Honest

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2009)

Recap: The experiences of a soldier nicknamed Joker first during the hard training and subsequently his tour of duty in Vietnam.
Comments: Seemingly a very honest movie. That being said by one that has never been close to Vietnam, not now, not then. But it feels real, and that's what important with movies, isn't it?
So it seems very real, and it is brutal. It is not a pretty picture that Kubrick paints. But it probably is sincere. It is an anti-war movie, it doesn't shrug away from any unpleasant parts. It shows the violence, it shows death. And it shows how it corrupts both soldiers and civilians that are part of it.
Very well acted, especially D'Onofrios performance caught with me. But Ermey deserves all the credit he can get too. Ironic that their characters became enemies.
Something else that stuck with me and caught my attention was the use of sound and music. Sometimes a perfect fit with the pictures, and something a deep contrast. Both ways worked well to enhance the emotions of the scenes and get the point across the screen. And Kubrick did well when to choose which method to use when.
A catching, interesting movie. I can recommend it well, even if it is not a very nice movie.
8/10