Full Metal Jacket (1987)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Gustav Hasford (novel)
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

An Epic Story of the Vietnam War [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marine recruits from their brutal basic training to the bloody street fighting set in 1968 Hue, Vietnam.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Recruit | Tet Offensive | Sergeant | Basic Training

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Pvt. Joker
Adam Baldwin	...	Animal Mother
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Pvt. Pyle
R. Lee Ermey	...	Gny. Sgt. Hartman (as Lee Ermey)
Dorian Harewood	...	Eightball
Kevyn Major Howard	...	Rafterman
Arliss Howard	...	Pvt. Cowboy
Ed O'Ross	...	Lt. Touchdown
John Terry	...	Lt. Lockhart
Kieron Jecchinis	...	Crazy Earl
Kirk Taylor	...	Payback
Tim Colceri	...	Doorgunner
Jon Stafford	...	Doc Jay (as John Stafford)
Bruce Boa	...	Poge Colonel
Ian Tyler	...	Lt. Cleves

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating on appeal) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 (2007 Re-rating) | Canada:18A (DVD rating) | Hungary:18 | Brazil:16 | Ireland:15 (2007 Re-rating) | Malaysia:U | UK:15 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 (original rating) | France:U (re-rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Israel:16 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Vietnam:(Banned) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bassingbourn Barracks, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Natant

Trivia:

Michael Herr, a very close friend of Stanley Kubrick, helped write much of the screenplay, particularly the part set in Vietnam. His contributions to the script are based largely on his own experiences as a reporter covering the war. Like Joker and Rafterman he was essentially freelance and allowed to travel anywhere in the country. Additionally, the scene where Joker and Rafterman watch the crazed gunner in the chopper machine-gun civilians is taken directly from "Dispatches", Herr's memoir of his experiences.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Several times, when questioned by Sgt. Hartman, Private Pyle refers to himself in the First person ("Sir, I don't know sir!"). In the Marine Corps, it is against regulation to refer to oneself as "I", "You", or anything in the First or Second person; that is considered disrespect and referring to oneself as the entirety of the corps as one person. Pyle should have been disciplined for such responses, but was not.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be sir. Do you maggots understand that?
Recruits: Sir, yes sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Bullshit I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair.
Recruits: SIR, YES SIR!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Bart the General (#1.5)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Paint It, Black

Full of Strength.

"Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket." -Pvt. Leonard 'Pyle' Lawrence

Full Metal Jacket is a great movie. Not the best from Kubrick, but works great as a war film. The plot is about a group of soldiers who are turned into killers in marine training, and are then sent off to the Vietnam War.

Kubrick once again does a great job at directing. Modine, D'Onofrio, Baldwin, and Howard give worthy performances, while Ermey gives an Oscar worthy (not even nominated) performance and steals the show. This is a very realistic look at Vietnam, while the battle scenes and script just aren't as satisfying as they are in the second half. Still, it is a wonderful film.

9/10.