corps drill instructor Foley (Louis Gossett, Jr.), a candidate is asked where he is from.  He replies that he's from Texas and Sergeant Foley claims: "Only two things come from Texas - steers and..."  Upon graduation, "Mayo" stops his motorcycle to listen to Foley address a new batch of officer candidates.  Upon hearing where one of them is from, Foley is heard to say: "Only two things come from..."

This adherence to a ‘script' is where the critics derive terms such as ‘campy' and ‘corny.'  However, such critique misses the context.  Yes.  Viewed from an objective, ‘safe' place in the cheap seats, much of what happens is comical and/or overdone; the same as fraternity hazing (though this ‘fraternity' is much more close knit than those on college campuses and the ‘hazer's are professionals at it).  However, I guarantee that when your sweet little fanny is out in the cold at oh-dark-thirty, your feet placed atop those yellow footprints, sleep deprived, and the recruit next to you has a D.I. nose-to-nose with him, being informed that if he is again caught giggling, the D.I. will personally rip his head off and excrete down his neck - you will quickly learn to suppress any sense of the comical.  If you don't, there are ways in which you will be motivated to do so.

Such methods contribute to probably the most famous sequence from The D.I. - the sand flea ‘funeral.'  In actuality, this was one of two scenes which, I suspect, were deliberately created as a response to and an acknowledgement of the Ribbon Creek Incident.  (The other being when Owens is about to go for a ‘swim' on his way ‘over the hill.')  The ‘funeral' was a nighttime, disciplinary action taken by Moore as punishment for a disciplinary infraction.  While modern audiences may not be entirely familiar with group punishment, the idea is to bring peer pressure to bear.  It also reinforces the concept that every decision and action you make as a Marine has consequences; to the mission, to your fellow Marines, and to yourself.  In fact, this is the very basis of recruit training.  While the individual is not ‘destroyed,' he is ‘rebuilt' with an understanding that he must think and act as part of a team.

Every individual has it in them to be ‘brave' in a moment of crisis when it comes to individual survival.  It is when every instinct says that you shouldn't do something - that your individual, self-interest may actually lie in doing the exact opposite - but your fellow Marines' lives and the mission depend on you acting, then you MUST do that thing.  This is when your sense of duty, honor, and loyalty, that sense of Esprit de corps, permits and encourages you to "run toward the sound of the gunfire."  It is the same thing which causes a fireman to enter a burning/collapsing building or a police officer to confront a suspect.  There is no time to sit and debate political philosophy.  Forget making an appointment with a lawyer to ascertain his legal interpretation of the situation.  Political correctness is not a consideration.  You DO what must be done.  You DO your duty and let the chain of command worry about how it might play on the evening news.

I suppose an argument could be made that this is the difference between...

Being Khrushchev, thinking about running the blockade of Cuba, but then looking into the eyes of a former WWII PT boat skipper; or...

Being a member of the Politburo when a purportedly senile, old man ‘accidently' announces on the radio that the missiles will launch in twenty minutes; or...

Being Saddam Hussein, having just invaded Kuwait, then looking into the eyes of a former WWII torpedo plane pilot; or...

Being a member of the Taliban, in an Afghanistan cave, watching American troops who are about to enter your cave as they don NYPD/NYFD ball caps immediately prior to ‘kicking in the door;'

And...

Being Chavez, looking into someone's eyes, and knowing he can get away with passing on a book; or...

Being Ahmadinejad, looking into the eyes of yet another U.N. inspection team; or...

Being the President of Poland, on the exact date of the anniversary of the Soviet Union's invasion of your country, and hearing the news that your missile shield is on ‘permanent back order.'

In a more immediate sense, when your orders are that NO unauthorized personnel shall enter through the hatch you guard, you do not inquire or debate... You simply inform.  If they argue, no matter how reasonably, and attempt to proceed, your CO had better be confident in the fact that your next action will create a mountain of paperwork, something he'll live with, because he cannot simply dump the body over the side of the ship.  Yet, you are confident that this CO will fill out the paperwork and support your actions; as opposed to what would happen if you had, in fact, permitted a breach of security.

While this may sound wrong to those who have never been placed in such a position and the defense of "I was only following orders" has never meant complete immunization, it is still a fundamental element in the chain of command and effective performance.  It is also the exact, same philosophy espoused by Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.  Do you recall when Yoda said: "Do or do not.  There is no ‘try.'?"  How about when Luke said that he didn't believe it and Yoda responded: "That is why you fail."?
 
It is the same philosophy inculcated in Marines during recruit training.  No excuses and no explanations.  You either do or you do not.  In order to "do," you must believe; in your duty, in your Corps, in your fellow Marines, and in yourself.  When Sergeant Moore says "The most dangerous weapon in the World is an United States Marine and his M1 rifle," he isn't being ‘campy.'  He is stating a belief that will (and has) become reality when circumstances call(ed) for it.

Beyond the introduction to basic, military skills, the inculcation of this mindset is the very reason for recruit training and is the responsibility of the drill instructors.  It is why The D.I. opens by focusing on a plaque which states:

Let's Be Damned Sure That No Man's Ghost Will Ever Say - "If Your Training Program Had Only Done It's Job."

This is where the "greater premium on example, persuasion, psychology, and leadership" pays dividends and why critics seem to misunderstand what Webb does with some of the nuances (what there are of them) of the character.  Moore, as with all D.I.'s, is an example or role model.  This is why the character shows up at the "slop chute" (the local club) in his dress blues.  While it was the individual Marine's choice of which uniform to wear "to town," going to the ‘extreme' in wearing your blues isn't an ego trip.  It is a statement about how you view yourself as a Marine and how you fit into the ‘pecking order.'  As a senior D.I., it was incumbent upon Moore to set an example through leadership.  It is why the ‘fight' is perfunctory and he warns his protagonist that if he ever does it again, he'd better "make it look like something;" i.e., such ‘minor' skirmishing is beneath the status of a D.I.

This is why the lack of obscenities makes Webb's performance more realistic and compelling; it makes it more of a pronounced psychological battle between himself and the recruits.  I won't spoil some of this applied psychology, but they make for some of the best exemplars of ‘teaching moments' ever put on film.  (Although, I am sure some will see it as merely more hazing or harassment, no matter how much you try to explain it to them.)  His psychological and physical methods of persuasion are deliberately intended to "get into their heads."  It forces them to be alert, to think, and to do.

As a few, final thoughts related to the authenticity of this film, let me first point out that Jack Webb was known in the industry as a ‘stickler' regarding accuracy.  There is a famous story about how his production crew ‘invaded' LAPD Headquarters to shoot photos, etc. to be used in creating the sets for Dragnet.  At one point, a crew member was, literally, measuring the nap on the carpet.  When a senior police officer asked if he wasn't going a bit overboard, the crew member's response was: "You don't know my boss."  (Webb also produced Dragnet; as well as the spin-offs of Adam-12 and Emergency! - along with myriad other projects.)  In fact, I would suggest that it was his almost compulsive behavior regarding accuracy which led to much of the ‘stiffness' associated with many of his characters.  Remember, Webb is best known for his role as Sergeant Friday; but, he has a number of excellent characters to his credit from television, film, and radio.

Another crucial bit of trivia to bear in mind is that virtually the entire cast of The D.I. (with the exception of Webb), including Dubbins (Private Owen), were real Marines; and are noted, by rank, as such in the credits.  Thus, rather than the typical, single, technical advisor, if Webb had done virtually anything "too far" out of character or reality, he had, literally, an entire platoon of advisors to set him straight.

Finally, I will note that my best friend had just graduated from Marine Corps boot camp when The D.I. was released in 1957.  To this day, when the subject comes up, he will tell you how he broke out in a cold sweat while watching the film in the theater.  Sergeant Moore was just too much like my friend's actual D.I. and the inculcated responses were still too fresh.

Final Thoughts

In some respects, it is a shame that the female characters were not more fully developed.  However, again, remember that this was a different era.  The singer, "Burt" (Monica Lewis), as part of the ‘slop chute,' is really a metaphor for the ‘temptations' of the World outside the Corps.  While it is expected that one will dabble a bit, appropriately (such as with the sing-a-long), you are also expected to conduct yourself as a Marine in the face of such temptation.  (For those who find a certain lack of reality in such a ‘group sing,' I point you to three things: 1.) Such sing-a-longs were common during that era, in movie theaters and even a couple years later on television [e.g., Sing Along With Mitch]; 2.) Webb was very much a jazz aficionado and familiar with clubs of the time; 3.) If you thought the scene in Top Gun involving the ‘karaoke' of You've Lost That Loving Feeling was cute...)

Sergeant Moore's "love" interest, Ann (played by Jackie Loughery, the first Miss USA in 1952), is treated respectfully and provided a bit more screen time than "Burt."  It takes a ‘special' woman to be able to handle a relationship with a Marine.  The audience is given to understand very quickly that Ann is just such a woman; perhaps even a fit, ‘equal' companion for Moore - despite the character's facetious and macho definition of the perfect woman being "a good looking, blonde swinger who owns a liquor store..."   Something Ann is definitely not.

Her character also provides the script with opportunities to show Moore outside his normal comfort zone (such as trying to speak with her at her place of work, a store which sells women’s clothing – including their “unmentionables”).  It allows Moore to be ‘human’ in that the script is able to demonstrate that being a Marine and being a Man are not mutually exclusive propositions.  In fact, they are synonymous.  It’s simply up to the individual Marine to discover that fact; something even drill instructors might still be learning.
While today’s Marine Corps may not be the “Old Breed” and the Corps’ mission may evolve, the traditions, the challenges, and the duties are still the same.  The awareness of tradition, the skills and beliefs (Esprit) needed to face those challenges, along with an unbreakable sense of duty all come together during recruit training.  It is the responsibility of the drill instructors to create this awareness, teach these skills, impart that sense of Esprit de corps, and reinforce that sense of duty.  To that end, Jack Webb’s The D.I. presents what is best about these traditions, skills, beliefs, and sense of duty in a most realistic and entertaining fashion.
 
Who knows?
 
Maybe The D.I. has something to teach today’s generation.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older