War is Hell

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2006)

It is rare that a film has nothing good to say about war. Though there have been an increasing number of films in recent years that work to show the true savagery of battle, there is always a touch of honor and nobility presented as well. In fact, in many films the overall presentation is that while war may be brutal, it is from that very brutality that true heroes are born. Indeed, these portraits of war show that fact as almost a given.
But this film, like Apocalypse Now, shows that sometimes there is no honor to be found in war, and that horror and inhumanity can often be the only true things to be found in battle. From the sadistic boot camp of R. Lee Ermey's Sgt. Hartman to the widespread death and destruction of the Tet offensive, Full Metal Jacket shows us that sometimes when we place ordinary men into combat situations, we do not get heroes but rather killers and sociopaths.
Kubrick is often known for giving us thought provoking films, but this title may be considered Kubrick at his best. Observing it all alongside Matthew Modine's pragmatic Pvt. Joker, we are encouraged to ask ourselves: what honor, what nobility are we supposed to find here? For many viewers, the answer will be none. This is a film both horrible and powerful, and should be viewed by all. Especially those of us who view conflict as the best means of resolving crisis. It may cause you to rethink that position. I know it did so for me.