Tribeca 2011 Review: SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL - Memorable & Moving

By Mark Zhuravsky / July 1, 2011

rating: 4

Semper fi or €œsemper fidelis€ is the long-standing motto of the United States Marine Corps, though they were certainly not the first to use it. Latin for €œalways faithful€, it implies a permanent, undying dedication, faithfulness in life-long effect. You would hope it works both ways €“ for the soldier laying his life on the line to be able to rely on his government. Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon€™s thoughtful, emotionally charged documentary explores that query through the eyes of retired Master Sergeant Jerry Ensminger, who by sheer chance uncovers evidence that may link the U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Defense to a deadly pollutant contamination. Libert and Hardmon elect a narrative structure for the documentary and it plays in their favor, as talking-head interludes are kept to a minimum and we see a good amount of (though no doubt only a fraction of) the work that Mr. Ensminger puts into his personal investigation. His reasons for pursuing and bringing these facts to life are painfully personal €“ his nine-year-old daughter suddenly died of leukemia in 1985, shattering the family and leaving Mr. Ensminger questioning what could have caused the disease. Struck by a news report on pollutants found at Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina, where he served a good amount of his military career, the retired instructor proceeds to clue himself in and quickly finds a stunning pattern of cancers and other debilitating diseases having effected the many people who€™ve worked at Lejeune through the years. Mr. Hardmon has called Semper Fi €œa classic David and Goliath tale€ and in many ways, that€™s why the film works as well as it does. It has a straight-faced sense of pacing, drawing us into the investigation and the sheer difficulty of calling out the government for what over the years becomes uncontrovertibly a man-made disaster that has infected innocent people, soldier and civilian alike. Some of the most compelling and heartbreaking moments in the film involve community meetings that feature veterans and former staff of Camp Lejeune testify on their health hardships as Ensminger and friend and fellow researcher Mike Partain look on. Mr. Partain, along with several others, are spotlighted but the film belongs to Mr. Ensminger, a hardened man whose 25-year career in the armed forces has certainly honed a determination and endurance that inspires genuine respect. The investigation hits roadblock after roadblock and occasionally the film does lag briefly but once we are emotionally invested, even the slowdown feels personal €“ if the facts are all there, why won€™t even peek their head up and take responsibility? Why are representatives seemingly trained to make non-determinate statements implicating no one? To pin this on the U.S. government is too easy €“ the reality is the system in place must be hurting and a case like this shines a brief light on how special interests group immediately take an interest once investigation blooms into what chemicals released at Lejeune need to be reconsidered for €œharmful€ status. Seeing Mr. Ensminger keep his cool while passionately (and forcefully) delivering a speech to a room full of pleasantly dressed big name company representatives is not only satisfying, it€™s a bit giddy. Perhaps spoilers shouldn€™t apply to a documentary, but I dare not reveal where the film goes or how it ends €“ a simple search online would give away the answers, but Semper Fi: Always Faithful needs that air of mystery to work as a film, not just a record of one man slowly and deliberately fighting for what seems obvious to us in the theater €“ justice and responsibility from a branch that is dedicate to these same principles. Jerry Ensminger and the men and women who join him in the fight aren€™t rock star or celebrities €“ they are regular people, hardened by personal tragedies and strengthened by a fighting spirit €“ not one of them bemoans their time in the Corps and Mr. Ensminger himself attributes his stamina to spirit imbued onto him during his life in the military. By refusing to muck-rake or point fingers and instead focusing on the human factor and the occasional emotional quagmires that come from fighting against a system you€™ve spent a lifetime believing and trusting into, Semper Fi remains by turns memorable and moving. Semper Fi: Always Faithful world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.