Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey
Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey
| 01 June 2007 (USA)
Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey Trailers

SEMPER FI: One Marine's Journey tells the story of Jeff Key, who at thirty-four years old and gay, joined the Marines to fulfill his life long dream. After 9/11, Key was sent to the Iraq war, despite the fact that he could have dodged his deployment by revealing his sexual orientation to his superiors. Having returned home with shattered ideals and broken hearted by what he had witnessed, Key turned his experiences into a riveting one-man play. SEMPER FI, through its powerful juxtaposition of interviews, voiceovers, Jeff's personal footage from Iraq and scenes from his play, showcases his journey revealing the power and dignity of what it means to be a gay American at war.

Reviews
Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters
Dorathen Better Late Then Never
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
smokehill retrievers Considering that the rate of STDs, including HIV-AIDS, is astronomical in gay males of normal military age (18-40) -- compared to straight males -- and that the solder or Marine next to you is your blood bank for direct transfer (still used in combat, such as in the Blackhawk Down incident) .... I'm just staggered that no one bothers to even mention this when discussing the issue of gays in the military.The actual rate of HIV infection is roughly 30 times higher among gay males compared to everyone else, and similar rates for all STD's, including syphilis.Doesn't it sink in that there is a REASON that each soldier's blood type is stamped on his dog tags? No, thanks. Combat wounds usually heal, for the most part. What our veterans do NOT need is a bout of AIDS added, for them -- and their family -- to enjoy for the rest of their lives.Basically, this film was just the usual left-wing, feel-good propaganda for people that have no real understanding of the whole issue.I am not impressed. Neither was I surprised when our joke of a national government jammed gays down the Defense Department's throat -- not a bad analogy, actually. Wait until you see what the AIDS budget for the Veterans Administration will expand to in the next five or ten years ....
paul kane I saw this last night at a screening which was part of a new queer film fest here in Denver. I was apprehensive, but decided to go based on the first user comment on this site and I'm grateful I did. In addition to the documentary being well above my expectations, the director as well as Jeff Key were there in person for a Q & A. Having them there to field questions enriched the entire experience, especially since the material begs for even more information. At 82 minutes, I could have sat for at least another 20 minutes. If you get a chance to see this on Showtime, definitely check it out. I hope this makes it to video w/ bonus material.
lastliberal An outstanding documentary of the life and Marine career of Jeff key, a gay man who felt the duty to join and do something for his country after 9/11.His story is worth listening to and presents just about all the arguments that one needs to remove the ridiculous "Don't Aske. Don't Tell" policy in the military.One of the most interesting facts in the movie is the fact that his fellow Marines in Iraq all knew that he way gay. It didn't matter to the good ones as they were only concerned about his ability to protect them in danger.The movie also shows how the war changed from one of liberation to the sorry mess we have over there now.Don't miss it.
topdown-2 Whoa! What a beautiful and sometimes sad story about a man whose love for his fellow man and his country are interwoven into a masterpiece of life. Jeff Key has done more to increase the prestige of the USMC than any poster or recruiter could ever do. Jeff shoots from the hip with no apologies. He is straightforward and leaves no doubt of his sincerity. He does a wonderful job of introducing us to members of his family and those folks who he regards as friends - both in his civilian life and members of the Marine Corps with whom he served. Here is a dedicated individual who just happens to be gay and does not let that interrupt his eagerness to serve and protect us. In the scenes of his interacting with the children of Iraq one soon learns of his honesty and willingness to offer them hope. We see war as it has not been shown to us before. Oh,yes, there is death and mayhem but there is also, in his mind at least, a reason of why he is there. I would urge every American to invest 90 minutes and absorb the various messages of Jeff Key's "Semper Fi". Thank you, Jeff. And God bless you.
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