FULL METAL JACKET
This film is a masterpiece. It will forever be remembered for its tour de force opening. From the very beginning we witness the degradation of humanity into killing machines - the duality of man exposed throughout the film in its imagery and its dialogue. Kubrick opens up at a training facility where the soldiers are preparing for Vietnam. We are then introduced to the drill sergeant - a foul mouthed dictator like man, who humiliates his soldiers and turns them into cowering beings dedicated to a life of killing. The sexual is brought to the fore, as with so many Kubrick films, as the drill sergeant turns metaphorises the rifle into a girl. These opening scenes are very funny - yet there is a disturbing undertone to it that is not fully realised until Gomer Pile cracks up.
The second part of the film shows the men in action in Vietnam. However, this vietnam is a construction of vietnam - just look at Platoon to see that the Vietnam Kubrick has constructed is abstract - it is only relevant for the action, for the images and for the ideas he is conveying. The scene opens with the now classic (thanks to southpark) vietnamese prostitutes badgering the marines saying "me sucky sucky five dollar". One of the darkest elements to this film is its racism - indeed, it strikes us politically incorrect nineties people as decidedly shocking when black people are spoken about in some of the dialogue. Needless to say, I'm sure it was an authentic recreation of the truth of the situation back in vietnam.
Full Metal Jacket, is a deeply intelligent film - it shows the duality of man - man that has a propensity for peace, yet can be moulded and shaped into a killing machine. Indeed, a thin line divides this duality and war is a means of pushing the line even thinner. Kubrick has constructed yet another visually brilliant film, making great use of the steadi-cam as well as his brilliant low angle tracking shots. His brilliant lighting scheme is no different in this film - the opening scene with the drill sergeeant are unbelievably well done. Full Metal Jacket will be considered the alternative "best Vietnam film", because really it wasn't shot in vietnam nor does it resemble vietnam in so much as there's a few trees planted and vietnamese prositutes and actors that set the stage - it is a testament to film REPRESENTING a place and how we believe it to be authentic that Kubrick plays to here. Cinema is about manipulation after all. A classic film bound to influence so many people, just like so many of his other movies.
91/100