Something I've wondered about since I first saw this movie. To this day I still have no idea why recruits would be taking English classes during BCT. Basic is only 9 weeks long, and 6 days a week you are having all the basic skills a soldier requires being beaten into your skull. There is absolutely no extra time during the training day. I don't mean there is no extra time to waste on Shakespeare, I mean no extra time at all!
shareThe Double-D's were not being taught English. They were "squeakers who had been culled from the ranks because, for one reason or another, they could not follow instructions. Bill Rago was hired in one final attempt to get through to them by teaching the Double-D's "to comprehend" instructions.
If you've seen the movie and can comprehend, you'll know that the method Rago found for teaching comprehension to the Double-D recruits was through exposing them to Hamlet.
It need not have been Hamlet, but since Bill Rago had no previous experience as a teacher, and the Army had assigned no curriculum, Rago finally struck on Shakespeare's plays -- first, because he loved Shakespeare, and secondly, because it was the only topic that caught the attention of his students.
I'm going to really have to watch this again, because I don't recall them being sent to class because they can't follow instructions.
Its near the begining when Rago first arrives at the base and is being "walked around" by the Captain Murdoch. During their walk, CPT Murdoch reveals that this whole scenario is the brain child of Colonel James (whom I am assuming is either the garrison commander or the overall BCT commander of the base) who seemed to have been visited by the "good idea fairy." These privates, although they are relatively good natured and have some street-smarts, are incredibly slow and dumb when it comes to anything more complicated than "eat" "sleep" and "shoot." The Colonel feels that instead of kicking these "too dumb for the Army" kids out of BCT, they should try and help bring up their comprehension levels enough to where they are not monopolizing the drill sergeants' attention for repeated remedial training.
Hence Mr. Rago being brought in to teach "basic comprehension" to these bottom of the barrel recruits. Taking a half hour or full hour out of the day (not necessarily everyday...I know the film kind of implies that but I don't believe they say it was everyday) when the privates have down time (I've personnaly been through BCT and you are not training 24/7, there was down time so-to-speak), Mr. Rago helps them improve their thinking skills and knowledge retention. It just so happens that the method by which he does it is with Shakespeare.
Silly? Yes.
Stretching reality? A bit.
Beyond any possibility of happening? Given my experiance with the military I wouldn't rule out the possibility of some commander or command sergeant major coming up with something like this. (The "good idea fairy" know not rank.)
I'll take your word for it. It sounds somewhat plausible (the idea I mean), but based on my experience (infantry OSUT, A2-58, July-December 98) there was no downtime available for this. We trained up until 1930, then there was drill sergeants time, showers, cleaning up the bays, lights out at 2100. I could be remembering it wrong though, it was a few years ago.
shareperfectly understandable. I went through BCT (at FT Bennimg) in 2005 with OCS immediately following. Granted my memory may be off as well, but I could have sworn there was down time at least for a half hour or hour long class that this movie more than likely employed.
You're not remembering wrong. That was the time table alright! lol I remembered when I watched this after I was on Active Duty and thought, "Yeah they are missing out on a hell of a lot of training." But you know...Hollywood. Still enjoyed the movie.
~~~"Who do you think you're dealing with? Guess again."~~~
The real question is why there were no NCOs in the class making sure the BCT soldiers were acting properly. Soldiers in BCT are never left alone outside of personal time before bed and in the latrine. They sure as hell wouldn't march themselves to class.
shareAs I recall, one of the students wore an armband with two chevrons, so he was an acting Corporal, in charge of the other students.
Although that raises the question that if he was sharp enough to be given that leadership responsibility, why was he in the class?
Acting corporals have no actual authority outside of their platoon. The band is only a sign to their fellow recruits. An NCO should have still been escorting them everywhere.
And his being a leader had nothing to do with academic success, so his being part of the class is believable.
Acting corporals have no actual authority outside of their platoon. The band is only a sign to their fellow recruits. An NCO should have still been escorting them everywhere.
And his being a leader had nothing to do with academic success, so his being part of the class is believable.
"Why was English being taught do recruits in BCT?"
Because this movie was poorly written and stupid.
That was always a criticism of this film, that they wouldn't have time for the class.
Unless there is an emergency draft a peacetime military likely wouldn't have spent the time on a recruit who couldn't or wouldn't follow directions or read and write.
When I was in the U.S. Army in the mid 70s, there was a remedial class in Basic Training for recruits who were deficient in education. I think it was for a high school equivalency certificate. Technically this was during the Vietnam era, but the conflict was winding down so it was more or less peacetime. Basic Training was about three months long, so there was enough time for such activities.
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Isn't it a bit for more ore less the same reason they teach "idiot english" in some universities, or used to ?
Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"