THE INSPECTION

US, 2022, 93 minutes, Colour.

Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine, Raul Castillo, Nicholas Logan, Eman Esfandi.

Directed by Elegance Bratton.

The title? A military inspection. Specifically, the Marines. And that is no easy inspection.

This is quite an intense film. The audience meets 25 year old Ellis French, living on the street since he was 16, thrown out of home by his religious mother who cannot accept that her son is gay. Dramatically, this is only gradually revealed in the first 20 minutes unless you are alert to this kind of character.

Ellis decides to make something his life – to be a Marine, to be thanked for his service, some kind of heroism.

We’ve seen many films of tough, harsh, often humiliating and bullying training (what about Louis Gossett dominating Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman 40 years ago?). We share French’s being targeted, the humiliation, target bullying, his determination, never to let the trainers win by pulling out. Bokeem Woodbine is harshly convincing as the Gulf War veteran who will subdue the recruits – his assistants relishing their, verbally abusive putdowns, officially smug superiority.

But, this film belongs to Jeremy Pope, nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance. We see him on the streets, bearded, curly headed, visiting his mother to plead for his birth certificate so that he can join the Marines, her rejection of him even as she loves him. Then, beard off, bus to boot camp, head shaved, uniform, lining up, the drill, the accommodation… It is a very strong performance. And, it is matched by the harsh attitudes, the conflict of mother-love, in the performance by Gabrielle Union.

So, perhaps, a standard story of recruits, training, being tested, making good. And a film of the ambiguities of tough marine ethos and its apparent humanity with the Marines ultimately being ready to serve and to die in war.

However, with the revelation that Ellis French is gay, the audience is invited to enter his fantasy in a shower sequence, his being derided by his fellow Marines, the dramatising of homophobia, especially in the Armed Forces, along with issues of race and religion, the persecution of a Muslim Marine, this is a strong drama about the place of a gay man not only in his world but in the armed services.

Ultimately, there is some positive affirmation, some help from a kindly officer who encourages Ellis French.

And, then, the graduation inspection, his mother arriving, proud of her son, his declaring his love for her – then a public outbursts, her inability to accept him as he is even if she states she loves him.

Which means then the film becomes a drama of acceptance and non-acceptance and the consequences.

1. The title? Expectations? Military inspection, graduation?
2. The 2005 setting, war in Iraq, military in Afghanistan? The need for troops, training, the Marines? The background of the Gulf War? Camps, training, the recruits, the gruelling regime, physical, mentally? Achievement and graduation? The musical score?
3. The film and the writer-director and his own experience in the Marines, and his sexual orientation?
4. The film as tough viewing, the treatment of the recruits, the details of the physical training, issues of humiliation and the mental effect? Tough viewing about Elvis and his sexual orientation, his relationship with his mother, his life on the street, joining the Marines, the exposure of his orientation and the consequences?
5. Ellis French, aged 25, hair and beard, the decision to join the Marines, the visit to his mother, the birth certificate, her rejection of him and is going on the streets since 16? Shaving the beard, volunteering, the bus to the camp, the spirit of the volunteers, arrival, Laws, his manner, philosophy, his assistants and their verbal abuse of the men? The allotment, bunks, the range of routines of military life?
6. Ellis, wanting to make something of himself, to be recognised, some kind of a hero, and to be thanked for his service?
7. The shower sequence, his imagination, the physical consequences, the reaction of the men? The homophobia in the Marines? The men and the reactions, wary of Ellis? The sympathetic officer, Ellis misinterpreting him? Ellis and his dreams and fantasies?
8. The range of training, the weeks passing, Ellis and his determination, the Muslim recruit and the treatment, Ellis defying the authorities by staying and succeeding?
9. The character of Laws, his Gulf War background, dedication to the military, his style of command and control, the personal portrait of this kind of Marine officer?
10. Ellis and his mother, her treatment of him, motivations, religious, not accepting that he was gay? His invitation to her for the graduation? His dressing up, acceptance by the Marines, the officials, the parade, his looking for his mother, her arrival?
11. His pride, her pride, the meal in celebration, the discussion about his orientation, her anger, walking out? His being hurt? Yet being determined?
12. Audiences familiar with films about the training of recruits, this film it with that pattern? But the added dimension of sexual orientation, homophobia, self-assertion, being oneself and succeeding?