“Soldiering doesn’t need a special kind of person- Anybody’s son will do”. This is the theme illustrated in Gwynne Dyer’s documentary. Dyer uses the idea of basic military training to prove that the average citizen can become a soldier. Several documentary techniques are used to make viewers believe in his theme. The most notable ones are interviews, juxtaposition, and cinema verite.
Interviews play an important role in developing Dyer’s theme. Several Vietnam veterans are interviewed to show that it is possible to turn civilians into soldiers. A war veteran talks about his experience when he arrived at Parris Island as a teenager to receive his training. He explains that he was scared and that living through a day to day basis was a big accomplishment. This enforces the idea that any ordinary young person can be become a soldier. Near the end of the documentary, Dyer interviews recruits nearing the end of their military training. The recruits reply with positive comments such as “ I’m not scar
Finally, the third device used in the documentary to effectively support the theme is the usage of “cinema verite”. Dyer uses this technique throughout the film, since it is based on the recruits’ training on a daily basis. This technique is also very effective since it is proving that everything in the video is reality. When one young man falls off the rope and into the pond during a training exercise, for example, his drill instructor shouts, "…get out of the water. Don't contaminate it all day…you're useless to your unit now." Dyer explains that the others feel more confident through the failure of others. The people who pass the exercises are more motivated to do things right. In other words, they are motivated to become a soldier. This kind of footage also tells viewers again that these are average individuals trying to become soldiers. The graduation ceremony at the end of the documentary shows the average individuals as fully trained combat ready marines. This serves as a final evidence to suppo