Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first, shall we? The production values are, at best, mediocre. The film was shot on a very low budget. The characters are severely stereotypical, from the two goof-off buddies always looking to get laid, to the overbearing sergeant, to the bumbling officer in charge. You have seen these characters before in MASH, GOMER PYLE, BILKO, Soldier in the Rain, and others. And did I mention the battle scenes were not as realistic as the ones we used to make up in West Paterson playing in the woods as kids? Despite these shortcomings, the film is a wonderful success because of the writing in the script. The story is not only believable, but actually contained events that many GIs went through in the late 60s and early 70s. It was reminiscent of the film Biloxi Blues, which came much later, but imitated several of the scenes in this film. There are some unforgettable hilarious scenes in this movie; especialy one that I will not spoil for you, that was imitated later by Dustin Hoffman in a famous bedroom scene. A real treat for those who served in the military during the late 60s, early 70s. You will need an interpreter, however, because there are no subtitles for the British form of English. Quite funny, nevertheless.
Review of The Virgin Soldiers
