The genius of Kubrick

Rating: Null/10 (17 August 2000)

One of Kubrick's finest films and his brutal and sometimes absurd look at the dehumanization of soldiers in war. Lee Ermey's Gunnery Sgt. Hartman makes the movie. It didn't hurt that Mr. Ermey was a real-life drill sergeant. The fact he didn't get nominated for an Oscar was a crime. Louis Gossett Jr.'s drill sergeant in "An Officer and a Gentleman" is a wuss compared to Ermey's. One of my friends, who was in the military for many years, has told me that the first part of the movie is the most realistic portrayal of boot camp he has ever seen.
As many others have said, the first part of the movie is incredible. The second half is somewhat of a letdown, but still very good. And you gotta love those memorable lines from the Vietnamese prostitute.