The Lords of Discipline
Short description
In the early 1960s, Will McLean begins his final year at a military academy in the American South. The school has admitted its first Black cadet, Pearce, and Will is asked to watch over him as hostility is expected. That hostility turns out to be organised: a secret society of elite students known as The Ten, who have long tormented newcomers, set out to drive Pearce out of the academy. Their aim is to make his departure look voluntary, and they are willing to use violence to get there. Will, already uneasy about the academy's culture, finds himself protecting Pearce at the risk of his own military career.
The film is a drama with thriller elements directed by Franc Roddam, released in February 1983 as the third of the seven features he directed, following Dummy and Quadrophenia. The screenplay is by Thomas Pope and Lloyd Fonvielle, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Herb Jaffe for Paramount. David Keith plays Will McLean, with Robert Prosky as Col. Berrineau, G. D. Spradlin as Gen. Durrell, Barbara Babcock as Abigail St. Croix, Michael Biehn as John Alexander and Rick Rossovich as Dante Pignetti.
The film played to modest commercial results, taking in about 12 million dollars worldwide. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.6 out of 10 from 52 votes, indicating a small but generally positive response from those who have seen it.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, the film was planned to be shot in Charleston, South Carolina. That is where Pat Conroy, the author of the novel upon which the screenplay was based, attended the military academy. Due to a refusal from the command, filming was moved to England.
- For the dance scene within the walls of the military academy, more than 200 girls were provided with 1960s-era dresses.
- Bill Paxton is listed in the credits as "Wild Bill" Paxton. He earned the nickname "Wild" among friends and colleagues on set due to his crazy sense of humor and incredibly elaborate pranks.
- Director Frank Roddam took on this screenplay because it reflected the "moral atmosphere" prevailing in the US at the time, which was characterized by idealism, authoritarianism, and violence that exceeded all imaginable limits. He liked the position of the character played by David Keith—someone who strove to correct injustice, even if it did not directly affect him.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
