THE SERGEANT

US, 1968, 108 Minutes, Colour.
Rod Steiger, John Phillip Law, Ludmila Mikael, Frank Latimore.
Directed by John Flynn.

The Sergeant is another study of loneliness, this time the middle-aged military man who has lived 26 years in the army, his only outlets being war, its dangers and cruelty, efficiency, the satisfaction of fulfilling the letter of regulations, and alcohol. The Sergeant's downfall is his longing for friendship which becomes an obsession and the jealous pursuing of a young soldier.

In a film generally photographed and played in low key, Rod Steiger gives yet another different performance as the unlikeable sergeant. Here is the difficulty for this kind of film. The central character is human, in a pitiful way, but not likeable; the audience finds it hard to grow in sympathy with him. This film attempts to reach the compassion of its audience by highlighting the sergeant against a familiar setting of army work and routine. We are made to concentrate on him and pity his loneliness which contrasts effectively with the tenderly presented love of Swanson (whom the sergeant is pursuing) for a local girl. The sergeant's attempts at friendship, his moodiness and jealousy are seen through the puzzled eyes of Swanson (played with a boyish freshness and naturalness by John Phillip Law).

Talk and writing about homosexuality focus too readily on phssical aspects or recoil in over-dramatic horror at the deviate mentality. It is the value of films like The Fox and The Sergeant that the humanity and feelings of thse men and women are presented and understood in some of their complexity without irrelevant sensationalism or horror. The Sergeant is recommended for thoughtful audiences.

1. The bluntness and directness of the title, the emphasis on the character, his impact? The indication of military themes and the individual?

2. The importance of the colour photography, the French locations (and not America), the authentic atmosphere of the war, the occupation of the 50s? The presentation of the French countryside in its beauty and atmosphere? The American Sergeant alienated from home, not at home and alone in this setting? The importance of the music, the themes?

3. How well did the film explore a character, his problems, homosexuality? Did the film exploit its theme in any way? The importance of the way the themes were visualised rather than verbalised? Critics commented on the predictability of the plot. Was the plot predictable? Was this important or not?

4. The significance of the prologue: the atmosphere of war, hostility, the isolation of the Sergeant, his army background, blood-lust, pursuit and power, the death of the soldier, the way this was visualised as a symbol of the Sergeant and his homosexuality, pursuit, power, violent struggle, the erotic overtones of this, his final exhaustion? The recurrence of the visual aspects of the prologue in his final going into the woods to die? How did this sum up his pursuit of Swanson and the fact that it was visualised at the Sergeant's death?

5. How well did the film explore the theme of homosexuality for the average audience? Would it help an audience to understand homosexuality, not just in its physical manifestations but in its psychological repercussions, the isolation of the individual, the emphasis of his needs, the effect on his whole life? The film's avoidance of the obvious aspects of homosexuality? What presuppositions in its audience did it have? Did it have a particular moral point of view, psychological point of view? Comment on the visual presentation of sensual aspects, eg. the presentation of Swanson in the barracks, the physical aspects of his person, nudity, his relationship with Solange as a parallel to the affections of the Sergeant? Comment on the insight into character, loneliness, fear, expectations of self and others, domination and possessiveness? Loneliness to humiliation and death?

6. The atmosphere of the opening with Callen arriving as an isolated individual, his gruffness to the driver, his pride in being a Sergeant, his observation of rules, his despising of others who were slovenly, his toughness with people, his reaction to the Captain, to the clerk, to the parade, his singling out Tom for attention? How much did this reveal about the character and his problems?

7. How well did the film shift its emphasis to Tom: his background, study and work, scenes with Solange and her brother-in-law, the tenderness of the relationship between Tom and Solange? The fact that he could be pursued by the Sergeant?

8. The growing understanding of Callen, his hardness, especially as regards Pop?

9. How well did the film build up the Sergeant's pursuit of Tom: seeking him out in the field, offering him the job, the psychological and verbal pressurising., his doing a favour for Tom? His choosing of Tom and his going out with him, the incident with the car, consuing his time, the going out with Solange to the night clubs, the humiliating of her by taking her to the brothel? Hurting Solange and hurting Tom and capitalising on the clash between the two?

10. The importance of the Sergeant's telling his life story to Tom: the fact that he was drunk, the story about his wife, whether it was true or not? His loneliness, the drinking, the comradeship with the shooting practice? The importance of the party where he had Solange spurn Tom, the Sergeant sparring with him and slapping? The emphasis of sadism, the fact that the Sergeant carried a gun?

11. How well did the film develop Tom's hurt and bewilderment? The build-up to Solange's visit? The consummation sexually of their relationship? The irony that the Sergeant was spying and pursuing?

12. The build-up to the confrontation between the two? The humiliation of the Sergeant? The puzzle of Tom? At what point did he realise what the Sergeant was after?

13. The build-up to the confrontation in the bar, the kiss, the Sergeant's weeping and breakdown? The reaction of Tom and the revulsion? Where did audience sympathies lie at this stage of the film? Why?

14. Was his collapse as an army Sergeant inevitable after this personal humiliation? The irony of the parade and his being drunk? His dismissal by the Captain whom he despised?

15. The night by himself, the sadness and isolation, his going into the woods. furtively, his looking back towards Swanson and the response of the looks? The memories of the war? The irony of his death?

16. The significance of Swanson's look at the Sergeant going into the woods? Did he know what was going on? His attitudes, the changes in his expression?

17. The dramatics and melodramatics of this kind of film, how well were they handled? The highlights?

18. The symbolism of the Army as an atmosphere and environment where this kind of problem can be hidden, manifest? The relationship between violence and needs for friendship, erotic impulses? How much human insight was there in the film?