G.I. Jane (1997)

 

                    Remember when Demi Moore was the biggest female star in Hollywood?  That was before “Striptease” and “G.I. Jane”.  Two movies on the opposite ends of the feminist spectrum, but similarly damaging to a career.  “G.I. Jane” was directed by Ridley Scott of “Black Hawk Down” fame.  This fact is hard to believe.  He was not able to get Pentagon cooperation.  The brass read the script.  The actors were put through a boot camp, although it was rumored that Moore spent her time off screen in a mansion with a large entourage including three nannies, cook, trainer, makeup artist, and hairdresser (even though she was bald for most of the film). 

               At a Senate hearing on women in the military, Sen. De Haven (Anne Bancroft) reams the nominee for Navy Secretary about the lack of women in combat roles.  The secretary to be agrees to a little experiment.  Sen. De Haven will choose a woman candidate for the US Navy Combined Reconnaissance Team (a fictitious version of the SEALs).  If she can cut it, then the doors will be opened.  DeHaven agrees that the best way to get women into combat is to have one woman go through the absolute worst training!  There is a lot riding on this so she chooses the most capable and physically fit candidate, right?  Wrong.  She chooses a topographical analyst because she is the prettiest.  Lt. Jordan McNeil (Moore) is convinced to carry the dreams of all women on her shoulders.  Her sailor boyfriend is not keen on this.  The cinematic shoe is on the other foot this time. 

               The training is headed by Command Master Chief Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen).  He points out that 60% of the candidates wash out.  Everyone looks at O’Neill and nods knowingly.  This bitch is gonna be the first to ring that bell.  The first half of the movie is the boot camp section.  It’s standard stuff, including the obstacle course.  The trainers all wear Daisy Duke shorts to balance Moore’s breasts for the audience.  To differentiate from every other boot camp movie, the candidates have to write an essay in a dark room with classical music.  If you fall asleep you are done!  Finally, something women can do better than men.  This section includes the hair cutting scene and the work-out scene sans bra.  The movie does not eschew the redemption and respect tropes of boot camp movies. It tries to be original by throwing in a political conspiracy angle. This sets up a ridiculous twist that O’Neill survives to get to the big set piece combat porn finale involving stereotypical terrorists.  By this time, O’Neill is Rodriguez from “Aliens”.

               Demi Moore went on a three year hiatus after “G.I. Jane”.  The movie was pilloried by critics and barely earned a profit.  Moore won the Razzie for Worst Performance by a Female Actor.  Her career never completely recovered.  However, the critics were too harsh.  She is not atrocious in this film.  She had to downplay her emotions, as a real-life O’Neill would have had to, so her wooden performance can be excused a bit.  I doubt she challenged the decision to use her body for sexual exploitation.  With that said, the sexual pandering is kept under control.  The movie is actually more appealing to females and not just because of the short shorts.  For men, it has most of the comforting clichés of a war movie.             

               What is surprising about the film is that Ridley Scott directed it with such a shaky script.  It is very predictable, other than the ludicrous twist in the middle.  Unlike most boot camp movies, there is little character development of the recruits.  Most are just Cro-magnons.  One freaks out over O’Neill’s feminine hygiene products.  They all resent her presence, but that will change.  Urgayle is her foil and the most interesting character.  Mortensen was a good choice for him.  He did not go through the actor’s boot camp, but instead observed training and interviewed SEAL trainers.  Unfortunately, the climax of O’Neill’s boot camp experience involves torture by Urgayle that is out of character  for him (and probably the main reason the Pentagon turned down cooperation).  This scene does give O’Neill the chance to tell him to “suck my dick”, so we get a great moment in female cinematic warrior history.  This shark-jumping scene is topped by the brainless combat scene that finishes O’Neill’s evolution and leaves war movie lovers like me shaking our heads and our spouses yelling “fuck yeah!”   Well, maybe not my spouse, but certainly any women who went to the theater by themselves to see the movie.

               I can’t really recommend “G.I. Jane”.  It’s of interest if you want to see what all the fuss was about.  Or if you want to ask the question:  what the hell was Ridley Scott thinking?  It might deserve a spot in a time .  capsule for its quaintly outdated scandalous lesbian subplot.  Remember the 20^th Century? Good times.

 

GRADE  =  C