Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click

They have to learn everything all over again: from shoe-cleaning to ten-second showers. Only then, marching and fighting techniques are addressed. For twelve weeks, the recruits of Platoon 1141 of the U.S. Marines are subjected to the orders of screaming drill instructors. In nearly two hours of pure the spectator experiences them, too. No voiceover, no interviews, just the camera that stays close to the soldiers, or keeps its distance for a more abstract impression of life on the base. Rapidly edited images reflect the frenzy and the soldiers' anxiety. During a nocturnal cleaning marathon, the fatigue is palpable. The soundtrack is largely filled with yelled orders and the soldiers' "Yes sir, aye-aye sir." Only a subtle musical score offers some relief. The film is divided into twelve chapters with short titles that betray a subtle sense of humour. Debuting director Brumley was once a marine himself, on the base where he shot his film. He chose not to focus on individual people: the soldiers are interchangeable and the drill instructors all look similar. Only briefly does he highlight the rise and fall of one ambitious soldier from the platoon; the real protagonist is and remains the army base.