Watched 20160219 (Netflix, Instant)
Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick. 116 min [botn The Short-Timers (1979) by Gustav Hasford]
Relevant Links:
Full Metal Jacket (IMDb.com)
Full Metal Jacket (Wikipedia.org)
Full metal jacket bullet (Wikipedia.org)
20160219:
Aside from seeing Full Metal Jacket today, movies I've seen directed by Stanley Kubrick are Paths of Glory (1957), parts of Lolita (1962), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and parts, if not all, of The Shining (1980).
As such, I've almost seen half of features films directed by him (nearly 6 of 13).
In any case, I would consider ranking Full Metal Jacket second to 2001: A Space Odyssey - though to be fair I don't remember much about Paths of Glory and I recall A Clockwork Orange was a great movie. Actually, as I begin to pull thoughts of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange into my mind, I would probably demote Full Metal Jacket to third.
In regards to Full Metal Jacket as a war movie, the following are how it compares to some war movies I've seen. I liked it more than Apocalypse Now, because it is shorter and felt more thematically direct. In contrast, I liked it less than Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), because it was relatively passive. Finally, I liked the movie, from some artistic point of view, more than We Were Soldiers (2002), but the latter focuses a bit more on the action.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to almost anybody looking for a war movie to watch.
Of course, the viewer should keep in mind that the movie's story is more about sharing an experience than one that has a clear beginning and end.*
*The book on which the movie was based is split into three sections. According to Wikipedia, the movie (broken into two parts) faithfully reproduces the first section as its first part and combines elements of the second and third sections as its second part. Reading the book's plot summaries, I wish the movie was made to more closely end like the book's third section had ended.
Instant Comments:
"Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?"
That drill instructor* scene was so long. I wonder how many takes it took. [*Apparently the Marine Corp uses the term "drill instructor" and the Army uses the term "drill sergeant"]
"This is my rifle. This is my gun. This is for fighting. This is for fun."
Hahaha. "They pay for it, you eat it."
So Leonard is fat, but is he also stupid?
Unsettling words:
And so I suppose that ends Act 1... [I was half joking when I said this, but apparently the book on which the movie was based is split into three sections. This was, in fact, the end of the first story]
"Me love you long time. Me so horny."
"Get some. Get some. Get some."
Damn. He's just shooting at people (which by his logic are all Viet Cong)
He keeps wearing the peace symbol pin despite orders to remove it.
"After we rotate back to the world, we're gonna miss not having anyone around that's worth shooting."
"Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?"
Wow. What an effective strategy. A single sniper takes one out but doesn't kill him with the intent of luring out others.
Of course they guess there's only one sniper, but it can easily be an ambush.
The Mickey Mouse Club March.
"My thoughts drift back to erect nipple wet dreams about Mary Jane Rottencrotch and the Great Homecoming Fuck Fantasy. I am so happy that I am alive, in one piece and short. I'm in a world of shit... yes. But I am alive. And I am not afraid."
Full Metal Jacket (1987) Stanley Kubrick. 116 min [botn The Short-Timers (1979) by Gustav Hasford]
 |
| Pvt. Leonard 'Gomer Pyle' Lawrence |
Full Metal Jacket (IMDb.com)
Full Metal Jacket (Wikipedia.org)
Full metal jacket bullet (Wikipedia.org)
20160219:
Aside from seeing Full Metal Jacket today, movies I've seen directed by Stanley Kubrick are Paths of Glory (1957), parts of Lolita (1962), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and parts, if not all, of The Shining (1980).
 |
| Pvt. J.T. 'Joker' Davis (Matthew Modine) |
In any case, I would consider ranking Full Metal Jacket second to 2001: A Space Odyssey - though to be fair I don't remember much about Paths of Glory and I recall A Clockwork Orange was a great movie. Actually, as I begin to pull thoughts of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange into my mind, I would probably demote Full Metal Jacket to third.
 |
| Gny. Sgt. Hartman (R. Lee Ermey) |
Overall, I would recommend this movie to almost anybody looking for a war movie to watch.
Of course, the viewer should keep in mind that the movie's story is more about sharing an experience than one that has a clear beginning and end.*
*The book on which the movie was based is split into three sections. According to Wikipedia, the movie (broken into two parts) faithfully reproduces the first section as its first part and combines elements of the second and third sections as its second part. Reading the book's plot summaries, I wish the movie was made to more closely end like the book's third section had ended.
Instant Comments:
"Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?"
That drill instructor* scene was so long. I wonder how many takes it took. [*Apparently the Marine Corp uses the term "drill instructor" and the Army uses the term "drill sergeant"]
"This is my rifle. This is my gun. This is for fighting. This is for fun."
Hahaha. "They pay for it, you eat it."
So Leonard is fat, but is he also stupid?
 |
| Pvt. Cowboy (Arliss Howard), Joker, Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard), Eightball (Dorian Harewood) and Animal Mother (Adam Baldwin) |
It’s been swabbed and wiped. Everything is clean. Beautiful. So that it slides perfectly. Nice. Everything cleaned. Oiled. So that your action is beautiful. Smooth, Charlene."Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket."
And so I suppose that ends Act 1... [I was half joking when I said this, but apparently the book on which the movie was based is split into three sections. This was, in fact, the end of the first story]
"Me love you long time. Me so horny."
 |
| The movie ends with the this scene: the marine troop is marching across a battlefield singing the Mickey Mouse Club March. |
Damn. He's just shooting at people (which by his logic are all Viet Cong)
He keeps wearing the peace symbol pin despite orders to remove it.
"After we rotate back to the world, we're gonna miss not having anyone around that's worth shooting."
"Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?"
Wow. What an effective strategy. A single sniper takes one out but doesn't kill him with the intent of luring out others.
 |
| Da Nang hooker (Papillon Soo Soo): "Me so horny", "Me love you long time", "Me sucky-sucky", "Every t'ing you want." |
The Mickey Mouse Club March.
"My thoughts drift back to erect nipple wet dreams about Mary Jane Rottencrotch and the Great Homecoming Fuck Fantasy. I am so happy that I am alive, in one piece and short. I'm in a world of shit... yes. But I am alive. And I am not afraid."
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