The Inspection (Elegance Bratton, 2022) (Patreon)

The Inspection is an autobiographical debut feature that shows Bratton's onscreen avatar, Eliis French (Jeremy Pope) hitting rock-bottom as a result of having been turned out of his home by his Christian bigot mother (Gabrielle Union) at the age of 16 because he's gay. With no options left, French decides to join the Marine Corps where, if the film's odd fantasy sequence is to be understood and believed, he pops a boner in the shower, revealing his sexuality to the platoon. From this point on, he's subject to all manner of abuse at the hands of his fellow recruits, and his CO (Bokeem Woodbine), but one of his basic training sergeants (Raúl Castillo) shows him unexpected kindness. 

It's hard to know how to evaluate a film this muddled. First of all, it's frequently incomprehensible on a formal level. The direction doesn't do a very good job at making the various characters distinct, and Bratton's bizarre breaks from realism really don't work at all. Even though we snap back to French's point of view when they're over, it seems like they have some bearing on the diegetic narrative. It's clear that Barry Jenkins and Claire Denis are on Bratton's mind, but he just doesn't have the chops to pull it off. In short, The Inspection frequently fails to make clear what is actually happening.

As for the plot itself, one hesitates to take shots at someone's personal story, but there's a weird thread of self-hatred here. French eventually finds his new family in the Marines, but not before being beaten, humiliated, and targeted for his sexual orientation. The Inspection seems to suggest that, awful as this was to endure, it made French stronger, and so in the end it was all fair play. Watching this young man be treated like he's garbage, first by his mother and then by the military, is disturbing enough. Having it all end with a resolute oorah! is even worse. The Inspection is likely to have its champions, but I'm not sure they should be listened to. Recommend it to your favorite Black gay conservative Christian film buff, if you happen to know of one.