Beret's and hollywood, will they ever learn how they are properly worn?

i had no idea Savior is based on true story!

I could not disagree any more with your comment. Go and watch Shrek! GREAT movie and so is Warriors.

I just tripped over this thread and am compelled to comment. Sure, it appears to be an insignificant wardrobe detail that should not matter...but it does. Sure I agree that the quality of writing, acting etc etc trump minor details, however, Hollywood consistently has a problem with presenting soldiers wearing berets.

Here's why such a seemingly picayune detail matters:

The beret is the one item of uniform that is impossible to make universally identical. In a military organization of uniformity, the beret becomes an expression of a soldier's personality and his attention to detail (as long as the basic guidelines for wearing them are followed - level, capbadge over left eye (right temple for the French), etc). Right or wrong, when a soldier in dress uniform approaches you notice a few things immediately: his bearing and apparent fitness, specialist skill badges (parachutist, Ranger Tab), medal ribbons (campaign medal? awards for valour?) and then how he wears his beret. If it's sloppy and worn wrong it can be a warning that he is a fake or just stopped caring. Shallow? Judging by appearance? Sure. And there are many soldiers I've known who don't look great on parade but who are excellent in the field. However, generally speaking, a soldier who takes pride in a professional appearance and attention to detail is usually better for it.

So why does this matter in the movies? Credibility. Something simple like a beret or the correct camo pattern on a uniform are very simple to do right. The second you see a screwed up beret in a military movie it is a warning that the film makers don't care enough about their project to get it right, they didn't hire a good military advisor or they arrogantly ignored him or they just don't care. Immediately, the whole film is suspect because of a minor, simple detail.

And it is so easy to get it right. Hire a military advisor who has actually worn a beret. He can teach the actors to wear them properly in a few minutes. Then the actors need to keep them with them, wet them and shape them over night. The easiest way to have them look good on set is to wear them damp.

As to Suzi's comment about how different people around the world wear berets differently, that is true. However, there is a big difference between wearing a beret "differently" and wearing it "wrong". The French wear theirs differently (badge over right temple, excess pulled to the left side). Check out pictures of modern Foreign Legion paratroopers - the berets are small, tight, well-shaped and plastered to their heads. If Quaid is supposed to be a former Legionaire, he'd likely wear his beret "Legion-style".

The problem is that a brand new beret (out of the package) is stiff wol and shaped like a frisbee. It needs to be shaped and formed when wet in order to look right. Lazy actors and costumers think they just throw it onto someone's head (like a ball cap) and it's good to go. It's not.