An Officer and a Gentleman: Special Collector’s Edition
Review by Steve Rogers
Production Year: 1982
Paramount's Special Collector's Edition of An Officer and a Gentleman, released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film's release, presents a welcome opportunity to take another look at a movie that scored big with viewers and critics alike in 1982. The film served as a star making vehicle for its principle actors, Gere and Winger, and notched a Best Actor Academy Award for Louis Gossett, Jr. as the hard-edged Marine drill instructor. I had always enjoyed Officer, despite its corny and predictable plot. Gere stars as a naval officer candidate named Zack Mayo, romancing local factory girl Winger in a small Washington coastal town near the naval training facility. It was pretty standard fare but the scenes between Gere and Winger were raw and full of genuine emotion, which distinguished this romantic throwback from earlier films of this genre. Love (and lust) affairs in the classic films were never quite portrayed in the frank manner of Officer. Gossett's Gunnery Sergeant Foley added real spice to the mix, and his evolving relationship with Gere as he first challenges Mayo's tough guy persona, then tries to break him, contributed extra emotional hooks to keep the drama from sagging into schmaltz. Foley finally realizes the potential in Mayo's ferociously independent loner, and of course Mayo learns a little about life and love too from Winger, in one of her best roles, as she breaks down Mayo in a much different manner than Foley. The film was an unlikely candidate for box office smash, coming at a time when Hollywood had lost quite a bit of interest in military subject matter. Hackford points out on the disc that the script had languished on the shelf for eight years due to the anti-military bent of filmmakers in the Seventies. An Officer and a Gentleman presaged Hollywood's return to military adventure films, and the Eighties unfortunately produced a slew of sub par military-themed movies. But politics aside, An Officer and a Gentleman is simply an enjoyable romantic drama in the time honored tradition. It doesn't pretend or strive to be anything it isn't and you can't help but be drawn into the main characters emotions of fear, heartache, lust and longing. Sure, the final scene is a stretch, but you'd have to have a harder heart than Sergeant Foley not to experience a ripple of joy watching it. Video Quality The picture transfer left me with mixed feelings. Overall, it's a success, beautifully capturing the cloudy blues and grays of the Pacific Northest, which serve as an integral part of the story. Most of the colors are rendered in natural if somewhat muted tones, again in keeping with the drab backdrop against which the story is set. There aren't many sunny days in the movie (in fact, Hackford notes in his commentary that in many of the scenes it's actually raining though you can't see it onscreen). I did feel the picture clarity could have been a little stronger, and there were a few instances of notable specks and grain in the picture, though not unusual considering the age of the film. Audio Quality The original mono soundtrack is presented in 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital and suffice it to say you can turn your rear speakers off for this one. In fact you might as well shut the subwoofer down while you're at it. But on the positive side, dialogue is crisp and out front where it should be in a dialogue driven film, and Jack Nitzche's original, very Eighties soundtrack (thick cheesy synths and electronic guitar effects) probably does work best in this format. The great rock songs included on the soundtrack are pushed too far back in the mix to be of note. Special Features Special features are not extensive on this single disc edition, but I enjoyed the causal nature of the productions. Cast and crew members reminisce about the turbulent production process, and it's always interesting to hear Gere speak, having watched his evolution from strutting stud persona to introspective Buddhist. Gosset provides a tour of the location site for the movie and gingerly hobbles around chatting amiably with the locals. Hackford's commentary is recycled from the original DVD and there's nary a second where he isn't chatting away at full speed. But his virtual non-stop monologue does contain interesting tidbits that trivia buffs will enjoy. (Who knew that actress Lisa Blount sustained a broken collar bone only two weeks before the scheduled finish of the shoot?) The director tactfully sidesteps the reputed personality clashes between himself, Gere and Debra Winger, complimenting Winger's work for the most part, but referring to her as a "difficult human being". Unfortunately, relations must still be strained since Winger is completely absent from the special features. Her presence is sorely missed. A few minor featurettes on military romances and the film's soundtrack round out the features. Strangely, there is not a single place on the disc where one can access the complete version of the movie's famous theme "Up Where We Belong", the Oscar-winner sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. Summary An Officer and a Gentleman is solid moviemaking, with a stereotypical plot garnished by outstanding performances and true chemistry among the cast. Though the package is a bit on the slim side and can't really live up to the moniker of "Special Collector's Edition", there's enough here to delight fans of the film and intrigue newcomers. It works well as a slice of Eighties nostalgia and provides an interesting look at the oftentimes stormy creative process that goes into making a seemingly ordinary film. While it must be docked for not bringing the mercurial Winger into the fold, its budget price is well worth the investment. |
