Der Sergeant

With the current debate over gays and lesbians serving in the military this 1968 film The Sergeant has a relevance undreamed of by the people who made this film a year before the Stonewall Rebellion.

Rod Steiger gives a brilliant performance as the tortured, self loathing, latently gay non-commissioned officer with whom the psychological bubble finally bursts. Steiger is a master sergeant assigned to a construction battalion in France. He's a professional soldier through and through and does take a rather lax company and whips into some kind of shape. Still there's an uneasiness to him that the men can't figure out. It isn't even on their radar screens, a gay man in the military just didn't compute back then.

It computes least of all to Private John Philip Law whose company Steiger seems to crave incessantly. The fact that Law is seeing local French girl Ludmila Mikael doesn't make any difference, Steiger intrudes on their relationship even more as it gets more serious between Law and Mikael.

It all breaks out in a devastating and dramatic climax where Steiger bursts forth from the latent closet. I assure you that you will not forget it once you've Steiger's self destruction.

In the time Steiger was brought up being gay was the most loathsome thing there was. Brokeback Mountain covered the same things and Steiger did not even have an idyllic summer to look forward to as did Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Another military film that covered latent homosexuality was Reflections In A Golden Eye where Marlon Brando as an officer was crushing out on a private in his company played by Robert Forster. That however was only one of many issues covered in that film, whereas this is the central and only theme of The Sergeant.

For those interested in gays in the military I would commend you reading Nigel Hamilton's book on the life of Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery. Although it's a small part of the story, Hamilton attributes Monty's well known prickly personality to the fact that he was latently gay and never came to terms with it. Rod Steiger's character would have known exactly what Montgomery was feeling.

This is one of Rod Steiger's best screen roles, but the timeliness of the topic means this film could use a remake. Try casting this film with some of today's players. I could see Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro in the part of The Sergeant with maybe some teen heartthrob like Zac Efron as the recruit.

Still it would be extraordinary if it topped this one.

With the close of World War Two, there were many unanswered questions for anyone who lived and worked in Europe. Life as the European faced it was difficult enough and that included the American Soldier. His military role went from active combat to stagnate occupation and that meant dealing with the drudgery of day to day life. It is easy to see the slackness and disorder which follows an occupying army when the main reason for being is removed. Thus viewers are not surprised when veteran Master Sargent Albert Callan (Rod Steiger) arrives at his station and finds a lack-luster supply company in complete disarray. The company commander is a less than inspirational officer who's a mealy mouth alcoholic with no leadership experience. He thus let's the Sargent handle the running of the camp. Soon, the company is brought into disciplinary order with the expertise of the Sargent. But the Sargent himself is troubled as he encounter a handsome young soldier (John Phillip Law) Pfc. Tom Swanson, whom he is attracted to. For Callan, the struggle begins between his repressed desires and the constant need to remain a 'straight' and stalwart military non-commissioned officer. For Steiger, this 1980's vehicle was seen as a scandalous, bold, and provocative movie. Yet for todays more sophisticated audiences, this film lacks direct confrontation between actors, content and message. Still for it's time, this was one surprising milestone in the history of filmdom. ***

I saw this film upon it's release and it has registered in my memory ever since. I was greatly impressed by Rod Steiger's performance as a closet homosexual Sergeant in the US army who strongly desires a young Private played by John Philip Law. I was fascinated watching how this obsession destroys this rough, tough sergeant. I particularly remember the scene where Steiger grabs hold of Philip Law and kisses him full on the lips. I must confess that I was greatly shocked at the time as I had never seen a man kiss another man before. (Now it happens on British TV regularly - how times have changed!!) All in all, I think this an excellent movie!

I'm a Viet Nam vet who spent 6½ years in the Army, 5 years as sergeant or staff sergeant. This movie is the best and most accurate portrayal of army life I've ever seen. It's accuracy and correctness is uncanny. It makes me wonder how they did it. Most audiences would not be interested in the real McCoy, but this is it. It is also a top notch war film! The bleakness, emptiness, alienation, and devastating isolation, meanness, poverty, ugliness, and frightful brutality of army life are there in spades. The wreckage both of war and of the unnatural regimentation and peculiar dual hierarchy (that of commissioned officers and of non-commissioned officers) of the military are portrayed with accuracy and near perfect verisimilitude. Steiger is 110% convincing as a seasoned, career, First Sergeant in the regular army. I didn't bother with the theme of repressed homosexuality. It's the loneliness and debilitating harshness (often self-imposed by those who opt, or more likely fall into the trap of rootless expediency, of military life) that count here. Is it any wonder that soldiers commit atrocities in war? Watch this movie and see for yourself.

I believe this is one of the most sensitive films about hiding your gayness in the military. Even though it takes place many years prior to the 'don't ask don't tell' motto, it speaks of the difficulties a gay man must cope with.

Now that the industry has lost one of its more brilliant character actors, I hope this movie will find its way to DVD, along with "The Loved One" which has been on moritorium for some time.