This is no ordinary or simple criminal case. And to avoid further embarrassment, the General and the U.S. Army would prefer to have a short and decisive investigation. That would be the right way. While the subject matter dealt with does exist in the real world, we find ourselves looking for the balance between knowing it is there and actually viewing these despicable acts on screen. Sex was used as a control tool.
Gruesome murders add their bit as well, with plenty of bad language.
That should not be overlooked, as the film makers were determined to show a lot of them. At the onset of The General's Daughter , Brenner was asked what his alibi was that would convince prosecutors that he did not murder the General's daughter. I couldn't have killed her, I was busy killing someone else. What a nice picture of our men and women in service. The plot is thin and easily predictable.