The Profession of Arms (1983)

This forms part of a series of seven “War” documentaries from acclaimed Canadian historian Gwynne Dyer that is following half a dozen soldiers from different countries as they guide us through aspects of modern warfare based on their differing experiences of actual fighting as well as training across a range of environments ranging from the tundra to the desert. It’s not the most flamboyant or lively of films - many of these contributors are exceptionally earnest about their profession and it’s demands and responsibilities, but taken in the context that this is not supposed to be an “Hollywood” treatment of the risks of and preparations for war but an actual description from those who have, do or will fight it, it offers us quite an interesting insight into their often quite distinct approaches succinctly brought together (if you watch the entire run) into something cohesive and potent. Dyer’s narration is a little unnecessarily dry. Not that it needed to be laugh a minute, but it could have been a little more relaxed and introduced a little more of the undoubted humanity of these men into a series of threads which perhaps could have done with a little lightening-up to keep the average viewer better engaged. Still, for those of us interested in just where the military saw themselves as the Cold War (quite literally here) rumbled on, it offers us a revelatory look at life for those on the ground and from the perspective of those in command.