A documentary which tells the story of a man (Otto Bremerman) who served in the Navy in the 1950's and had the duty to write the discharge papers for servicemen who were found out to be homosexual. This he did despite himself being gay. The film uses audio tapes of Bremerman talking about this time, as well as old footage and background reenactments to tell the story.
The device is a good one because it gives the true voice of the subject, avoiding the risk of hammy melodrama, or the person being lost in the reconstructed events. This is a plus to the film, and it is the voice that holds the attention. The downside is that the audio also limits the film by virtue of it not being particularly searching or insightful. The most interesting element is not really touched – which is the conflict of Bremerman having to discharge gay servicemen while himself remaining in the closet. There is dramatic interest there, because it is a mix of necessity but perhaps also guilt; as a result I wonder if a really well written scene could not have been used within the frame of a select few moments of audio – to let the man himself set the scene, but to inspect the heart of the matter more closely (although I guess that takes it out of being a factual piece).
Bremerman's is an interesting story which highlights a struggle which seems so foreign now, but that is different that saying it is a great film – it is interesting, but leaves a lot unexplored.
