![]() ![]() 'By propagating the masculine ideal, basic training ultimately entrenches patriarchal norms that make the army more welcoming to (certain types of) men.' Click To TweetĬaissy draws attention to the military’s gendered culture by filming all recruits in the same style of shot - so when men and women are treated differently, the differences stand out. By propagating this masculine ideal, basic training ultimately entrenches patriarchal norms that make the army more welcoming to (certain types of) men. The differences in hair illustrate how the military remains a highly gendered space where men can be the military’s ideal of interchangeable anonymity but women perpetually stand out through their differing hair styles and uniform cut. However, while female recruits are admonished for wearing any makeup, they can have shoulder length hair. To create uniformity, male recruits have their heads shaved and their haircut inspected every morning. This model of behaviour follows the stereotypical view of a traditional masculine soldier: stoic and physically strong. Yet the tradition of obedience in a war setting continues to dictate a training process where every aspect of the day is surveilled, centred on conforming recruits into a set norm. War is, according to the recruitment ads, supposedly only a small part of what the Canadian military does. That’s all!” It’s a far cry from the optimistic peacekeeping image taught in Canadian schools and promoted internationally. For example, an officer shouts the goal of a drill “is to kill people or fucking get killed. Yet war remains the overwhelming focus of basic training. This is in line with the way the Canadian military presents itself in television commercials, where recruits are shown using their technical military skills to help communities the emphasis isn’t on combat. Many of the recruits state up-front that they’re pursuing military careers that won’t take them into war zones. As the film progresses, we see the characters’ faces harden. Do they really believe these to be their motives, or do they just not want to admit that they’re in desperate search of employment? Notably, these scenes are the last time the recruits appear relaxed, their eyes active and bodies animated. It remains unclear throughout whether any of the trainees realize that they’re repeating the cliches of military propaganda. Their reasons for choosing it range from the search for an honourable job, to a need of discipline, or a desire for adventure. Each recruit identifies the military as a clear next step in their career path. The editing also works to treat the recruits as fungible: when the class introduce themselves, the cutting speeds up and each of the subsequent five recruits receive shorter introductions. His aesthetic strategy follows the military’s goal of de-individualizing, often framing recruits in identical medium close-ups. Click To TweetĬaissy undermines expectations by following the entire class of recruits as a group rather than focusing on specific individuals. First Stripes helps answer the mystery of how the Canadian military’s training compares to the extreme boot camp gauntlet often featured in American popular culture.įIRST STRIPES helps answer the mystery of how the Canadian military’s training compares to the extreme boot camp gauntlet often featured in American popular culture. That’s not surprising: the Canadian military has a budget over 30 times smaller than the United States’. Yet despite the efforts of the 2006–2015 Conservative government (and the directorial career of Paul Gross), pop culture provides few glimpses into the Canadian forces. In contrast, stories about our southern neighbour’s armed forces inundate our popular culture, through movies, television shows, sporting events, and news broadcasts. The contemporary Canadian military is distant from most Canadians’ lives. The film reveals how training designed to equalize recruits is yet another machine that reproduces a conservative set of norms. This is where Jean-François Caissy’s verité documentary takes us: behind the curtain, behind external appearances, to follow a group of Québécois recruits to the Canadian armed forces through the 12-week basic training boot camp. Plasticity returns to their limbs and emotion to their faces. But once the young men and women pass beyond the curtain separating them from their family and friends, their bodies take on a whole new shape. F irst Stripes begins and ends with the same military graduation parade. A Steadicam shot marches along the ceremonial procession of solemn-looking army recruits, their movements stiff, their faces expressionless. ![]()
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