I have watched An officer and a Gentleman (AO&G) on Friday, but differed writing the review until Sunday because I wasn't sure how I felt about the movie. First of all, the traditional love story is more of a secondary theme, so I'm not sure why it's on the list of Romantic Films of the 80s. What I found the most amusing is Richard Gere's appearance. I love Richard Gere, I think he is attractive and serene. My introduction to Richard Gere was Pretty Woman, therefore, in my mind, he has always been a gray haired hottie. It was quite interesting to see him with brown hair and even with a mullet at one point. I'm also sensing that AO&G preceded his Buddhist days, as his eyes don't seem to have their usual calmness and rest about them. This tirade about Richard Gere might seem besides the point, however AO&G is very much a Richard Gere movie.
The main premises is about Gere's character, Zack Mayo, finding his way in life after fumbling along in the shadows of a degenerate alcoholic father and dead mother. He turns to the Navy for northern-lights guidance to his path in life. He enrolls in a twelve week program for pilot candidates, and along the way he is rehabilitated into becoming a functional team member, lover, and good loyal friend. I suppose there's some parallels (I further suppose this is intentional) between the rough economic times of the 80s recession and the lives of various characters in the movie. However, I'm reviewing AO&G for its romantic value and therefore will adhere to the love analysis. Nevertheless, I will steer off course here and there, as per my discretion.
Again, the love story is a secondary theme. Gere's character does not even encounter his love interest (Debra Wenger's Paula Pokrifki) until thirty minutes in. It's important to note that there are other forms of love in AO&G. We have fatherly love portrayed by the homophobic racists sexist sadist drill Sergent, Emil Foley. We are implored to believe that Sarg is packaging his tough-love beneath layers of abuse because deep down (somewhere inside him) he cares. We see him jump into a pool, fully clothed, to rescue a cadet. We also see him sucker punch (more like kick) Mayo in the balls, as well as assail a female student. At the end, as the surviving candidates graduate to officers, they all salute Foley and thank him lovingly. Foley is a surrogate to Mayo's absentee father, as he teaches him how to be a better man.
Another form of love in AO&G, is brotherly love. This is the early 80s, a pre-bormance era, yet we witness Mayo bond with his male comrades. He runs to their rescue, providing shined belt buckles free of charge and oxygen supply. He even sacrifices achieving a new course record to help a female cadet get over a wall (don't get me started on how she repeatedly breaks down in tears during the training and after twelves weeks of tackling that damn wall, she still can't climb it! Honestly, this is 80s sexism at its best, although she relishes being plummeted into a water tank). The relationship between Mayo & Sid is one of the strongest connections we see in AO&G. They bond over Foley's abuse and scoring local tatas, while providing each other with support. Mayo dines with Sid's parents, a vast contrast to his own family. Finally, Mayo advises his friend to follow his heart and stop living to please others, to stop being a "Gentleman". Sadly, Sid ends up swinging from a belt noose in a motel-room bathroom, after being rejected by his lover.
Interestingly enough, we don't get to see Mayo's relationship with Paula mature. They round most of the bases on their first date, I'm inclined to infer that he hit a home run. She declares her love for him on their second appearance (I honestly couldn't gauge how long they were supposed to be together at that point). He opens up to her about his feeling for his father and his mother's suicide. Eventually, he meets her parents and dumps her upon being pressed with "Where do you see this going?" kind of question. I know that it seems I have edited down their relationship to bulletin points, but this is how it was portrayed and thus my confusion to why AO&G is classified as a romance, when in fact it is nothing of the sort. I can understand women's preference of the movie, a young Gere is truly an ethereal vision. In my opinion, the best thing about AO&G is watching Gere walk away with his perfect tight butt. Of course, there's the whole men in uniform thing. But I am sorry ladies, this movie is not romantic, in the least. Even the most famous scene in the film is outrageous. I can't help but think that the women who like this movie are deranged. The final scene has Gere entering the factory where Paula works, in his officer's uniform. He sweeps her off his feet (literally) and carries her away to the theme song, as her co-works applaud. Yes! They are clapping during this whole display. Okay, I know that I am jaded about the whole lovey-dovey thing, but please can someone explain to me how on earth is this romantic, besides the blatant knight-in-shining-armor metaphor, riding on his white horse to rescue his beloved from a life destitute to misery and despair. Throughout the movie, we see Paula struggling with her desire to escape her mother's fate (yet she chooses to work in the same factory and go out with cadets, just like her mother). The only way out is to lure and bag an officer husband. I'm sorry, hasn't Paula heard of the women's movement! Again, maybe there are some social-economical subtext to the storyline reflected in the contrast between the destines of the female cadet and the local girls, a subliminal message that an improved life exists at the end of the yellow brick road of education/army/country service.I honestly don't know, and I am not going to pretend to be sophisticated enough to scrutinize this analogy further.
I suppose part of movie's romantic allure lies in the theme song "Up Where We Belong". Love did lift Mayo to a better existence, albeit not the love of a woman, rather the love of life and what seems to be the love of one's self.
Hero Profile: Perpetual Bad Boy
Mayo is the proverbial Bad-Boy, all the way down to the motor cycle. But it's Gere's charm that really draws us in, the moments when he allows Mayo to be caring and tender. Paula doesn't want to change Mayo. She simply wants to be part of his life.
Images of the relationship:
(1) Sexual Attraction:
The sexual attraction between Mayo and Paula is evident from their very first encounter. It seems to be the corner stone of their relationship.
(2) Trust:
Mayo has problems trusting others. Being abandoned by his mother's suicide and a father who was never invested in being a caregiver, Mayo doesn't allow himself to get close to anyone. His emotions are fiercely guarded behind a tough facade. However we see Mayo bonding (and trusting) more with his drill sergent and Sid than with Paula.
(3) Knight in Shining Armor:
Mayo's love and acceptance is Paula's lifeline, despite insisting that all she wants is to have a good time. She's hurt when Mayo treats her badly, she invites him to dinner with her parents, and asks Mayo to commit. He was her savior from a mundane life.
Lessons Unlearned:
- The women movement has progressed significantly since the release of AO&G. Now we have Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Garner kicking the ass of walls instead of breaking down in tears. In reality, IBM and Yahoo have women CEOs, Kathryn Bigelow won an Oscar for directing, and there are female astronauts in space. Needless to say, no woman needs nor requires a man to rescue her (beside Pepper Potts ! Can she please kick some ass in Iron Man 3?!). Yet we still strive for relationships that complete us. Through these relationships, we hope to be rescued from time to time, as well as becoming our partners' heroes.
- Apparently men will still want to buy the cow despite getting the milk for free - the old "I'm Knocked UP" trick is alive and well. But be ware, the cow will not always want to be bought.
