"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine."

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2016)

Full Metal Jacket was released in 1987 and was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is about a marine nicknamed Private Joker (Matthew Modine) and his journey through the Vietnam War, starting in Boot Camp and eventually ending up in the war itself.
The film begins in boot camp and is certainly the strongest part of the movie. This act is dominated by the Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey) and the performance given by Ermey is absolutely fantastic. The fact that Ermey used to be a drill instructor himself certainly added to his performance and something that was unusual for a Kubrick film was that he allowed Ermey to improvise his lines which made for a more unpredictable performance. Another great part about this act was the character Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) and D'Onofrio's great performance. His character displayed the dehumanising side of the war and was something rather unnerving to watch. I also must mention that Matthew Modine is really good as Private Joker and over time he becomes a character to root for.
Unfortunately, the film's second act is a drop in quality. The majority of it was just mindless fighting scenes with no real context and it was something that got dull quite quickly. However, we are introduced to multiple new characters such as Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) which was a high point of this act.
Thankfully, the film redeems itself with its gripping final act, which shows Kubrick knows how to direct a suspenseful sequence. The act shows the group of marines up against a sniper, however the sniper is nowhere in sight and they must act fast due to one of their own being slowly killed by the sniper. The sequence has little-to-no sound which adds to the suspense and with one of their own being gradually injured adds to the sense of urgency. Overall, this is a sequence that left me on the edge of my seat.
The film is a huge mix of all sorts of emotions; the film is mostly satire which Kubrick has proved himself to be a master of with Dr. Strangelove. Some instances of satire include Sergeant Hartman's constant insults; while you know what he is saying is very unpleasant, it's very humorous at the same time. Kubrick could've been trying to point out the ridiculous nature of boot camp in the sequence and would be another anti-war message which he is famous for with films like Paths of Glory and of course Dr. Strangelove. As well as satire, the film also has some very dark sequences, such as the final act which really does show what an unpleasant thing war was and how lives simply don't seem to matter anymore.
Overall, Full Metal Jacket is a unique war film which is full of many variations of emotions and themes. The performances given by the cast are all great too and while the film does have a rather dull and senseless second act, the final act certainly makes up for it.
8.2/10