Le maître de guerre

I enjoyed watching "Heartbreak Ridge" but can also understand why the US Marines disavowed the film. Sure, it was quite jingoistic and patriotic but the language was NOT what the Marines want the public to hear...though in reality that sort of salty and politically incorrect dialog is exactly how the Marines I have known talk!

The film centers around an aging and somewhat anachronistic Gunnery Sergeant, Highway (Clint Eastwood). He's pretty much a tough-as- nails stereotype of a career military man....for good and for bad. His new assignment is a group of (unrealistic) Marines who are worthless jerks. He has to whip them into shape...or see them die should they ever go into combat.

The best way to describe the film is "The Sands of Iwo Jima" with a STRONG Rated-R bent. The language is often crude and offensive (especially in this politically correct era) and it is NOT a film for everyone. But it is enjoyable and well made...and Eastwood's character is one you won't soon forget.

Clint Eastwood is at his best in the role of "Gunny Highway." This is mostly a really excellent flick about patriotic values, military camaraderie and old grizzled military veterans. Gunny Highway comes across as the exact fellow you would want covering your ass in any tough situation you could possibly imagine. And Eastwood plays him perfectly with steely resolve, devotion, humor and a healthy touch of irreverence. Its great to see the transformation of Highway's squad, as well as the final moment of judgment for the totally hateful, obnoxious and bureaucratic Maj. Powers. (Oh, if only such b*****ds would get their deserved comeuppance in real life in such a manner, what a beautiful world it would be!)

The only real fault is the attempt to compare a minor police action in Grenada with Vietnam and Korea, "I guess we're not 0, 1 and 1 anymore." I mean, give me a break, Korea and Vietnam went on for years and killed millions! Grenada involved a couple of hundred casualties over a couple of days. Please! But I suppose in 1986 the American people were desperate for some kind of heroes. Its just that that kind of jingoism would have been much more appropriate after Desert Storm than Grenada. That being said, its still a very good movie with a fundamental message about values, loyalty and comradeship that we could easily have more of these days, besides, Clint is just great!

I effing LOVE this movie. It's probably my greatest (movie) guilty pleasure.

In 1986, I was 10. I was way too interested in war/military based films/TV/books. (Fun-fact: never enrolled, and don't own any guns. I think i was drawn to the uniforms, haha)

I still remember the night I convinced my parents to rent this, at the video store. Believe it or not, this was the first "Clint" movie I ever watched, lol. I figured it would be like the Chuck Norris/Rambo movies, I had watched. Boy, was I wrong.

Even as a ten year old, I had a fondness for the script and the characters. And now, at 44, I'm still enjoying a rewatch, at least 1-3 times per year, haha

Of course, objectively, this is a unimpressive throwaway 80's flick. It's possibly the only movie to use the 'invasion' of Grenada, as a backdrop-or, it certainly was, at the time. It's overtly jingoistic; on par with the 'Red Dawn's', and 'Top Gun's' of the era. It's more of a comedy, compared to a military action movie.

And certainly, in 2020, the 80's humour comes across as dated-that said, I think it's disingenuous to get offended over how things used to be. Just like I think those still using casual homophobic humour today, are being lazy

Despite all this, Eastwood's passive-aggressive ornery character, has some of my favourite quotable lines. So too, does the Ayatollah of Rock'n'Rolla, 'Slick Jones'-played by the amazing Mario Van Peebles.

His Ying to Eastwood's Yang, never gets old. Nor does the rest of the ensemble cast. Everyone from Eastwood's former flame, to his ultra aggressive superior, is wonderfully cast.

Hard to imagine someone coming across this movie, in today's era-but this is a truly a hidden gem.

I had forgotten how funny this film really is. Shown on British TV last night, I found myself laughing like a loon all the way through it. Being a big fan of Eastwood, it's been quite a while since re-viewing this mini classic. And although it does take a drastic turn at the end, with a slightly misjudged comment on war, this is by far his funniest movie.

I also found that his character is his most interesting. A hard, no-nonsense gunnery sergeant who looks for advice in women's magazine is a dream characterization. And the one-liners are perfectly attacked.

I did find Mario Van Peebles character a little annoying, but then I suppose that was the whole point, and it's always good to see Marsha Mason, who I think is totally underrated as a screen actress.

But this is Eastwood's movie, through and through and a real delight. See it, but don't take the ending too seriously.

Among my husband and his buddies, this movie is like Shakespeare -- they quote from it often and well, so often and well, in fact, that the quotes are just part of their vocabulary and the source is forgotten. It does have more than its share of witty quips, even for me, a lowly female ;).

I really do like this movie. It makes me miss the 80's, when it was still considered acceptable to be a patriotic American, and movies that glorified America and the military could be made without the felt need to apologize left and right. And of course Clint Eastwood is clever and attractive as always, as the hardcore Marine lifer who's trying to discover his tender side in time to reunite with his ex when he retires.