Blown away

I often record quirky movies on TMC or IFC just to try a taste and this was a golden nugget of a find on TMC. I will have to watch it again because it's a non-linear movie, which only adds to its power. The cinematography is epic and for anyone who has ever served in the military, the way the most mundane things...ironing, PT, marching, relentless repetitive drilling...are made fascinating by Ms. Denis, the director. I could not take my eyes off the TV the whole time and the minimalist approach to dialogue was an enhancement (although on my HD channel, the subtitles were 10% cut off at the bottom of the screen, which was annoying.) Far superior, IMHO, to the Ustinov's Billy Budd from 1962, which was a great film, but this was stunning. The music was another "character" and I can see why Robert Osborne cited one critic who called it one of the best 100 films EVER. It's been over 12 hours since I watched it and I can't stop thinking about it. Like other posters, I was riveted by the dance scene during the final credits, but the scene I loved the most was the men of the squad with their hands raised to the morning sun, with that haunting vocal music in the background. It also made me miss smoking cigs, something I gave up 35 years ago.