Based on Allan Berube's scrupulously researched, passionately written book of the same name, COMING OUT UNDER FIRE is fine, workmanlike revisionist history. Full of compelling anecdotes about the frightening struggles and occasional triumphs of gay and lesbian soldiers in WWII, the film
makes a powerful argument in favor of gays in the military.
Arthur Dong's documentary, consisting primarily of talking-head interviews with a wide range of WWII veterans, confronts the issue in a commendably thoughtful and straightforward manner. After Pearl Harbor, many Americans felt a personal responsibility and social pressure to enlist. Such
feelings, though, put gays and...
Released:
1994
Rated:
NR
Length:
71 mins