First half deserves Oscar; second half shows a different kind of war

Rating: Null/10 (18 February 2020)

I had heard great things about this movie but didn't remember specific details until I saw it. I only saw it because WGN America is in my basic basic cable package which I have just to be able to watch what I should receive free with an antenna. And I happened to see a couple of interesting movies as I was looking carefully through the listings at Christmas.
I know the G-rated version of Boot Camp from "Gomer Pyle, USMC", which the drill sergeant here was familiar with. This was nothing like that. At first I assumed this man was unspeakably brutal, but one imdb reviewer said yes, he was in Boot Camp during the era when this was set, and this was realistic. I'm sorry to hear that. This treatment of human beings was nothing less than disturbing and upsetting. And entertaining because it was so well done. In fact, we could even laugh at times.
LAUGH? YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Sir, no sir!
"South Park" once tried to set a record for uses of the S-word in an episode. I believe this movie beats that record for the word itself and countless compound words that include it and then some. There were only a couple of words WGN America wouldn't allow.
How could anyone treat people this way? Is this really going to produce confident fighters? For one man in particular, we saw the predictable result of treatment beyond what any human should endure. Yes, he will be a killing machine. But he is not the proud honorable warrior that the Marines are known for. More like a serial killer with a frightening expression on his face, a man we should be afraid to send to Vietnam.
How did Lee Ermey not win an Oscar? Or at least get a nomination? And Vincent D'Onofrio should have at least been nominated as well. Called "Gomer Pyle" because he is such an incompetent idiot, he is patiently trained by Joker, in a way that is more likely to get results. I remember the same thing happening to the original Gomer in his show's pilot, only that was done by his D.I. who was given the impression Gomer was a general's son sent to test him. In truth, this Gomer Pyle probably should have washed out, as the original Gomer's D.I. believed would happen in his case. But then we wouldn't have found that quite as entertaining. Or disturbing.
And talk about disturbing. I began to realize what I thought I had heard. I don't know if I ever did, but that's what happened.
And then the whole tone of the movie changes. We get to laugh a few more times before things get really serious. Things aren't too bad where combat is not taking place, but it's still not family-friendly by a long shot. And regardless of which side they are on, Vietnamese people are treated like dirt by the white and black soldiers (I'm not sure they are all Marines, and I think "soldiers" may be an acceptable term for those in the service on land). After all, any of them could be the enemy.
Finally, there is real combat. Wait, this is war? It's not the traditional image of war. It's more like war has been in the past couple of decades. In fact, it's like an episode of Lucas Till's "MacGyver" but far more violent, and there's no science genius who can solve any problem and make anything out of whatever parts he can find.
Someone is filming a documentary, which makes things interesting. We hear the opinions of those who are serving.
Oscar worthy? Not really, not here. But like Boot Camp, it is quite disturbing. The enemy is prepared to kill or be killed. Some of those on our side have quite an unsettling attitude. When we finally meet the enemy, there are moral decisions to be made. The right thing is done, though is there anything right here at all?
Vietnam. It wasn't pretty. Neither is this movie. If you can stand it, this is a worthwhile experience.