MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: War/ Stars: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, Ed O’Ross/ Runtime: 116 minutes
Mr. Stanley Kubrick was not a prolific director. This is because in 71 years of being a part of the planet Earth he was able to leave audiences across the planet with only 16 movies. Yet I can also say that these 16 films are also among some of the most powerful cinematic experiences ever brought to the silver screen. Amongst that list of iconic cinematic experiences is Full Metal Jacket which was released at least 12 years before Eyes Wide Shut because, in the eyes of Kubrick, the concept of war should always come before the concept known plain and simply as denial. Yet as gritty and unflinching as his take on the Vietnam War is, this is for my money his most mainstream work as well. Indeed Mr. Kubrick manages to provide audiences with the distinct point-of-view of a grunt in both training for and fighting in a conflict that quite notorious both in unpopularity as well as how much of it was chronicled for the public. Indeed this was the first military conflict to be fully televised for audiences and Kubrick ingeniously and quite slyly rib not only the fact that the soldiers were knowledgeable about this, but also in regards to the shady essence of the advocacy that the US Military’s very own news teams on the front lines of the conflict. The end result of this proves to be a mile-a-minute guided tour of a true madhouse blended in with dark humor with only a smidge of politics mixed in, a terrific usage of pop music, and some truly spared no expense moments of callous and toughened brutality and it all makes for one heck of a memorable film viewing experience.
The plot is as follows: Full Metal Jacket is the riveting journey of Pvt. Joker as he starts out as a Marine grunt on “The Island” under the “tutelage” of a rough and tumble drill instructor named Hartman during the Vietnam War. By “tutelage” I of course mean that he is both witness and victim to a seemingly endless barrage of hazing and abuse from the tough-as-nails DI. Yet even though Hartman is successful in his methods and turns Joker into a warrior, he nevertheless is able to keep a tiny degree of his humanity. Shortly thereafter Joker finds himself in the heart of the war as a combat reporter for one of the Armed Forces’ propaganda magazines and finds himself sent out into the war zone on assignment. Thus through the madness and anarchy of the war zone, Joker soon discovers that, should he wish to survive, he sadly must be willing to give up the remaining threads of his own humanity…
Now the writing team behind this film have really managed to contribute a script that, especially when it comes to this film’s first hour, is absolutely phenomenal. Indeed it really feels like you aren’t even given a moment to catch your breath before you are hurled directly into Sgt. Hartman’s face as he literally fires a seemingly non-stop barrage of rancor-filled dialogue toward these grunts that is so sharp and so hostile that you will be both in shock and laughing at just how far he’s willing to go at the same time. Indeed it’s safe to say that it’s the fact that this is a script which truly is the dictionary definition of “mile-a-minute” that really aids the movie become as terrific and potent as it is. Yet astonishingly this film is not really just about crass dialogue from a particularly tough drill sergeant. This is, above all, a movie that chooses to showcase just how a human being is meant to thrive in a truly hostile environment with the first part showing how we as people deal with hostility, and the second part is about how people deal with hostility under the tense and frightening conditions that only a war can bring about. Indeed it not only makes for quite the intriguing juxtaposition, and it is also a narrative that is fascinatingly showcased. Now even though the final skirmish may truly not contain any sense of overarching verdict or understanding in regards to circumstances, I still feel that this is still in sync with the rest of the film. That is because this is a film about people rather the conflict and as such you can’t appraise those aspects on the same level.
Now I really appreciated how every single character in this film really truly possessed a vibe that makes an audience feel as if they are watching real-life people rather than fictional creations for a film. Yet I feel a lot of the praise for that has to be given to both the subject matter as well as the caliber of the actors bringing these characters to life. This of course starts with the undoubtedly star of the movie even though he is only in the first half R. Lee Emery who brings a vicious and maniacal enjoyable energy to the let-loose attack dog that is Sergeant Hartman. Indeed this is a man who clearly enjoys his job way too much yet understands that this is the only way to prepare these “kids of the world” for the horrors they’re about to face, and as a former D.I. himself, Ermey manages to turn an already incredible performance into something that is just iconic in every sense of the word. Now as the de-facto lead of the film, Matthew Modine turns in a pretty good turn as Pvt. Joker and manages to balance out both the humanity and the killer edge that is fighting to take over quite admirably. However the other stand-out alongside R. Lee Ermey’s die hard drill sergeant would have to be while Vincent D’Onofrio as Pvt. Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence, an overweight yet seemingly kind and decent recruit who quickly and horrifically finds himself the subject of wrath and ruthlessness from both Hartman and the other recruits as well. Indeed this is a truly terrifying and haunting performance since when we first meet him, D’Onofrio presents Pyle with a delightful humanity and a wonderful sense of innocence yet as the movie, and Hartman begins to wear him down both physically and psychologically, he and his soul horrifyingly change into something that the stuff nightmares are made of. Indeed near the end of the first half of the movie, Pyle gives a look that has to be one of the most evil looks I have ever seen due to the fact that it literally feels like we are staring into the eyes of someone who has completely and totally mad. Suffice it to say then that this film’s cast manages to do a wonderful job with what they are given in regards to material.
As for this film’s direction….c’mon guys this is a Stanley Kubrick film we are talking about here so I think it’s safe to say that this movie was in good hands. Of course there is also terrific work done in regards to the cinematography department with particular regard to the indelible if not borderline oppressive environments in the movie’s second half set in ‘Nam. There are also some majestic utilizations of camera filtrations especially of a mesmerizing blue. There is also an intelligent yet never over the top score that when utilized is never invasive, but always creepy in the best way possible. Finally there is also a terrific helming in regards to the speed at which the movie moves forward since the viewer is never left bored or desperately checking to see how much longer is left in the film. Indeed there really are just quite a few iconic moments peppered throughout that it’s really hard to give all of them their necessary due. Perhaps one of the most powerful however is the opening of the film where we see Hartman getting right in the faces of the various grunt recruits, and through them the camera, and instantly start hurling and ranting poisonous and quite intimidating comments to their faces and for the viewer it literally feels like they are the target instead of the characters, but that’s just the power that this movie has. Now there are people who may take issue with how removed you may have feel when it comes to the scenes of conflict that occur near film’s end. To this reviewer however, I found the eerie tranquility, haunting calm as well as their passionate utilization to be extremely more potent than a lot of the special effects gimmickry that is utilized in other war films.
All in all Full Metal Jacket truly is an absolutely unforgettable movie, and not to mention one that is absolutely in every way unique from the vast majority of films in the long and storied war genre that I have had the pleasure of reviewing. Indeed this movie doesn’t glorify, doesn’t demonize, and also doesn’t attempt to redeem in any way either those involved or the conflict in which they are taking part. Yet by the same token, there is also not only no truisms of a pacifist nature, but there is also phenomenal artistry to be found amongst the nightmarish and desolate ruins left in the aftermath of the fighting that these men take part in. Indeed war is hell, but at the same time it’s something else. What that something else is however is something that every person will have to discover for themselves. On a scale of 1-5 I give Full Metal Jacket a solid 4.5 out of 5.
