- From the opening shots of recruits getting crewcuts to its portrayal of urban warfare in Vietnam, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket devotes itself to exploring those aspects of war that generally don't make it onto the big screen. As seen through the eyes of a young Marine nicknamed "Joker" (Matthew Modine), being a soldier consists of lots of preparation followed by plenty of sitting around, with only the occasional foray into combat. In fact, the film's entire first half is devoted to an in-depth look at basic training at the hands of a memorably sadistic drill instructor named Hartman (R. Lee Ermey). It's probably impossible to convey the theatrical manner in which Hartman communicates to his men, aside from noting that he refers to them alternately as "maggots" and "ladies" when he's not employing more hilariously unrepeatable forms of insult. The whole character seems a bit trite until you realize both that Ermey was informed by his real-life experiences as a drill instructor and that his performance was largely responsible for popularizing the stereotype.
- While watching the basic training sequence, I was struck by just how many pushups these actors must have done, especially considering how much Kubrick liked to reshoot scenes. At any rate, even the relatively robust recruits, like Joker or the diminutive Texan known as Cowboy (Arliss Howard), have a tough time surviving Hartman's instruction. The weaker ones, epitomized by the doughy Private "Gomer Pyle" (Vincent D'Onofrio), never really stand a chance. In fact, Private Pyle is the sort of guy you really hope the military would refuse to take. Today, we would probably refer to him as having "special needs," but the bottom line is that he obviously is not cut out mentally or physically to serve in the Marine Corps. Subjecting someone like Pyle to Hartman's constant stream of abuse while simultaneously teaching him how to use a rifle may seem like a recipe for disaster. Trust me, it is.
- Cut to Vietnam. Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" accompanies a tracking shot that eventually brings us all the way to Corporal Joker, now working as a reporter for Stars and Stripes magazine. Despite the fact that there is nominally a war on, the soldiers spend most of their time haggling with local prostitutes or listening to the radio. After the Tet Offensive, however, Joker and his rather green sidekick, Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard), are finally called upon to visit the front lines. Along the way, they meet hardened soldiers, including Cowboy and Eightball (Dorian Harewood), as well as a smattering of complete psychopaths (Adam Baldwin and Tim Colceri). Most interesting, however, is their excursion into a burned-out shell of a city, which is one aspect of the Vietnam War I've certainly never seen depicted anywhere else. There, I guess you could say that Joker finally learns exactly who he's fighting and what it really means to be a killer.
- While not as blissfully overt as Dr. Strangelove nor as subtle and captivating as Paths of Glory, Full Metal Jacket is nonetheless another impressive anti-war effort from Stanley Kubrick. As usual, Kubrick proves to be a master of both settings (no less impressive for having been filmed in England) and music, this time plundering the cheery pop of the late 60's, all of which is undercut by eerie Asian drumming and, ultimately, The Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black." Probably the most engaging aspect of the film, however, is the characterization of Corporal Joker himself. While his "Born to Kill" helmet insignia and accompanying peace symbol are a little on-the-nose, Joker's wry narration clearly indicates a concrete understanding of how absurd his (and by extension, America's) situation in Vietnam really was. "I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them," he narrates sardonically. While the final performance of the Mickey Mouse Club theme song is certainly over-the-top, I would argue that nothing in the film could be more absurd than the words to The Rifleman's Creed. The difference, of course, is that those words are uttered regularly by real Marines who never intend them as a joke.
