Full Metal Jacket Movie Review

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

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Written by: Stanley Kubrick & Michael Herr & Gustav Hasford (screenplay by), Gustav Hasford (novel)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin
Rated: R
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Plot
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

Verdict
The movie references the dichotomy of man, but this is also about the dichotomy of war. We see the contrast with training and how the military prepares men for war. Then we see Vietnam. It's a stark contrast to the structure of boot camp, but both environments are harsh. What remains is the apathy soldiers are trained to feel. To turn men into killers, you have to mold them a certain way. With the two part structure, this movie feels like two. It's intentional, and like all of Kubrick's movie, every scene and feeling seems specifically crafted.
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Review
This might have been the first Kubrick movie I watched. I was mesmerized with the duality of the movie, with Vietnam is so much different than boot camp. The fears of boot camp are valid, but not life threatening. The rigidity and discipline of boot camp is a contrast to the freedom in Vietnam. 

This jumps right into it with Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermy) berating new recruits. He's harsh, but this is the process of weeding out men that have a chance to survive in war and those that don't. If you can't cut it in boot camp how will you make it when the enemy's bullets are whizzing by your head. That's the premise, or the idea of boot camp. This movie delves into that and looks at boot camp and war. The premise of boot camp doesn't play out like we imagine in Vietnam. This leaves you with the question of whether it's worth it. Boot camp may be beneficial in preparing some men, but it's detrimental for others.

Vincent D'Onofrio and R. Lee Ermy play Private Pyle and Gunnery Sergeant Hartman

Hartman takes particular interest in Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio). Pyle seems a bit slow and incompetent, and thus endures quite a bit of bullying. It's the military's way of getting him in shape and making him a soldier. Joker (Matthew Modine) is assigned to help Pyle as punishment more than anything. It's clear Joker was drafted, and his sardonic wit gets him in trouble a few times. Hartman singles out Pyle, picking on the weakest to make him stronger. Everyone else follows Hartman's lead. Pyle manages to become a competent soldier, but looks are deceiving. While Hartman describes Pyle as "born again hard", Joker has concerns. The intensity of boot camp culminates in the night after graduation before abruptly cutting to Vietnam.

Boot camp is rigid and regiment, full of physical training and abuse. It prepares soldiers to take orders, but Vietnam is not boot camp. A lot of their days are spent hurrying up and waiting. Joker mentions the duality of man, and that's manifested in the duality of this movie. Boot camp is the perception of war the recruits have. They go to Vietnam and experience the reality. While the dangers are much higher, Joker is a step removed from that working for the military newspaper. He wants to go to the front line and put his training to use. It's morbid curiosity more than anything, but it's also what boot camp prepared him for. He was trained to march to the front line, ignoring the danger.

Like all of Kubrick's movie, the framing and shots look amazing. Kubrick brings an artistry to his movies unlike many directors. Kubrick is my favorite director for his attention to detail, his craft, and his ability to excel in so many different genres.

Matthew Modine plays Private Joker

The first half of this movie is closed, restrictive. The second half is so different. It's rigid versus lawless, restrictive versus open. Vietnam is where the movie introduces music and warmer colors.Joker is in this situation, but not by choice. He sees this institution as a farce. At the front line he sees the inhumanity of war. There are no rules here, it's live or die. It's one thing to practice shooting, but it's another to shoot someone up close. You could see some of these soldiers are heartless, but it's also a reaction to their circumstances. It's easier to shoot someone you view as inhuman that to reconcile those feelings. There's a disassociation with reality and their situation and that's clear when Joker and the platoon he's with heads back at the end of the movie.

Many reviews criticize how tight boot camp is with how loose Vietnam is, but I've always seen that as intentional. Training and the execution are starkly different. While boot camp is designed to make men into soldiers and weed out the weak, we see a recruit turn into a fine soldier but not without associated harm. Then we see Private Joker in Vietnam. Did the abuses of boot camp prepare him for Vietnam? The apathy ingrained in him certainly helps weather some of the horrors he sees, but he hasn't completely lost his humanity and empathy. That ties back to his helmet emblazoned with "born to kill" and the pin on his lapel of a peace symbol. It's the duality of man.