I just finished watching this excellent documentary about the experience of new recruits attending basic training in the Canadian Forces. As a former member I can certainly attest to its authenticity. My immediate reaction is that nothing has changed in the three and a half decades since I first joined the CF. I think the choice of the filmmaker to not add commentary but to simply be in the middle of the experience in a neutral sort of way is the best approach to the film. The "game" described by one of the DS (directing staff) when counselling an attendee - we called that "chickens**t" when I was in training. One might call it hazing in another context, but in this situation everyone necessarily signs on to it knowing that it is a temporary and expedient way to evaluate the aptitude of candidates to the profession of arms. But it becomes clear from the periodic interviews the DS have with individual attendees that they really do want them to succeed in their training, which is as much a comment about the trainer as it is the trainee. Watching the film also reminded Anglophone me that the Canadian Forces are a bilingual institution. I recall being on exercise in Quebec and listening to radio chatter that would be a mixture of Anglophone and Francophone voices - often in the same conversation. A truly Canadian experience.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
