A brilliant black comedy

Rating: 10/10 (31 December 2006)

Following the dehumanization of Marines as they go through basic training and Vietnam, Kubrick's black comedy stands heads and shoulders above his other works, even Dr. Strangelove. The comedic situations are poignant but hilarious: you laugh, but then you frown as you come to a realization about the horror of war and the effect it has on the minds of men. From the psychotic redneck gunner who slaughters Vietnamese civilians to the uptight Marine commander who believes the cause of the war is just, the movie is packed with characters that weave and overlap to paint the dark, dryly humorous but ultimately disturbing picture of war, suffering, and most of all, insanity. It shows that the perfect soldier is the perfect killer, and the perfect killer is inevitably a madman. Perhaps the ultimate black comedy. Skip Dr. Strangelove and head right to this dark gem from one of the best directors of the twentieth century.