Customer Reviews

The D.I.

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Here's a message to Hollywood. There are perhaps a million former Marines out there that will buy The D.I. on DVD as soon as its released.

I saw The DI as a 12 year old on television in 1960. I was petrified by the movie and never thought I'd join the Marines because of it. Well, in 67 I did join and went through bootcamp in San Diego, almost within sight of my house.

I think Full Metal Jacket is more realistic but doesn't deliver the positive message served up in The DI. Webb does a magnificent job depicting the stoic drill instructor. The intensity of the training in bookcamp, the concern for details (as depicted in the breaking down and reassembly of an M1) that make up a recruits world are dead on.

The DI is a classic. Like other reviewers before me I find it puzzling that this film hasn't made the transition to DVD when so much garbage has. But then Hollywood and the people that populate show biz haven't a clue about being a Marine. Its been almost 40 years and I still remember the names of my drill instructors. Sgt. Alley where are you?

Semper Fi

Jack Webb portrays a tough Marine drill instructor trying to mold his platoon of recruits into United States Marines. Resistance from one of the recruits provides dramatic interplay. Webb's infrequent visits to town include a not-well-developed romantic angle. The training shown is for real, though understated -- the viewer doesn't see how tired and hungry and frustrated a recruit can get. Anyone who has been through Marine boot camp will identify with many of the scenes in this film. Of historical interest to former Marines: the credits show Webb playing a "Tech Sergeant" and several of the advisors to the film hold that grade, yet Webb is called by the more familiar "Gunny" throughout the movie. Yes, Gunnery Sergeants officially disappeared from the Corps for a few years, though Marines never let go of the term. This film is highly recommended, both for Marines who want to remember and for those who have not served in the Corps who want to catch a glimpse of what it takes to make young men into Marines.

Pardon me for venting... Why is a great film like this not in DVD? Or for that matter, "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo"? Or "Battle Hymn"? Or "The Last Days of Patton"? It makes me wonder why idiotic drivel like "American Idol" or "The Real World" pop right onto DVD, and the best things are left in the can in a dusty archive waiting for a building fire.

This film having been produced in 1957, was seen by me in 1958 while serving as a D.I. AT P.I. It showed for two consecutive nights and I think every D.I. on P.I. somehow arranged to see it. We wanted to see if they got it right I guess. I viewed it again recently and it was most nostalgic. A most memorable time and the film was reasonably accurate for the times. I highly recommend it.

I served as a Marine Drill Instructor at Parris Island S.C. from 1978 to 1981. In my opinion this is the best movie depicting what it takes to be Marine second only to the Discovery channel following real recruits in boot camp.

Even though this movie may seem outdated, as a former Parris Island Drill Instructor, I can say this movie still remains the best in showing what actually occurs in Marine Corps "Boot Camp," and what a Marine Corps D.I. faces. It is a great classic and was shown to recruits in training as a motivational film. OOH-RAH

I went through boot at MCRD San Diego in 1954 and first saw this film just after it came out. Webb's attention to detail was amazing. The romance angle left something to be desired, but the scenes on base caught the spirit of boot camp and are probably not too far off now. I have it on VHS from TV but really would like it in DVD.

Brings back the days of going through USMCRD h*ll, which was also some of the best days of my life now that I look back. It's an absolute crime that this hasn't been officially released on DVD, along with R. Lee Ermey's "Boys of Company C." Why these films have been resigned to sitting in dusty VHS out-of-print shelves, while other cra*py films have already been released two or three times on DVD in various special, super-special, or ultra-super-special editions is beyond me.

As for the film itself, if you know the drill at all, get this movie. You'll love it. It will bring back a flood of memories, most you'll cherish, most will motivate, and most will resonate with you long after the movie is over. Jack Webb does an amazing performance...nails the SDI perfectly. Can't recommend highly enough.

Semper Fi brothers.

My father was in the Army from 1966 to 69. He lost most of hearing due to noise from being a hawk missile launcher. He is always asking me to get this movie for him. I don't buy it only because it is not in caption, and he will not enjoy the movie without the captioning feature with his impairment. This movie is simply a war classic. It should be out on DVD without question and have captioning feature for the hearing impaired like my father. Just look how much the VHS are selling for used. On eBay the price is even more sometimes.

The definitive depiction of the Marine D.I. was embodied by R. Lee Ermey in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket". That said, "The D.I" runs a close second. Star-director Jack Webb working within the restrictions of the day demonstrates what it takes to meld a disparate group into a lean mean fighting unit. Not to say there are not moments of levity here. The funeral for the sand flea is an indiscribably classic screen moment. As for Webb, anybody who would typecast him as a just-the-facts ma'am actor will be genuinely surprised at his multi-layered tough-but-tender technical sergeant. The film may be a mite watered down but it is timeless in it's entertainment value.