A Tour De Force

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2008)

War is hell, but Stanley Kubrick let us know that boot camp wasn't much better either. Following marine Private Joker (Matthew Modie) through boot camp and then to the Vietnam war itself, Jacket looks at the humiliating dehumanisation of good American boys who learn a terrifyingly cold mantra, kill, kill and kill. Released along with a string of Vietnam movies in the 1980s, Full Metal Jacket stands out as one of the most disturbing and powerful simply because it shows troops who actually enjoy fighting the war. The performances, particularly those of Vincent D'Onofrio as Gomer Pyle and R. Lee Ermey as the drill instructor from hell, are brilliant, the action sequences are breathtakingly realistic, and we can always rely on Stan to deliver some superb direction. The film also deserves good credit for its great and brilliantly juxtaposed soundtrack, and for being daringly truthful as to why so many men wanted to risk their lives in Vietnam. While the final act may drag on for a bit, and if you are an impatient viewer than their is always a chance of getting unnerved by Kubricks films, these faults can be forgiven for such a brilliant film otherwise. Easily on of the greatest war movies ever made.