This Is My Rifle...

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2019)

In 1987, Kubrick delivered one of his best known film's to America. Full Metal Jacket shot former Marine R. Lee Ermey to critical acclaim as the tough and darkly hilarious Drill Instructor Hartman. Although the film was meant to be a genuine critique on the duality of man and the warfighter's transformation from an ambivalent civilian to a cog in the killing machine, its purpose was lost on most. Instead, viewers latched onto Ermey's magnificent performance and the first act's powerful closing, feeling that the latter half of the film lacked substance.
Full Metal Jacket follows Pvt Joker (Matthew Modine) an intelligent Marine Recruit who trains under DI Hartman during the Vietnam War. In boot camp, he bears witness to Hartman's hazing and abuse. Through his indoctrination, he becomes a killer. Yet, he maintains a small bit of humanity. Joker moves on from boot camp and finds himself in Hue City as a combat correspondent. Through the haze of battle, he must overcome the final shreds of his retained humanity in order to survive the violence and bloodshed.
Kubrick elicits frightening performances from his actors. The most memorable of which have become iconic: DI Hartman, Pvt Joker, Pvt Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio), and Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin). Paired with dramatic lighting from moonlight and ruinous flames, nearly every scene engenders a sense of dread over what might happen next. But character and setting are just a part of the equation. The script powerfully employs violence to display the potential for the human spirit to decay. The violence starts among the recruits and, in the end, the fresh Marines do not see the difference between civilian and combatant. Everyone not wearing green must die.
Although Full Metal Jacket's lasting impression is the boot camp scenes in the first act, multiple viewings reveal the deeper meaning act two carries. It will always be remembered for its ominous tone, striking visuals, engaging characters, dynamic soundtrack, and of course... Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman.