The Sergeant is a 1968 American drama film directed by John Flynn and starring Rod Steiger and John Phillip Law. It was released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.[2]
| The Sergeant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Flynn |
| Screenplay by | Dennis Murphy |
| Based on | The Sergeant (1958 novel) by Dennis Murphy |
| Produced by | Robert Wise Richard Goldstone |
| Starring | Rod Steiger John Phillip Law Ludmila Mikaël |
| Cinematography | Henri Persin |
| Edited by | Françoise Diot |
| Music by | Michel Magne |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros.-Seven Arts |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.2 million (US/ Canada rentals)[1] |
Plot
editA dedicated, decorated war veteran, Master Sergeant Callan, is posted in France at a fuel supply depot in 1952. Finding a lack of discipline under the frequently drunk Capt. Loring, he takes charge in a tough, no-nonsense manner.
But distracting the sergeant is a physical attraction to one of his men, Private First Class Thomas Swanson, that seems at odds with everything in Callan's personality. He makes Swanson his orderly and befriends him socially, but behind his back scares off Solange, the private's girlfriend.
Callan's confusion and depression grows and he begins to drink. Unable to resist the urge, the sergeant attempts to kiss Swanson and is violently warded off. He turns up for morning formation hungover and Loring relieves him of duty. Callan goes off to a nearby woods alone, rifle in hand, and commits suicide.
Cast
edit- Rod Steiger as MSgt. Albert Callan
- John Phillip Law as Pfc. Tom Swanson
- Ludmila Mikaël as Solange
- Frank Latimore as Capt. Loring
- Elliott Sullivan as Pop Henneken
Production
editIn 1966, Robert Wise set up a company to produce low-budget films that others would direct. He optioned Dennis Murphy's novel The Sergeant and hired his former assistant, John Flynn, to direct. Flynn says Simon Oakland badly wanted to play the lead, but so did Rod Steiger, who was in much demand at the time, and Steiger played it for less than his usual fee.[3]
Reception
editOn review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 20% approval rank based on 5 reviews.[4]
Vincent Canby of The New York Times called The Sergeant a "worth seeing [film]", adding to it that "even when you're running ahead of it, anticipating its crises and climaxes as if they were stops on the BMT".[2]
Legacy
editThe film was excerpted in the documentary film The Celluloid Closet (1996).
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Big Rental Films of 1969", Variety, January 7, 1970 p. 15.
- ^ a b Canby, Vincent (December 26, 1968). "Screen: Confused Self-Discovery in 'The Sergeant'". The New York Times.
- ^ Harvey F. Chartrand (2005). "Interview with John Flynn". Shock Cinema. pp. 26–29+46.
- ^ "The Sergeant". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
External links
edit
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