Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Back in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era of the US military (1993-2011), any LGBTQA+ service member was mandated to keep their sexuality to themselves. This blatantly homophobic legislation of the Clinton administration prohibited otherwise qualified gay Americans from serving, unless they kept their sexual preference under lock and key. Elegance Bratton’s understated tell-all, The Inspection, tells the story of a young, gay black man who turns to the military with the intent of challenging the very premise that sexuality can be made secret and the fallout that comes with systemic oppression of “the other.”

Relative newcomer Jeremy Pope plays a cipher of The Inspection’s writer-director with emotional gravity and considerable depth. Much like the filmmaker, Pope’s character, Ellis French, is out of his conservative mother’s (Gabrielle Union) house at 16 for being gay. Forced to live on the streets for a decade, French finally turns to the Marines as a means of bootstrapping his way out of a dead end life. The Marines welcome the recruit with all the warmth of a polar plunge. When his sexual predilections come to light in truly embarrassing manner, things get much harder.

During training, the dictatorial platoon leader Laws (Bokeem Woodbine) demeans French, lobbing slurs and using extrajudicial means (like literally trying to drown him) to oust French from his ranks. The bullying continues after hours at the hands of squad leader Harvey (McCaul Lombardi), who has it out for French because he’s not manly enough. Embodying Michelle Obama’s famous catchphrase, French takes the “if they go low, we go high” route, which can make events a bit understated – or anti-climatic – depending on how you see it.

The Inspection isn’t a story about comeuppance nor is it a saga of justice being service. There’s not some rousing call to arms speech about equality or the pursuit of the American Dream. The Inspection is much smaller – and subsequently more human – in scope. That is to say, it’s distinctly an A24 film. Bratton’s tale is the story of one man resisting prejudice and hate from all sides and finding quarter in the least expected of places. It’s about a men pressured to become military boogeyman, clinging to their humanity. Often in circumstances where becoming a monster is plenty justified.

Bratton’s screenplay combines the brutal dehumanization of Full Metal Jacket with the queer warmth of Moonlight to craft a (sometimes frustratingly) forgiving story about perseverance in the heart of darkness. Cemented by Pope’s strong work, it’s heartfelt and honest – though quiet, reserved, and abstract. There’s moments where reality blurs with fantasy and you’re left discerning what is real, what is metaphor, and what is abject fairytale. At times, the viewer may wonder who this is for – seeing that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was struck down over a decade ago, with queer cinema moving towards celebration, representation. And then you remember Trump’s (since overturned) ban of transgender military personnel. The injustice hasn’t disappeared – it never does – it’s just transformed. And only dormant for now.

CONCLUSION: Jeremy Pope shines as a gay, black man wrestling through the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era of Marines boot camp in this autobiographical queer drama from Elegance Bratton.