moxhambi

OK first off it's a movie from 1957 so it's not going to reflect everybody's Boot Camp/Basic Training Drill Instructor experience. I'm the son of a WWII and Korean War Master Sergeant. My father spent from 1941 to 1953 fighting wars and preparing for wars. My childhood was KP duty, trash detail and marching in formation (we were in the local Drum and Bugle Corp at 7 years old). So yeah, I get the stiff ill at ease civilian world Drill Instructor Moore. My father met my mother in very much the same way.

I went through basic training at Ft Ord California in 1974. Right after Vietnam and though not exactly the same there were many thing that were very familiar. Military training is meant to break you down and then build you back up in order to teach you that inside that goof you walked in the door as is a confident man, be he a soldier or a marine. I think that's the point that the movie is trying to get to. Pvt Owens doesn't believe in himself as much as DI Moore believes in him. Moore is pulling for Owens to succeed. The point near the end of the movie where Owens is given the honor of being the guidon bearer is the proof that Moore was right and that Owen had finally turned the corner.

I found basic training to be quite funny except when the DS became aware that I was enjoying a private laugh, then it became kind of miserable. When the DI held up the operating spring and the recruit began to panic it was exactly what basic training was like. Or the sand flea. Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. The DI knew they weren't going to find that flea. Once in basic we were on the rifle range and the DS asked if anyone had a drivers license. A bunch of guys thought they were going to drive vehicles and hands shot up. They took the licenses a gave them rakes to rake up the expended rounds.

My impression" this is in the top two of basic training/boot camp depictions.

In the begining, nailing a guy to the cross? made no sense. Black guys muscling in on the Italians, no particular plot addition other than a small part for Paul Winfield. Lots of yelling for no apparent reason. Bad soundtrack. Interesting to see William Peterson pre CSI. And I could swear Dennis Franz was in the Pizza palor getting a slice but on review it wasn't. Just like this DVD. It was worth every cent of the $2.50 I paid for it.

Following American Graffiti, a bunch of slice of life movies were made. Car Wash is a look at a day in the life of average Joes who have to work for a living. It looks at people who's dreams can't be wrapped up in their 8 to 6 minimum wage job. Their life, is their cars, their families, their politics, their music. They come to work and try to find ways to make the days bearable. Like Sisyphus pushing his rock ever uphill, the only satisfaction, comes at the end of the movie; at the end of the day. The drive for the top has a great beat driven by Rose Royce and punctuation by the pointer sisters. I love the tempo of this little movie and its always satisfied me.