Osmosis Iron
Vietnam war as depicted by the master itself: Stanley Kubrick. Funny moments, sad moments and everything in between. This movie shows the many aspects of war and it's effect on human condition. Many people seem to think it gets weaker after the boot camp and the second part isn't as good, I like the whole movie, the second half has at least the same amount of memorable scenes if not more!
eric_molina
The director's intention was to provide an image of a Marine's daily life. The scenes that helped the director's intentions was a specific scene in which the marines were sitting around talking and bidding on a girl while the rest of them were fighting and another scene where the soldiers are lounging around while the tanks are blasting. Also, when the general pushes them to their limits leading to mental breakdowns. This scene supports my claim because the movie illustrates the marine's life of how they fight and protect our lives while risking theirs and suffering at the same time. The plot of the movie is how all the privates graduated to be marines except one that killed himself and when they became marines they fought in the Battle of Hue in Vietnam. The main plot in the movie fails because someone kills himself and at the end three marines die. The acting felt forced but also authentic. The actors did not show their full potential but authentic because you would always hear a general screaming. Cinematography is an important aspect of this movie. The cinematography helps the director's intention of a marine's daily life, but the particular shots that made it worse were the shooting animated blood and fake props. I rate this movie 7/10 because I really like how the director made a movie based on a marine's life and made it interesting and fun. I also believe that the acting and plot was not executed perfectly and needed more potential and the action is more waiting and not enough suspense or thrill. All in all the movie is great and I encourage you to take some of your time to watch this.
The Movie Diorama
A smart move from the legend that was Stanley Kubrick. We've all seen many war films, a genre that is well explored from a variety of different conflicts. Full Metal Jacket however chooses to go behind the scenes and focus on the training process that changes well intentioned men into trained lethal killers. You could easily split this in half and have two separate films, the first half being more psychologically charged whereas the latter showcasing the brutality of warfare. A ridiculously serious drill sergeant practically bullying a trainee marine so harshly that it slowly turns him into an unstable psychopath. That right there, was some really good psychology and made the film so much more interesting. Sure the Vietnam War scenes were depicted with a substantial amount of fire, blood and guns but it was the first half that really captivated me. Vincent D'Onofrio was the stand out for me, both convincing and expressive through his face. Matthew Modine was good, probably his best performance. Lee Ermey deserves recognition just for somehow managing to not lose his voice from all the shouting. Characterisation was present, perhaps not fully fleshed out as I would like but was just enough for me to care about them. Yet again though, it's the technical marvel that wins...Stanley Kubrick. His directing style is so damn flawless. The nice clean long takes, actors looking directly into the camera, slow motion deaths (particularly in the sniper shootout)...he is just phenomenal. Script was sharp as well. A great section of dialogue where our lead character wears a peace badge and a helmet that says "born to kill" for which he describes represents the duality of man. That really stuck with me. So whilst it might feel like two separate films (due to that ridiculously quick transition), it's hard not to appreciate everything that's shown to us. Another hit from Mr. Kubrick.
SlyGuy21
I find it interesting that the first half of this is so fondly remembered compared to the second half. The first half has the famous role of R. Lee Ermey, a ton of quotable lines, and a dark sense of humor. This part of the film exposes both Joker, and the audience to the true horrors of war. It doesn't start in the field, it starts in the training. Similar to "A Clockwork Orange", the first half of this judges you, "Yeah, you like this out of shape guy getting physically and emotionally abused, don't ya?". We do, even though I knew what would happen, I laughed as Pvt. Pyle was humiliated for over 40 minutes, and then the tone changes. As Kubrick is so expertly able to do, we realize that Pyle has snapped, the first casualty of war that Joker sees isn't a man,but a man's spirit.The second half isn't as well remembered, even I had trouble remembering what happens when Ermey isn't on screen. I understand what the movie's trying to say, now that Joker's in the war zone, he's experienced to the physical horrors around him. After the Tet Offensive, he's thrust right into the front lines, seeing things like mass graves, booby traps, teenage snipers, and even his own innocence being destroyed. Kubrick does all of this with utter mastery, almost like he knew the first half would overshadow the second half, even though the second half is just as important, if not more. He knew the darker tone the movie takes wouldn't be accepted by all, almost like he used it as a way to gauge the real fans who got the film's overall message. If you like the first half of this, and don't like the second half, then you've missed the point of this movie. No matter how much we try to glorify war, or say how it's necessary, it's still Hell. No matter what color you paint it, it'll always be black, black as night, black as coal. It destroys lives, homes, morals, souls, everything, and Kubrick shows that in spades here. It's not a feel good movie, as it ends with Joker becoming just another grunt, unafraid of death, no longer afraid of the violence that surrounds him. But then again, how can you make a feel good movie out of a conflict that killed an entire generation of people? You can't, but Kubrick delivered a perfect showing of the decay a human soul goes through. It's Kubrick's world, we just live in it.
