Whatever happened to Kubrick in this one?

Rating: 5/10 (31 July 2017)

Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" seems to be composed of two movies, put together without any useful connection between them. The first part is also the most memorable one, with a terrific performance from R.Lee Ermey, who plays Sgt. Hartman. His training for the Marine Corps is harsh and brutal, shown with a subtle touch of bitter humor, like when Hartman asks a recruit who is introducing himself as Leonard Lawrence: "Lawrence? Lawrence what, of Arabia?" Nevertheless, his words are at all times a source of emotional abuse, aiming to annihilate the recruit' personality and to build indestructible men. And that, in the movie's own language, quite equals mindless killers in the Vietnam war. They are meant to be weapons, to take down as many enemies as possible. As one character puts it: "Do you think we waste gooks for freedom? This is slaughter." They know it, and they went in that devastated country for it.
The second part is an authentic representation of war as pure hell through plausible imagery of fire and ruins, but since the characters lack depth we can't empathize with them. The movie soon becomes quite shallow, empty of any feelings to convey to the audience. And what a shame that is, when its beginning was so promising!
Kubrick's music choice in other films established him as quite a master of finding perfect sounds to go with his most iconic shots, but the songs we hear in "Full Metal Jacket" have a life of their own. They don't blend with the scenes, nor do they add deeper meaning to the action.
"Full Metal Jacket" has some good moments and it shows the disillusioned America mostly through the eyes of Joker, trying to turn him into a symbol. A man who doesn't want to kill, but has to. A man who doesn't like the world he lives in, but is glad to breathe one more day. But Kubrick doesn't get to Joker's conscience, to his thoughts. Somehow this is his view, but strangely objectified, lacking a so much needed psychological expression.
This movie's idea is undoubtedly good, but not exploited enough, not powerful enough. There are times when Kubrick's direction can't be seen anywhere. Greater things were expected from him and he didn't deliver.