Manipulative and sadistic freakshow

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2001)

It's a pity Demi Moore's great performance, and the overall high qualities of this production, are wasted on such an artificial and nasty plot and subtext. Moore's portrayal of Lieut Jordan O'Neill putting herself through hell on a Navy SEAL training course, in order to convince military chiefs that women should be allowed on combat duties, may appear superficially to strengthen the argument for equal opportunities, but in reality undermines the case. The movie's message - expressed most forcefully when O'Neill shouts "Suck my d**k!" at a tormentor - is that to achieve equality women have to become men. The unspoken implication is that the vast majority of women (and men) would think this too high a price to pay, and therefore women will never achieve equality.
However, before we the audience reach that conclusion, director Ridley Scott has set us up to sit through the sight of a group of men and a woman being literally and metaphorically dragged through the mud, culminating in O'Neill being beaten up by the Master Chief in charge of training, played all too convincingly by Viggo Mortensen. I don't object to the nastiness as such - we've seen the same or worse in many movies - but usually we're expected to be repulsed, whereas here our approval is sought.
Had it contained any serious discussion of the real issues involved in putting women on the front line, there might have been some point to this movie. But as it is, it resembles a mindless fairground freakshow.