Best Vietnam War Movie to date

Rating: 9/10 (15 March 2018)

"Full Metal Jacket" (1987) is a war drama that accurately displays the hardship of the military, in this case the Marine Corps, during the Vietnam War. The film is through the perspective of Private Joker, played by Matthew Modine, as he navigates basic training and the war. The film is very versatile in that there is obvious drama, but there are moments of comic relief mostly to those who were in the military. I feel the point of this film was to shed light on the actualities of the military during training and war time, which have been improved since Vietnam. According to some veterans I have spoken with in my years, the nail was hit smack on the head.
The director, Stanley Kubrick, paced this film perfectly. Even though the pacing was unable to keep my teenage son intrigued, knowing what happens in basic training and having done my time in a war, the pacing couldn't have been better. When the story is being told from the service members point of view, the pacing all revolves around how that member absorbs their surroundings. The payoff is unfortunate, but it is the truth of war. The loss of characters you get attached to during the film is a direct depiction of any war where friends and family are lost, but the end is just as heart warming as it is sad. This is a great film that I would recommend to anyone, especially those interested in the military.