Let me start to say that i never read the acclaimed novel by Pat Conroy which this film is based on, so i'm judging only the movie itself.
"The Lords of Discipline" came out in a time this kind of "Military School" flicks were the latest popular trend in Hollywood, after the excellent "Taps", directed by Harold Becker and the surprise hit "An Officer and a Gentleman", directed by Taylor Hackford co-starred by David Keith playing Richard Gere's ill-fated best friend who was switched for his first leading role in this movie.
Keith delivered an acceptable performance as Cadet Will McLean, when starting his Senior year at Carolina Military Institute in 1964, he's assigned by his mentor, Lt. Col. "Bear" Berrineau (a very good & committed performance by Robert Prosky) to keep an eye on Tom Pearce, the first black student admitted in the Academy, to protect him from the bigotry of some of his fellow alumni. Around the same time, a secret organization within the school, called themselves "The Ten", are acting illegally forcing the undesired students, through the practice of torture and violence, to quit...
Franc Roddam's "The Lords of Discipline" moves at a nice pace, it's well filmed and the young actors (some of them gave here their first steps in the acting biz such as Michael Biehn, Rick Rossovich, Bill Paxton, Judge Reinhold, Matt Frewer or Jason Connery) are all superbly directed and convincing in their roles.
The weakest part is the not very well structured screenplay and the inability of Roddam to introduce a feeling of eerie and mystery to the whole, which could have lifted this movie to a higher appreciation. Some plot points got their resolution too fast in the III Act, leaving some unanswered questions and the mystery beyond "The Ten", the phantom society within the walls of the Academy, could have been more explored and handled better.
Nevertheless, this movie still delivers a solid piece of entertainment to the viewer with its well staged scenes such as the "Walk of Shame" and Michael Biehn's fans of his ruthless character of Johnny Ringo in "Tombstone" should check his vileness here.
Curiously, this was the first movie of a group of actors who would be frequent collaborators for several films in the future like Biehn, Paxton and Rossovich in James Cameron's "The Terminator" & Lewis Teague's "Navy Seals"; Biehn, Paxton and William Hope in Cameron's "Aliens"; Biehn & Paxton in Pan Cosmatos' "Tombstone" and so on...
"The Lords of Discipline" came out in a time this kind of "Military School" flicks were the latest popular trend in Hollywood, after the excellent "Taps", directed by Harold Becker and the surprise hit "An Officer and a Gentleman", directed by Taylor Hackford co-starred by David Keith playing Richard Gere's ill-fated best friend who was switched for his first leading role in this movie.
Keith delivered an acceptable performance as Cadet Will McLean, when starting his Senior year at Carolina Military Institute in 1964, he's assigned by his mentor, Lt. Col. "Bear" Berrineau (a very good & committed performance by Robert Prosky) to keep an eye on Tom Pearce, the first black student admitted in the Academy, to protect him from the bigotry of some of his fellow alumni. Around the same time, a secret organization within the school, called themselves "The Ten", are acting illegally forcing the undesired students, through the practice of torture and violence, to quit...
Franc Roddam's "The Lords of Discipline" moves at a nice pace, it's well filmed and the young actors (some of them gave here their first steps in the acting biz such as Michael Biehn, Rick Rossovich, Bill Paxton, Judge Reinhold, Matt Frewer or Jason Connery) are all superbly directed and convincing in their roles.
The weakest part is the not very well structured screenplay and the inability of Roddam to introduce a feeling of eerie and mystery to the whole, which could have lifted this movie to a higher appreciation. Some plot points got their resolution too fast in the III Act, leaving some unanswered questions and the mystery beyond "The Ten", the phantom society within the walls of the Academy, could have been more explored and handled better.
Nevertheless, this movie still delivers a solid piece of entertainment to the viewer with its well staged scenes such as the "Walk of Shame" and Michael Biehn's fans of his ruthless character of Johnny Ringo in "Tombstone" should check his vileness here.
Curiously, this was the first movie of a group of actors who would be frequent collaborators for several films in the future like Biehn, Paxton and Rossovich in James Cameron's "The Terminator" & Lewis Teague's "Navy Seals"; Biehn, Paxton and William Hope in Cameron's "Aliens"; Biehn & Paxton in Pan Cosmatos' "Tombstone" and so on...