Worth the watch. I'm currently an Air Traffic Controller in the USN, but also still a newbie trying to sum up my mixed feelings for my career choice. Since I haven't been on a deployment yet, I thought I'd take a look at this documentary due to the mostly positive reviews it's received. Can't say that it has influenced my decision to re-enlist or not and go on deployment, but it did give me a decent perspective and understanding of "Carrier" life. I recommend watching it, Navy sailor or not, and enjoy the unbelievable spectacle that is defined as "ship life." I've read quite a few negative comments about this documentary involving retired sailors from the 60's,70's,80's etc. And I just have to say that I'm disappointed in their, well, complaints. It seems that sailors today aren't aloud to complain about hard ships while being underway. Life is much better in the Navy than it was in the past, but that shouldn't discredit the devotion and stress it can have on sailors today. Give it a rest retirees, we know you had it rough, but don't hate us for having it slightly better.
18 Reviews
Objective Filming Makes For Excellent Documentary
melsed_00913 September 2010
I thought that by watching this i would gain some insight into the lives of young men and women in the Navy and I was not disappointed. It was a wonderfully candid look into the lives of these people aboard what truly is a city at sea. This documentary was a perfect example of what a sincere desire to tell as accurate a story possible can achieve. There were no subjects off limits and no agenda imposed onto the story. Just the people dealing with the situation they found themselves in at the moment. I am a unabashed liberal in my daily life and I found this just as compelling as an ex-Navy republican friend did. Whats more, the series got him to talk about HIS experience in Iraq; something I've been trying to get him to do for years. There were some serious discussions that came from our watching this, some new understandings and of course, some new disagreements. If you have a chance to watch this please do.
American Society in Miniature
dlfagan12 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a sucker for documentaries. Even though PBS comes in with lots of ghosting and static, I watched the first five episodes, then bought the DVD to watch the rest. My father was a carrier pilot, but beyond that personal connection, it is interesting to see the different military mindsets up and down the ranks. To some extent, our American class structure replicates itself on board the Nimitz. Non-commissioned support grades are highly integrated while command is still largely, though not entirely, white and male. Command staff are generally gung-ho patriotic; Lower ranks are often just as intense but some express, "It's just a job" or, "We're here for the oil" opinions, too. If Carrier is any indication, the Navy offers full employment, hard work, intense supervision and the sort of camaraderie you don't always find on dry land. That so many of these folk admitted they needed all that is a sad commentary on parenting, schooling and society.
The documentary is definitely character-driven, with some personal revelations drawing gasps from my wife, who identified all too well with the working class element on board. One episode featured a good ol' OK boy that just couldn't (or wouldn't) get past his racist upbringing. Another sad moment was the fallout from an inebriated sexual encounter, while on liberty, between two shipmates that barely even knew each other.
Update: I think I can see why some have complained about the personal stories. Whereas the first five or six hours struck a good balance between the requirements of the mission and the personal stories of the crew, the last three or four hours focused almost entirely on personal situations. To some extent this is understandable since the primary mission was completed, but as much as I connected with their stories, all that personal griping did become a bit tedious.
The documentary is definitely character-driven, with some personal revelations drawing gasps from my wife, who identified all too well with the working class element on board. One episode featured a good ol' OK boy that just couldn't (or wouldn't) get past his racist upbringing. Another sad moment was the fallout from an inebriated sexual encounter, while on liberty, between two shipmates that barely even knew each other.
Update: I think I can see why some have complained about the personal stories. Whereas the first five or six hours struck a good balance between the requirements of the mission and the personal stories of the crew, the last three or four hours focused almost entirely on personal situations. To some extent this is understandable since the primary mission was completed, but as much as I connected with their stories, all that personal griping did become a bit tedious.
Un-Biased look at what happens on the Nimtz when it goes to war.
cmmcclurg30 April 2008
Very well made documentary about what happens aboard the USS Nimtz when it goes to war in 2005 to support Colition Forces in Iraq. It shows how the soldiers come together, despite different political views on the war, to accomplish their mission in the Persian Gulf. It gives a good look at the toll such a long deployment takes on the sailors/marines personal lives, moral and job performance. This documentary covers everything from homosexuals in the military to religion to combat and everyday life aboard the ship. Shows sailors/marines on liberty and what they are allowed to do and not to do. Also interesting is that is seems to focus more on the enlisted then the officers especially the pilots. Its nice to see a documentary on military life that just doesn't dwell on officers or pilots but focuses more on the enlisted men.
Surprising Good!
Bronco462 May 2008
PBS really surprised me with this one. I didn't think they could put out a program with so little anti-military sentiment. Another reviewer pointed out how pleasant it was to see something that didn't just focus on the Officers, and or pilots. And I'd have to agree. As a former medic (66-68) I enjoyed seeing the current military from an enlisted point of view. Being a cynic when it comes to the media's motives when it comes to hanging around the military I can't help but wonder if they weren't hoping for my negative responses and actions if they stayed around long enough. Soldiers (sailors or marines) complain a lot, it way of life in the military, and there was some complaining, but it was really interesting to see how well these kids do their jobs day after day. And some of those jobs are not that exciting. But you get to see that the military tries to do something that society as a whole should do, remind people that all jobs are important and without anyone of them the ship wouldn't work. The military understands that it's important for people to know they're doing something worth while. One thing that left me a little concerned was the mixing of genders about ship. During the first Persian Gulf War a cruiser had to be taken off line due to, to many pregnant sailors to remain combat effect. A lot of time was spent talking about male and females "hooking up" aboard ship. It's a shame that from a country of 300+million people we can't get enough volunteers to fill all the billets aboard ship. The volunteers we get a fantastic, and a credit to this country. But problems do come up with men in women thrown together for long periods of time. Stuff happens! Lastly this a very interesting series. And thank you to the men and women of the the Nimitz, and all units in all branches of the military for doing your part for our great country. It's our home.
Active duty Navy and LOVED IT!
jenzenk3 May 2008
As a current active duty Chief Petty Officer and having done my time on a carrier, the honesty was refreshing. Not a recruiting tool, not propaganda, just honest life.
It portrays the real Navy, good and bad, positive and negative. Some people love it, some people hate it... what an eye opener to the civilians who enjoyed this! Yes some of us don't like our job, some of us love it, just like the rest of the world. But when we do our job right, bad people get dead! I loved it!
Sit down with this documentary and pay attention to the real people who just happen to wear a uniform for your country. We do what we do because we love our country. You will see the places we do it, and the conditions we live under. If I can ask one thing from everyone who has never been there, whether you agree with what we do or not, thank a person in uniform if you have the opportunity, it means more to us than a paycheck!
It portrays the real Navy, good and bad, positive and negative. Some people love it, some people hate it... what an eye opener to the civilians who enjoyed this! Yes some of us don't like our job, some of us love it, just like the rest of the world. But when we do our job right, bad people get dead! I loved it!
Sit down with this documentary and pay attention to the real people who just happen to wear a uniform for your country. We do what we do because we love our country. You will see the places we do it, and the conditions we live under. If I can ask one thing from everyone who has never been there, whether you agree with what we do or not, thank a person in uniform if you have the opportunity, it means more to us than a paycheck!
Perhaps the best documentary I have ever seen
rjackson-fl2 April 2011
The best documentary on life aboard a US Navy ship that I have ever seen. One thing that really sets this series apart is that there is no narration. The officers, sailors, and marines tell the story - not someone else. It must have taken a herculean effort to make a cohesive story from the individual interviews and footage, but the result of the effort shows. This series also focuses on the everyday issues in sailors lives, not just the flying and fun. Exceptional. See this is you want to know what it is really like on a ship at sea. Not the Hollywood version, but real life.
I am a Navy veteran and a former aviator. This documentary shows squadron life in the way it really is. It also covers modern warship life, from the top to bottom. In fact, I have asked my son to watch it as he contemplates joining the Navy himself. I am reluctant to give anything 10 stars, but have this series deserves it. Watch it!
I am a Navy veteran and a former aviator. This documentary shows squadron life in the way it really is. It also covers modern warship life, from the top to bottom. In fact, I have asked my son to watch it as he contemplates joining the Navy himself. I am reluctant to give anything 10 stars, but have this series deserves it. Watch it!
Good view of Carrier Life from the bottom to the top
wlb24 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I was pleasantly surprised at the range of people who were interviewed for this series. From the guy taking out the garbage and a low ranked enlisted female scrubbing the stoves (all the while being near harassed by a Petty Officer to "do it right" (being in her place you'd want to say "get off my "rear" and let me do my job" - from the Captain to the pilots - Navy and Marine - really gave an honest view of what life is aboard a huge - 5,000 crew - Nimitz-class carrier.
Without giving too many spoilers I recommend this series - I ended up buying the DVD - of honest life aboard a carrier.
Some of the things that stood out - was the sacrifices some make with their families being gone for 6 months - or more. There was a mother of 3 children - an air traffic controller - in the Navy for 16 years - waiting to meet her children in Hawaii near the close of the deployment - a pilot whose wife had a miscarriage while he was at sea feeling helpless - A tough Marine Gunnery Sgt in near tears because he couldn't be with his pregnant wife - I believe the military wives (and husbands now?) deserve as much credit as their deployed military spouses. I always felt that but this brought it up close and personal.
Another segment that really stood out for me was the practice touch and goes - with a ship in seas so rough an old hand said he hadn't seen as bad for 20 years - with the Captain deciding that these conditions would warrant some practice.
Imagine being in a plane approaching at 150 mph or so - trying to catch one of 3 cables on a deck that rode up and down vertically 20 feet - a very dangerous time. Some Navy archival videos will show you just how dangerous.
By the way, the Special Features alone are worth the price of the DVD - one segment deals with flight deck operations - "one of the most dangerous places on earth". Some of Navy archive videos will show you why.
The more I have watched this DVD set, the more I have been amazed at the sheer scope and quality of this production. I am trying to just imagine the job on the cutting room floor - what to keep and what to edit to get down to 10 hours of viewing.
Out of a crew of 5,000 they profiled close up about 12-15 - with the different things going on in their lives, their jobs...
Working on the flight deck in 140 degree temperatures - being aware that a moment's inattention can mean death....
You start the 10 hour series leaving San Diego and by the time you have returned to San Diego you will have gotten as close to reality of a 6 month carrier deployment that you will get without actually enlisting...
Without giving too many spoilers I recommend this series - I ended up buying the DVD - of honest life aboard a carrier.
Some of the things that stood out - was the sacrifices some make with their families being gone for 6 months - or more. There was a mother of 3 children - an air traffic controller - in the Navy for 16 years - waiting to meet her children in Hawaii near the close of the deployment - a pilot whose wife had a miscarriage while he was at sea feeling helpless - A tough Marine Gunnery Sgt in near tears because he couldn't be with his pregnant wife - I believe the military wives (and husbands now?) deserve as much credit as their deployed military spouses. I always felt that but this brought it up close and personal.
Another segment that really stood out for me was the practice touch and goes - with a ship in seas so rough an old hand said he hadn't seen as bad for 20 years - with the Captain deciding that these conditions would warrant some practice.
Imagine being in a plane approaching at 150 mph or so - trying to catch one of 3 cables on a deck that rode up and down vertically 20 feet - a very dangerous time. Some Navy archival videos will show you just how dangerous.
By the way, the Special Features alone are worth the price of the DVD - one segment deals with flight deck operations - "one of the most dangerous places on earth". Some of Navy archive videos will show you why.
The more I have watched this DVD set, the more I have been amazed at the sheer scope and quality of this production. I am trying to just imagine the job on the cutting room floor - what to keep and what to edit to get down to 10 hours of viewing.
Out of a crew of 5,000 they profiled close up about 12-15 - with the different things going on in their lives, their jobs...
Working on the flight deck in 140 degree temperatures - being aware that a moment's inattention can mean death....
You start the 10 hour series leaving San Diego and by the time you have returned to San Diego you will have gotten as close to reality of a 6 month carrier deployment that you will get without actually enlisting...
Great television for everyone
GayActivist30 April 2008
The honesty that the crew gives is what makes this documentary great TV.
This show has something for everyone! It gives you a great look inside life of Navy Aircraft Carrier. They hold no punches.
If the military thought they were going to get a recruiting tool BOY were they wrong.
After seeing just the 6 first "hours" I can understand why it took 3 years to edit.
The directors and editors deserve a big hand of getting this men and women's stories out there for everyone to see and understand.
As an ex-military brat and having an uncle in the Navy I have heard a lot of similar stories before but they all still sound fresh today.
The best part about the documentary is that they allow servicemen and women to tell their own story without any voice over!
This is a masterpiece and deserves an Emmy or two.
This show has something for everyone! It gives you a great look inside life of Navy Aircraft Carrier. They hold no punches.
If the military thought they were going to get a recruiting tool BOY were they wrong.
After seeing just the 6 first "hours" I can understand why it took 3 years to edit.
The directors and editors deserve a big hand of getting this men and women's stories out there for everyone to see and understand.
As an ex-military brat and having an uncle in the Navy I have heard a lot of similar stories before but they all still sound fresh today.
The best part about the documentary is that they allow servicemen and women to tell their own story without any voice over!
This is a masterpiece and deserves an Emmy or two.
The Music Ruins It
markus-675-18631825 May 2018
I'm not in the Navy, but I live in San Diego and our company has worked closely with the Navy. I have been aboard a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and it is truly a jaw-dropping experience. Over 5000 crewmembers with the air wing attached. 20,000 meals a day and the food is pretty damn good!
But what made me turn this series off was the terribly bad choice in music. It made watching what otherwise would've been very watchable.
Really thoughtless choices of songs that made no sense. Totally annoying and distracting, whoever was the music coordinator should never do another documentary again
Superb documentary
grantss20 April 2014
Superb documentary of a deployment-in-the-life of USS Nimitz, a US Navy aircraft carrier. Told from the sides of the many personnel on board, from the captain all the way on down. Particularly impressive is the fact that you get to know the sailors as people, not just another function within a vast community.
No narration, but everything follows perfectly through the stories and opinions of the individuals. The editing is excellent, the seascapes and aerial photography fantastic, and the choice of themes for each episode spot on.
Great series.
No narration, but everything follows perfectly through the stories and opinions of the individuals. The editing is excellent, the seascapes and aerial photography fantastic, and the choice of themes for each episode spot on.
Great series.
a 'soap opera' with some MTV drama for good measure
riguy0291921 September 2008
I thought this series was horrible!!!
& before anyone harps on my comments, I too served in the Navy, for six years, aboard fast attack submarines.
Why was so much time wasted on the deck crew guy with the knocked up girlfriend back home? This entire storyline was a complete waste of time in my opinion. I wish I just could have fast forwarded through this nonsense.
And, an entire episode spent on how tough it is being away for six months!! I deployed on a Mediterranean cruise in the late 80s. We only received mail when we pulled in to port; certainly didn't have pay phones on board to call home whenever we felt like it, and certainly couldn't go topside to get a look at sunlight and breathe fresh air. Sorry.
And I found it amazing how the 'new Navy' is so politically correct with the Shellback ceremony. Are there any newly frocked Chiefs out there?? Has that ceremony changed any?? How is the Chief's Initiation not hazing but just about everything else is? When I received my dolphins (qualified in submarines), it hurt to put a t-shirt on for almost a month! I got them pounded in by two thirds of the crew and I was better for it. The 'newbies' and non-quals these days are coddled. Back in the days I was in, the new guys kept their mouths shut, did what they were told and listened. Nowadays, if a new guy feels he's being 'picked on' heads can and do roll! A complete reversal I just started to see brewing before my enlistment was up. And it was part of why I chose not to re enlist.
It would have been interesting to see more on that aviator who was grounded for having to land in Iraq. The review boards, etc. But alas, we had to keep going back to how the preggie girlfriend back home is doing.
And while I realize that the propulsion spaces are off limits, there are plenty of other stories that could have been told about other areas of the ship; machine shops, etc.
And how bout that Command Master Chief! On subs he was called COB, for chief of the boat. Thank God we 'bubbleheads' didn't have to put up with such boot camp nonsense.
Don't get me wrong. While I appreciate what all branches of the services do and the sacrifices they make, I just thought this series was a waste of time for the most part.
& before anyone harps on my comments, I too served in the Navy, for six years, aboard fast attack submarines.
Why was so much time wasted on the deck crew guy with the knocked up girlfriend back home? This entire storyline was a complete waste of time in my opinion. I wish I just could have fast forwarded through this nonsense.
And, an entire episode spent on how tough it is being away for six months!! I deployed on a Mediterranean cruise in the late 80s. We only received mail when we pulled in to port; certainly didn't have pay phones on board to call home whenever we felt like it, and certainly couldn't go topside to get a look at sunlight and breathe fresh air. Sorry.
And I found it amazing how the 'new Navy' is so politically correct with the Shellback ceremony. Are there any newly frocked Chiefs out there?? Has that ceremony changed any?? How is the Chief's Initiation not hazing but just about everything else is? When I received my dolphins (qualified in submarines), it hurt to put a t-shirt on for almost a month! I got them pounded in by two thirds of the crew and I was better for it. The 'newbies' and non-quals these days are coddled. Back in the days I was in, the new guys kept their mouths shut, did what they were told and listened. Nowadays, if a new guy feels he's being 'picked on' heads can and do roll! A complete reversal I just started to see brewing before my enlistment was up. And it was part of why I chose not to re enlist.
It would have been interesting to see more on that aviator who was grounded for having to land in Iraq. The review boards, etc. But alas, we had to keep going back to how the preggie girlfriend back home is doing.
And while I realize that the propulsion spaces are off limits, there are plenty of other stories that could have been told about other areas of the ship; machine shops, etc.
And how bout that Command Master Chief! On subs he was called COB, for chief of the boat. Thank God we 'bubbleheads' didn't have to put up with such boot camp nonsense.
Don't get me wrong. While I appreciate what all branches of the services do and the sacrifices they make, I just thought this series was a waste of time for the most part.
Best documentary I've ever watched
brett-7626027 June 2018
Just sat through all 10 episodes. Easily one of the best military documentaries I've ever seen. Being a
US Marine, this really took me back to when I was on active duty and around my Brothers 24/7. I miss those times so much it hurts. Although the navy is totally different than the Marine Corps, this show will really put it in perspective on what being deployed is all about. Sucks to be away from home but the bond you make with others while deployed will last a lifetime. Great show and well worth the ten hours of my time to watch. If you are military, this will certainly bring back both good and bad memories of your time spent abroad. Director and producers nailed it on top shelf quality production. Semper Fi
End of the American Dream in a Miniature
aedesjanus20 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Chermayeff's 10 part series documents the Nimitz deployment from May to November 2005. The USS Nimitz is the paradigmatic symbol of US superpower status, costing more than 4.5 Billion Dollars to build (there are 10 such carriers in the class).
3,200 men and women live on the ship during a six month deployment. The ship's crew is predominantly in their 20's. The majority of them have left failed, disturbed, and alienated conditions to join the Navy for a better life. The recruitment dovetails squarely with the failure of US civil society. The Navy's regimented and autonomy-disabling culture is paired with an ideology of perfect performance and spotless adherence to codes of conduct. The sheer aesthetic and sensual mastery necessary to produce split-second cooperation between the hundreds of specialists needed to keep this technological genius functioning is surreal. Even the slightest error anywhere in the system could mean failure, disgrace, injury or death.
And yet one cannot avoid the fact that this intensity and immediacy is anchored by the failures that brought them there. (The class of officers and airmen work as hard, but their path is often so different that I will exclude them here). The voiding of their expectation to decide what values their efforts are applied to is a necessary pre-requisite for their perfect functioning. The military industrial complex has collected untold wealth from the machines that the crew operate. The purpose of the machines is to be determined by that complex together with whatever political irrationality is currently being reproduced by and through it. The wealth is created by depriving each of these individuals of adequate public goods, creating the basis for their voluntary functionalization. Whatever they actually are permitted to earn is garnished as part of this circle implicating them.
In the sum, the crew find themselves, replete with their human needs for recognition, belonging, and desire for sacrifice, on "Old Salt". Once there, they grow up socialized into a grand identification with their own substantive evacuation. They become great Americans, displaying truly virtuous characteristics, yet having been never allowed to decide what outcome these sacrifices and efforts are applied to. The pain and ambivalence of facing the failures of the civil society around them are superbly blocked by immediacy and physicality.
Carrier embodies a society that has downloaded (privatized) economic and societal failure onto its underclass. The ideology of self-loathing and violence that marks the backgrounds of the crew are sublated and put at the disposal of the very forces that have wounded them. They are all disparate members of an empire whose purpose is its own reproduction. Their sensual perfection marks the moment where they actually become one with themselves in that alienation. The Hegelian moment is unavoidable. By not-being they are reproducing the empire, which is more than they could ever be alone. It is however missing the crucial dialectical pole of having the freedom in consciousness and context to decide when the relinquishment of that subjective moment is just. Chermayeff's film captures this subtly but effectively. The film's aesthetics don't turn away from the tremendous power and majesty of the end product, while taking the time to explore the lives of simple crew members. It's this juxtaposition which exposes the Nimitz as the symbolic centerpiece of American societal oligarchy.
3,200 men and women live on the ship during a six month deployment. The ship's crew is predominantly in their 20's. The majority of them have left failed, disturbed, and alienated conditions to join the Navy for a better life. The recruitment dovetails squarely with the failure of US civil society. The Navy's regimented and autonomy-disabling culture is paired with an ideology of perfect performance and spotless adherence to codes of conduct. The sheer aesthetic and sensual mastery necessary to produce split-second cooperation between the hundreds of specialists needed to keep this technological genius functioning is surreal. Even the slightest error anywhere in the system could mean failure, disgrace, injury or death.
And yet one cannot avoid the fact that this intensity and immediacy is anchored by the failures that brought them there. (The class of officers and airmen work as hard, but their path is often so different that I will exclude them here). The voiding of their expectation to decide what values their efforts are applied to is a necessary pre-requisite for their perfect functioning. The military industrial complex has collected untold wealth from the machines that the crew operate. The purpose of the machines is to be determined by that complex together with whatever political irrationality is currently being reproduced by and through it. The wealth is created by depriving each of these individuals of adequate public goods, creating the basis for their voluntary functionalization. Whatever they actually are permitted to earn is garnished as part of this circle implicating them.
In the sum, the crew find themselves, replete with their human needs for recognition, belonging, and desire for sacrifice, on "Old Salt". Once there, they grow up socialized into a grand identification with their own substantive evacuation. They become great Americans, displaying truly virtuous characteristics, yet having been never allowed to decide what outcome these sacrifices and efforts are applied to. The pain and ambivalence of facing the failures of the civil society around them are superbly blocked by immediacy and physicality.
Carrier embodies a society that has downloaded (privatized) economic and societal failure onto its underclass. The ideology of self-loathing and violence that marks the backgrounds of the crew are sublated and put at the disposal of the very forces that have wounded them. They are all disparate members of an empire whose purpose is its own reproduction. Their sensual perfection marks the moment where they actually become one with themselves in that alienation. The Hegelian moment is unavoidable. By not-being they are reproducing the empire, which is more than they could ever be alone. It is however missing the crucial dialectical pole of having the freedom in consciousness and context to decide when the relinquishment of that subjective moment is just. Chermayeff's film captures this subtly but effectively. The film's aesthetics don't turn away from the tremendous power and majesty of the end product, while taking the time to explore the lives of simple crew members. It's this juxtaposition which exposes the Nimitz as the symbolic centerpiece of American societal oligarchy.
From the standpoint of someone who served on a carrier...
raygun-5344230 May 2018
I found this interesting because I was in the Navy in the 80's and early 90's, before women were on the ships. It very much reenforced my view that women don't belong on the ship.
A very good raw look at life on a carrier.
A very good raw look at life on a carrier.
Great military documentary
Ajtlawyer16 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best documentaries you'll ever see. Aircraft carriers are incredible war machines and it takes a crew of about 5,000 to run it. "Carrier" follows the USS NIMITZ on a 2005 cruise to the Persian Gulf in the midst of the Iraq War. The filmmakers focus on about 12 or 15 of the crew, most of them enlisted but a couple of officers.
Their stories are very compelling. Young people, many of whom join the Navy or Marines because they don't have any other realistic options. Military service transforms their lives, transitioning them from directionless teenagers to people living with a purpose.
There are several things that stand out in this series. First, is the tremendous melting pot that the military is. You lose count of the variety of backgrounds represented by the crew---black, white, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, gay, straight, male, female, Texan, California surfer, small town Americans, farm kids, you name it. All of them put together ono one team with a mission to wage war against the countries enemies.
Some of the stories are very poignant. The pilot who's wife finds out she's pregnant while he's on the cruise but who miscarries before he comes home. The young crewman who has gotten his casual girlfriend pregnant before he leaves and is wringing his hands the entire cruise wondering what's going to happen when he gets back (clue: nothing good for him). The Marine gunnery sergeant who was abandoned by his parents when he was 3 but who finds a family in Corps. And, as hard as nails as he is, he weeps when he sees the first photos of his newborn son. The young woman from a dead-end town who decides that the Navy is a better shot at life than staying home and becoming an addict or unwed mother like nearly all of the friends she had growing up.
This detailed a documentary probably couldn't be made about a smaller ship and crew although if one is ever made about a cruiser or submarine crew that is as good as "Carrier" I'll be first in line to watch it.
Their stories are very compelling. Young people, many of whom join the Navy or Marines because they don't have any other realistic options. Military service transforms their lives, transitioning them from directionless teenagers to people living with a purpose.
There are several things that stand out in this series. First, is the tremendous melting pot that the military is. You lose count of the variety of backgrounds represented by the crew---black, white, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, gay, straight, male, female, Texan, California surfer, small town Americans, farm kids, you name it. All of them put together ono one team with a mission to wage war against the countries enemies.
Some of the stories are very poignant. The pilot who's wife finds out she's pregnant while he's on the cruise but who miscarries before he comes home. The young crewman who has gotten his casual girlfriend pregnant before he leaves and is wringing his hands the entire cruise wondering what's going to happen when he gets back (clue: nothing good for him). The Marine gunnery sergeant who was abandoned by his parents when he was 3 but who finds a family in Corps. And, as hard as nails as he is, he weeps when he sees the first photos of his newborn son. The young woman from a dead-end town who decides that the Navy is a better shot at life than staying home and becoming an addict or unwed mother like nearly all of the friends she had growing up.
This detailed a documentary probably couldn't be made about a smaller ship and crew although if one is ever made about a cruiser or submarine crew that is as good as "Carrier" I'll be first in line to watch it.
Unbelievable
mike-flory12 May 2008
If this is an accurate portrayal of the US Navy, it sure has changed drastically since I served in Vietnam on the USS Coral Sea from 1967 to 1969. The general cleanliness of the ship was disgusting. I had never seen so many different uniforms (I am not talking about the color of the flight deck personnel's shirts). The attitude of the ship's company. The "long" periods away from home. (Six months isn't even a football season). The belly-aching about not dropping weapons. I bet if they did drop they would be belly-aching about the under-way replenishments every three days to re-arm with ordinance. This to me was a big soap opera. What did these people think they signed up for in the first place? It is like life, you do you job to the best of you ability and cowboy-up. What are they going to do on the outside? I just can not believe that the Navy has come to the point portrayed in this series. We could not even have an article of civilian clothing on board let alone wear it on liberty call. Unbelievable.
Boring Soap Opera
jmw11108520 September 2020
I purchased this from Amazon and was really looking forward to watching it. How disappointing it turned out to be.
Imagine making a soap opera out of life on a carrier. It's no revelation that garbage needs to be handled, toilets need to be scrubbed, and food needs to be cooked on a boat with 5000 people. How many times did we need to see so many banal actions? Such lousy direction and film editing.
Oh look, sailors get horny, drunk, and get into fights! Duh. How could this be remotely interesting? At least a real soap opera does it better. Personal problems, inter-personnel problems, different opinions, on my! Like a plate piled high with spaghetti, Chermayeff served up banal vignettes.
I wanted to see how C&C functioned, how the leadership teams co-operated and clashed, how the different parts of the ship worked. Of course some focus on the sailors is absolutely needed. Instead we got a poorly done soap.
Don't spend any money on this show, watch it for free or not at all. I regret purchasing it.
Imagine making a soap opera out of life on a carrier. It's no revelation that garbage needs to be handled, toilets need to be scrubbed, and food needs to be cooked on a boat with 5000 people. How many times did we need to see so many banal actions? Such lousy direction and film editing.
Oh look, sailors get horny, drunk, and get into fights! Duh. How could this be remotely interesting? At least a real soap opera does it better. Personal problems, inter-personnel problems, different opinions, on my! Like a plate piled high with spaghetti, Chermayeff served up banal vignettes.
I wanted to see how C&C functioned, how the leadership teams co-operated and clashed, how the different parts of the ship worked. Of course some focus on the sailors is absolutely needed. Instead we got a poorly done soap.
Don't spend any money on this show, watch it for free or not at all. I regret purchasing it.
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