Full Metal Jacket
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marine recruits from their brutal basic training to the bloody street fighting set in 1968 Hue, Vietnam.
- Director:Stanley Kubrick
- Genre:Drama / War
- Runtime:117 minutes
Cast
Matthew Modine : Pvt. Joker
Adam Baldwin : Animal Mother
Vincent D’Onofrio: Pvt. Pyle
R. Lee Ermey : Gny. Sgt. Hartman (as Lee Ermey)
Dorian Harewood : Eightball
The film opens as a group of new recruits in the United States Marine Corps arrive at Parris Island for recruit training. After having their heads shaved, they meet their drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey). Hartman verbally and physically abuses his troops with the intention of desensitizing and hardening them. With the Vietnam War in full swing, he has the task of producing trained warriors from this group. The audience is introduced to Pvt. Joker (Matthew Modine), a cynical but motivated marine; Pvt. Cowboy (Arliss Howard), Joker’s bunkmate; and Pvt Pyle (Vincent D’Onofrio), who quickly becomes the target of much of Hartman’s abuse due to being overweight and mentally handicapped.
Unresponsive to Hartman’s continual negative reinforcement, Pyle is paired up with Joker who attempts to remediate Pyle. Thanks to Joker’s patience and encouragement, Pyle begins to improve, but things derail when Hartman discovers a contraband jelly doughnut in Pyle’s foot locker. Hartman begins to punish the platoon for Pyle’s failings. As a result, the platoon hazes Pyle, pinning him to his bunk with a blanket and beating him with bars of soap wrapped in towels. Joker reluctantly joins in but then, out of frustration, beats Pyle several times. Cowboy warns Pyle that this is “all just a bad dream”, and returns to his bunk as Pyle sobs in pain. Hearing his cries, Joker covers his ears, whether this is out of guilt or annoyance is left for the viewer to decide. Pyle is transformed by this event, becoming a model Marine and expert rifleman, but shows signs of mental breakdown including social withdrawal and talking to his M14 rifle.
After graduating, each recruit is assigned a Military Occupational Specialty, most being assigned to the Infantry, though Joker is assigned to Basic Military Journalism. On the platoon’s last night on Parris Island, Joker draws fire watch, during which he discovers Pyle in the head loading his rifle with live ammunition. Frightened, Joker attempts to calm Pyle, but Pyle begins shouting, executing drill commands, and reciting the Rifleman’s Creed. The noise awakens Hartman, who confronts Pyle demanding that he surrender. Pyle turns the rifle on him prompting Hartman to become verbally abusive. With a crazed smirk on his face, Pyle murders Hartman, and turns on Joker who asks him to “go easy”. The visibly broken Pyle slumps onto a nearby commode, places the muzzle in his mouth and commits suicide as the shocked Joker looks on.
The film picks up in Vietnam in January, 1968. Joker has become a Sergeant and a Marine Combat Correspondent with Stars and Stripes, assigned to a Marine public-affairs unit along with “Rafterman” (Kevyn Major Howard), a combat photographer. Rafterman wants to go into combat, as Joker claims he has been, though one of his colleagues mocks Joker stating he knows Joker has never been in combat because he doesn’t have the thousand-yard stare. Their argument is interrupted by sounds of nearby gunfire; the North Vietnamese Army has begun the Tet Offensive. Read more
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