AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN

US, 1982, 118 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith, Louis Gossett Jr, Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher, David Caruso, Grace Zabriskie.
Directed by Taylor Hackford.

An Officer and a Gentleman has become something of a 1980s romantic classic. It received many Oscar nominations for writing and performance. It won Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for its song, ‘Up Where We Belong’, as well as the performance by Louis Gosset Jnr as Gunnery Sergeant Foley.

The film is the familiar one about the young man who seems to be aimless, suffers from attitude, is put into a harsh disciplinary situation, reacts badly, comes to his senses, improves his attitude in life – as well as falling in love.

This is also a classic Richard Gere performance. Richard Gere had emerged in the latter part of the 1970s as a star with such films as Days of Heaven, Blood Brothers. He achieved fame, even notoriety, for American Gigolo.

During the latter part of the 1980s he was not so successful but, with Pretty Woman, he had a new surge in his career which continued for the succeeding decades. He was still able to headline films in his mid-fifties with such films as Chicago and The Bee Season.

Debra Winger is a strong presence in the film, having worked in such films as Urban Cowboy. Dissatisfied with some of the roles that she was given, she retired from film-making. However, actress Rosanna Arquette interviewed a number of women, including Debra Winger, in 2002 about women in films and called her documentary In Search of Debra Winger.

Louis Gossett Jnr is very strong as the gunnery sergeant who disciplines Richard Gere. David Keith appears as a friend and there is strong support from Robert Loggia.

The film was directed by Taylor Hackford who had made The Idolmaker. Not a prolific director, he has made quite a number of interesting films including Against All Odds, White Nights, Dolores Claybourne, The Devil’s Advocate, Proof of Life and Ray.

The same theme had been treated in a lighter vein – and with a spoilt woman as the centre, in Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn and Eileen Brennan.

1. The popularity of the film, 1982-83? Second highest American box office '82? A film of the '80s? Impact in itself? Comparisons with other films of its kind?

2. The background of the Philippines, the background of Seattle and Washington State? Authentic locations: Academy, factories, the town? The conventions of the military romantic drama: characters, action, training? Stereotypes? Musical score - popular songs? Theme song and its lyrics?

3. The title and its British origins? Adaptation to America? Military, tradition? Irony? Possibilities? Externals and internals? Goals - self, society, respectability? A theme for the United States in the '80s?

4. The background of Zach and his squalor? The opening with his father and the girls? The flashback - (and the colour style - the yellow tones, the Orient)? Zach seeking his father in the Philippines, the story of his mother's suicide and her not leaving the note, his father's offhandedness? The brothel and the girls? The kids and the fights in the street? The effect on Zach and his growing up? The clashes with his father? His decision to go to the Navy? His defiance of his father? His last chance?

5. His arrival and the conventional material from the training films Foley and his abuse, loudness, drill? The humiliation of the trainees? Clothes, hair, uniforms? Zach and his laughing and defiance? The background of the course: its aim, toughness? The rooms and the bunks and Zach's manipulating? The group and Zach's relationship with them, his wheeler-dealing for polishing brass, etc., getting money?

6. The details of training: exercises, tests, obstacle courses? Sense of achievement? The punishment and the use of drill? The punishment of push-ups etc.? The tests for flying jets: the test of escaping from the cockpit in the water, the high altitude test? The repercussions on people and their fears? A course for both men and women?

7. The intercutting of the story of the girls, the factory, their hopes, their wanting a husband, the visit to the barracks. the dance and the introductions to the sailors? The importance of the aim for getting a husband. passing relationships, tricks to get out of the town? The sailors loving and leaving them? The older generation and the sailors' daughters? The warnings for the present generation?

8. The character of Foley: in himself, a loner, his talk about killing people, napalm, etc.? Harshness, skill in the martial arts? His warnings? Weeding people out? The water training and his diving in? His punishing Zach? Drilling him? Trying to force him out? The importance of Sid's leaving and the confrontation with Zach? His death? The fight and its brutality? The end and Zach farewelling Foley? The sequences of the process starting again? The film's comment on the character of Foley - in himself, with the Navy?

9. Richard Gere as Zach? The American hero? Squalid background, making good? Trying to prove himself? The fighting with Foley, the humiliations? Foley trying to break him and his saying he had nowhere to go? The importance of his getting the record in the obstacle course and his helping the woman trainee? The significance of his farewell to Foley? The encounter with Paula, meeting her, relating to her, tenderness. talking, the sexual liaison and the repercussions for both? Outings, the visit to her parents and the awkwardness of the meal., the abrasive reaction of her father. her mother's anxiety? The walking along the beach and the romantic scenes? His dropping her and cutting contact? The chance meeting? The importance of helping Sid?

10. The character of Paula: in herself, at work, friendship with Lynette? The visiting the barracks? The dance? The visit home- and the story about her stepfather, her mother and the sailor-father? History repeating itself? Lynette's plan and her reaction? Her not wanting to trick Zach? Her being hurt by his cut-off? The meeting? The grief, the beach? The end and her being swept off her feet? Her mother's reaction and wanting her safe from sailors? The reasons for her father watching? A credible girl in her situation?

11. The contrast with Lynette and her pushiness, Sid going for the blonde? Her hopes and her decision to try the pregnancy trick? Sid and his background, brother, expectations? The family and their visit? His friendship with Zach? The importance of the sexual liaison with Lynette? The growing confrontations - the plane test and his failure? His decision to leave, feeling free, proposal to Lynette, being hurt by the truth? Going back to the motel, drinking and the pathos of his death? The effect of his death on Lynette? On Zach and Paula?

12. The sketch of the other recruits: the redhead, the negro with the wife, the Puerto Rican making good, the girl and her surviving with the men - and the importance of Zach's helping her and losing his record? The interaction, the bunks, the room, the polishing of the brass, antagonisms? The outings - dances etc.? The farewell party? The atmosphere of solemnity for the graduation and the sense of achievement? The farewell to Foley? The film's comment on these graduates and their place in the American armed forces in the US?

13. The armed services, training, the realities of war and their harshness? Rugged training and strength? Reliability under crisis?

14. Zach and Paula as representing the ordinary American citizen - hopes, goals, struggles. difficulties, failings, making good and succeeding?