Retro Film/Television Review: JAG (1995)

In the light of current events, it is difficult to imagine that, not so long ago, most of the world didn't perceive US military as a tool of oppression and genocide. Actually, most people in those times viewed US military as the only institution capable to solve such problems. One such instance was war in Bosnia, which provides background for JAG, 1995 television film written and directed by John P. Bellisario.

The plot starts in Adriatic Sea, where US Navy planes are enforcing "no fly zone", introduced in order to prevent Bosnian Serbs from overwhelming defenceless Bosnian Muslims. Two Bosnian Serbs jets trying to challenge US Navy are shot down by the squadron commanded by Captain Thomas "Cag" Boone (played by Terry O'Quinn). One participant of this action is Cag's radar operator Lt. Angela Arutti (played by Katie Rich). She becomes instantly famous when it turns out that she is the first American woman to shoot down enemy plane. Before being able meet the press or ponder her future in the Navy she falls from the deck of aircraft career and dies. Due to the sensitivity of the case, Washington sends two Judge Advocate General investigators - Lt. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. (played by David James Elliott) and Lt. Caitlin Pike (played by Andrea Parker) - to the ship in order to find whether the death was accident, suicide or murder. They soon discover that many male pilots, including Cag, simply can't stand the idea of their female colleagues taking part in combat actions. In the meantime, Harm is haunted by the memories of his father who went missing during Vietnam War, as well as his own failed career of jet pilot.

JAG was a pilot for television show that later proved to be immensely popular. The show owed its success to the good combination of stock footage, cool uniforms, humour and unresolved sexual tension between two main protagonists. All that provided not only good entertainment but excellent tool for American militaristic propaganda. In the pilot film, however, the formula wasn't perfected yet and that reflected in JAG being more propaganda than entertainment. Characters aren't fleshed out as they should be and some of them serve more as symbols than as realistic human beings. Bellisario's script conforms to the "politically correct" rules of 1990s Hollywood (women=good, men=bad), so the audience is able to solve murder mystery much sooner than protagonists.

Even more problematic is script's approach towards the realities of 1990s Balkans and Europe, which represents another example of smug arrogant attitudes Americans had towards other nations prior to September 11th 2001. In JAG universe depicted in this film, Bosnian Serb jets are able to fly over Adriatic, apparently unmolested by Croatian air defences, while the only fishermen in Adriatic Sea are Italians who apparently use primitive technology that didn't change over millennia. However, the biggest flaw of the film is its hypocritical approach towards gender relations in the military - while the pilots in the film are presented as sexist pigs, protagonist's attitude towards his female partner is presented as innocent "playfulness". The show, which, unlike its pilot, was never meant to be taken completely seriously, is much better.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on May 17th 2004)

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