one of the most compelling war movies

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2015)

In Parris Island, South Carolina, a group of raw recruits are brought in to be trained by the hard-nosed Marine Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Joker (Matthew Modine) tries to help the slow Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) which comes to a sad end. The second half starts with Joker in Da Nang working as a reporter for Stars and Stripes. Then the Tet offensive happens and Joker goes out to report. He's reunited with Cowboy (Arliss Howard) who is leading a rifle squad.
The first half is anchored by the great performances of R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio. They are incredible. The second half is the war. Matthew Modine leads competently but it is the mesmerizing directions from Stanley Kubrick. It is always The Trashmen's Surfin' Bird that comes to mind first. It's impossible to lose interest during the second half. Some people may want it to be more obviously anti-war. It is not quite so blatant. It is murky just like what I imagine the Vietnam experience actually was. The long uncut scenes impart an immersive feel. It is one of the most compelling extended war sequence.