The Lords of Discipline (1983)

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I haven't read the book, but it has a rating of 4.27/5 from over 20,000 ratings (Pat Conroy), so I'm going to presume it's pretty good.The movie? Not so much.Set in the 60's, it follows a 4th year cadet through training (specifically hazing) who is given the job of looking out for the first black cadet allowed into the institute.He completely fails to do so, finds out there's a secret group forcing out people they don't like through torture (the first 70 minutes). He reads a diary that helpfully lists all the members of the last 30 years and blackmails all his problems away (the last 20 minutes). Oh, and his best friend betrays him. The end."Wild" Bill Paxton (as credited) is as mediocre as the movie, so at least he fits in? He appears with Judge Reinhold, who was in his last movie (Stripes), and first time appearing with Michael Biehn, who was the best soldier actor in the movie. Someone must have agreed, because the following year, he got the role of Kyle Reece in The Terminator (Bill would get a bit part, as would Rick Rossovich).Filming took place in London, and Bill Paxton met his future (and second) wife Louise Newbury on a #37 bus there.TLDR; what a stupid movie.

The Lords of Discipline is a slow-moving, dull, boring, and badly acted 1980s film. The characters come off as cartoonish. David Keith is likable enough, and does a fair job considering what he has to deal with. The rest of the cast overplays their parts and none of them come across as real. The Southern accents are terrible, and it's hard to figure if this is a military college or a high school military school. Regardless, everyone in the cast is way to old to be students in either case. The worst scene is when Keith and his room mates kidnap a lawyer and tie him to a railroad track. The whole scene came across like a cartoon and the actor playing the lawyer gave a junior high school acting performance. Forget the Lords of Discipline.

I did not read the novel "The Lords of Discipline" by Pat Conroy so I cannot comment on how successful the movie is in terms of the original material, as some of the other comments are able to do. But judging the movie on its own merits, its half a triumph, half disappointment. I saw it when it was first released, because I liked David Keith and, well, I saw everything. This review openly discusses several plot points. Keith plays Will, everyone's favorite. As he is returning to the Academy for senior year, he is welcomed by staff and classmates alike. This year is going to be slightly different, he finds out early, because a black student (Pierce, played by Mark Breland) has entered the school (its 1964 and we are in the South). He is asked by Bear (Robert Prosky) to keep an eye on this particular student. Will wants nothing more than to coast through his senior year, but Bear calls in old favors so Will is obligated.On Hell Night, naturally all the white trash goes straight for Pierce. They also go for an overweight student called Poteete. Both boys are humiliated and tortured by the suffering does not end for Poteete, as he is kidnapped (sort of) by 'The Ten', a secret society of the ten best seniors. Their threats make a Hell Night hazing seem like a day at the beach. Poteete has to be talked down from a ledge, because he is so frightened by 'The Ten' and that he won't be able to survive the entire year. The next time he's on the ledge he successfully commits suicide. In the meantime, Pierce is also being singled out, but Will tells him to communicate what is going on, so at least he can report the cruelty that he is enduring. Eventually Will decides 'The Ten' must be held responsible for their continuous torture. He recruits his roommates to help him. As they find out more and more, they are then singled out. Dante Pignetti (Rick Rossovich) is eventually expelled for something very trumped up and silly, but Will is still determined to get to the bottom of it. The movie takes some questionable turns in the later innings. The characters played by Judge Reinhold, Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn are one-sided bigoted bullies and nothing else. They may as well all sleep under a rock, and most likely do not even deserve more than that, but its too easy to just show a future Grand Wizard of the KKK as being only that. Since Biehn reveals himself to be one of 'The Ten', its also extremely convenient that he is in a position to give demerits to the Will and his roommates, but it would have been more effective if he had been seen in that position BEFORE all the drama took place. Its also pretty lousy that the character of Poteete is only mentioned once after his suicide. There is no investigation from outside authorities, or even any motivation to 'get to the bottom of it' on his behalf. Its almost as if he's in the movie just so 'The Ten' can be introduced to the audience through his experience with them, and once he does that, he serves no purpose. But the character of Pierce dealt with them, also, so they would have been introduced through their cowardly treatment of him.David Keith was very popular in the late 70's/early 80's. I saw most of his movies and am sorry he never had a lengthy career, but it seems as though Kurt Russell, Patrick Swayze, Dennis Quaid and Kevin Costner got all the parts David could have played. This was one of his only starring roles, and he's very good without overdoing it. He's always pretty believable, even when the movie isn't. 6/10.

I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. Now i have never read the novel it is based on so i am not disillusioned by how "bland" an adaptation this is, but i must say that this was an interesting, intriguing and enjoyable film. It was deep and thought provoking and provided an insight into what was... and possibly still is considered to be the making of a man and a soldier.Also, the fact that it is a veritable melting pot of future stars and character actors doesn't hurt. David Keith as a likeable character? Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton, a year before making Terminator together, a few years before making Aliens and ages before making Tombstone. Judge Reinhold, Rick Rossovich (the guy from Roxanne and pacific blue), Matt Frewer (HE LOOKS SO YOUNG!!!), the fat guy out of Godzilla (he is great). It was interesting seeing all these people in these roles, big and small.Moral of the story, great flick :)