A must see!

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2016)

Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is part of a long string of classic films, such as Platoon and The Shining, that has made him a household name. A hardcore and satirical look into the experience of a group of military volunteers during the Vietnam War, Full Metal Jacket, takes the psychological aspects of war to another level. The bluntly realistic and bigoted profanity alone in this film is enough to make today's politically correct movie goer cringe at every turn. However, in the midst of all the cringing, the comedic relief seems to be sprinkled in just at the right times and, of course, great warfare scenes. The beginning of the film is set during marines boot camp which takes the viewer into a very different world from the rest of the film. It is where boys become men and pacifists become born killers. This is proved throughout the film by the dynamic characters of an overweight misfit nicknamed Pvt. Pyle (Vince D'Onofrio) and a tall skinny smart*** nicknamed Pvt. Joker who we first meet at boot camp. Here we also meet drill Sgt. Hartman (Lee Ermey), whose soul purpose is to transform these volunteers into marines, born killers. It is Sgt. Hartman's "disciplinary" interactions with an overweight misfit, nicknamed Gomer Pyle (Vince D'Onofrio), that makes this part of the movie easily the best. It is amusing and terrifying all at the same time to watch Pvt. Pyle mess up, however, you could visually see the worsening of Pvt. Pyle's mental health which leads his and Sgt. Hartman's eventual doom. The rest of the film follows Pvt. Joker who struggles with self identity wearing a helmet that reads "Born Killer" but also wearing a peace button. He was sent out to be a photographer and story editor for a popular wartime newspaper The Stars and Stripes, but found that he wanted to be closer to "the sh*t". There he learns what real Vietnam is, battling through the the city streets during the Tet Offensive of 1968. The most noticeable thing about this film is how the film seems to have fragmented events, rather than having a single plot. Many scenes are obviously important to the overall plot while others seem out of place and unneeded. The only part of the film that really takes shape is boot camp which seems foreign compared to the rest of the film. The plot really builds up during boot camp just to let you down and change course in the rest of the film. I found that the fragmented plot of the second half of the film left me confused and not knowing how certain scenes fit into the entirety of the film. However that is not to say the second half of the movie was bad because it is not. These sporadic scenes were some of the most entertaining of the film. The acting was as unbalanced as the plot, as Lee Ermey and Vince D'Onofrio gave easily the best performances of the film during boot camp. Lee Ermey showcased his acting skills though great commentary, emotion and experience of being a real life Drill instructor. Lee Ermey's Sgt. Hartman, is no act. His mouth is a machine gun of insults and his stare is lethal. Vince D'Onofrio's Pvt. Pyle, on the other hand, is a ticking time bomb that the audience is forced to watch. With little commentary his performance is masterful, relying on pure emotion. Stanley Kubrick once again dazzled with his skillful and iconic use of music. I found myself on several occasions going through mood swings just with a sudden change of music. One example I found exceptional was during a shootout with the Vietcong in an urban Vietnamese city. The music during the shooting was somber drumming, but as soon as the shooting ceased the music quickly changed to the upbeat and fun Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen. Full Metal Jacket is quite simply Stanley Kubrick's best satirical film since his beloved Dr. Strangelove and just adds another notch to his star studded belt of great films. The film is a classic and a must see to any and all movie lovers.