The Age of Commercialism

The first must-see film of the year.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This was bay far Conroy's best novel and also the best movie adaptation of his work. It's a tight little thriller with the enchanting backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina. I made a pilgrimage to most of the places in his books, places he describes with such passion and clarity in his novels. Of course, The Citadel wouldn't allow the movie to be made at the school so they filmed Lords at the Virginia Military Institute. I can only imagine that these are horrible places to go to school.The film is fast-paced and tells a compelling story of friendship, honor, and betrayal. The whole sadistic hazing bull is still a big part of military training but for what reason no one really seems to know. Treating people like animals and heaping abuse on people in training only serves to make petty and angry idiots, not leaders. I went to school when I was in the military with some West Points grads and they were the worst officers that I encountered in all of my service. I think the book and this film point this out.

I can talk about military school as I was third generation to attend a military school; my father and grandfather attended the same school. And I wanted to go; to escape from the small town syndrome. They wanted to shoot "Taps" there, but we turned it down as, our president at the time, a retired 2 star general said, "It portrayed the military school student as a radical." Gee secret groups are bad. So public groups like gangs are forgotten? Any organization will have good and bad in it. At the military school we had Black, Whites, Asian, Mexican, etc. The only color that mattered were the black, gray and blue of your uniform. Time there mattered. If you were a new boy, (1 year of less) you were the lowest form of life, no matter what color you were. Old Boys, +1 year and who had signed our honor code, were the upper level. It didn't matter what color or how old. And when women started there, some of the older alumni had problems with that. But I am here to tell you, in the final years of life of that school (which was shut down to mis-management and money... gee always money) the female company was the best there. the military school, when I attended 1977-1983, was a great way to prepare young people for the future-be it in the military or in life. Anyone who say different, well... I won't say what I think. If you didn't go to a military school, you don't know. Just like being in the military. I am proud that I attended and still have more friends from than I can count from there, over 30 years later. How many can say that about the school you went to? numquam non paratus

I will give this movie a grudging o.k. I feel the book was superior in all respects but hey, how can a movie live up to Pat Conroy's book. I was in the military for 8 years and a product of Conroy's 'damaged goods' sickness of the South. I had the privilige of attending that place but turned it down in favor of another school some 30 years ago. But please bear in mind that much has changed in the military and much of the brutality of the school has gone away with all the attention heaved upon it. I noticed that many of the readers comments indicate about the sadism but remember, Pat Conroy attended the Citadel in 1963 to 1967 when there were not the federal laws and scutiny that exists in 2006. I understand much of Conroy's distrust and bitterness about having attended then refused the commission for lack of a better word than conscience objector. I don't have a problem with that and can now relate having seen many of my fellow soldiers refuse to come back to service after the Gulf War started in 1990. Please read the book first and look deep into what Conroy is trying to impart to all of us. It is similar to 'Born on the 4th of July.' Don't look at today's Citadel with any type of similarity to what went on over 40 years ago. Like they say, it's gone with the wind...

As a cadet who experienced a very similar situation, I found the story to be very close to the truth. I enjoyed watching the movie although most (if not all) of the performances were stilted and stuffy! I was a former R.O.T.C. cadet, who was actually supposed to attend The Citadel (the institution that movie supposedly depicts) and attended another Military College...I found the depictions very close to some of the "on-goings" of Military College life for cadets (at that time), including some of the treatment of cadets with different ethnic backgrounds.The performances of the "actors" in this movie showed their inexperience at that time. Although, some of those actors learned from the experience and are some of the best known character actors, although mostly in comedic roles (I wonder, why?) of current films, including: Judge Reinhold and "Wild" Bill Paxton.I recommend this film as a film to be watched by those learning how to act. It is a prime example of what not to do. Hopefully, no one imitates any of the acting in this film but hopefully they will use it as a learning tool.