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When "Full Metal Jacket" made its theatrical debut on June 26, 1987, many critics pounced on it. Stanley Kubrick, they asserted, had gone from being a great innovator to a follower. He was now behind the curve instead of out in front of it, as he'd always been, because so many Vietnam movies already had been released -- "Apocalypse Now," "The Deer Hunter" and "Platoon" among them. If Kubrick wasn't washed up, they seemed to be saying, he certainly was slipping down Has-Been Hill.
There are so many things wrong with that stance that I would have trouble finding where to begin. But I will say this: Each of these films is its own world, and each is very much a product of its director's style and vision, and each does different things. "Apocalypse Now" is Francis Ford Coppola's take on the war, and it's the most surreal and deliberately absurd. Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter" benefited from its significant focus on the home front during the war -- while the director did present the trauma suffered by soldiers, he also succeeded in depicting the hurts the war inflicted on loved ones, families, even an entire community. Oliver Stone's "Platoon" was, oddly, the most "realistic" of the four films, and in my opinion the least imaginative, though I still think it's a fine film.
And then we have Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket." More than any of the other three films, it is a character study. The character in question is Joker, who has joined the Marine Corps, he claims, because he wants to kill. But there is much more to him; he is, in fact, a very sensitive individual and, compared with his peers, an intellectual who quotes Carl Jung and ponders "the duality of man."
Many commentators have declared the film consists of two acts, but actually, it's a classic three-act structure. Act One is the boot camp sequence. Act Two follows Joker as he deals with his assignment as a military journalist. Act Three begins with the Tet Offensive, and ultimately forces Joker to give up his stance as journalist/observer in favor of soldier/participant.
I do agree with people who say the first act of this film is so impressive and overwhelming that the rest of the picture can seem anti-climactic. Much of the reason lies with R. Lee Ermey, whos portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is one of the most unforgettable performances in cinema history. Hartman's view, apparently, is that boot camp should be as hellish as possible, the better to prepare these would-be Marines from what they'll face in Vietnam. And the irony is he's right; it's just that he takes it to such an extreme that it results in two tragic deaths. Prior to that, though, Hartman unleashes upon his trainees a nonstop stream of profanity, verbal abuse, physical punishment and general humiliation.
The result is a sequence that is both funny and horrible. Hartman is a brutal man, but his endless invective is laced with comments that one can't help but be amused by. Ermey was originally hired as a consultant on the film, and told Kubrick the original dialogue should be changed because it was unrealistic. Ermey, with the idea of playing the role of Hartman himself, performed part of the script to show Kubrick how he thought it should be done. Kubrick gave him the role.
His favorite target is Leonard Lawrence, whom he calls "a disgusting fatbody," among other terms of endearment. Unfortunately, the slow-witted Leonard, or "Private Pyle," as Hartman calls him, cracks under the constant pressure.
SPOILER ALERT! Skip the next paragraph if you haven't seen the film.
Leonard shoots Hartman, then himself. The sole witness to the carnage is Joker.
The film immediately shifts to Act Two, in Vietnam. Joker has attained the rank of sergeant and is a correspondent for "Stars and Stripes." Although he seems to like the job, he questions his superior about the euphemisms that are being used by U.S. forces to describe their actions in Vietnam. "Search and destroy," for example, becomes "sweep and clear."
One of Joker's pals is Rafterman, a combat photographer who is frustrated with simply taking pictures; he wants to see the action, the front lines. Joker, who outranks him, basically tells him that, if he has his way, Rafterman won't get his chance. Rafterman's mother, Joker jokes, would do him physical harm when he returned to the States if he'd let anything happen to her son.
Then comes the Tet Offensive, which changes both men's lives. The North Vietnamese attack on what is usually a holiday cease-fire. In the midst of the resulting carnage, Joker's superior orders him to go to Phu Bai to report on the situation. Rafterman asks to go with him; Joker tells his superior he doesn't want Rafterman along. His superior overrules him; Joker and Rafterman head for the combat zone.
Act Three concerns their experiences on the battlefield. They meet up with a squad that includes Cowboy, who went through boot camp with Joker. Cowboy is now a sergeant. As the squad moves out on a patrol, accompanied by Joker and Rafterman, the squad leader is killed. Cowboy, now a sergeant, is ordered by headquarters to lead the platoon. In the sequence that follows, a sniper starts picking off members of the squad, one by one -- including Cowboy.
The survivors finally find the sniper. And it is there, in the movie's penultimate scene, that Joker must face a moral choice -- or, more accurately, a dilemma, as there is no good choice to be made. Still, he must decide -- and makes a decision that surely will haunt him for years to come.
"Full Metal Jacket" ends with the Marine squad marching through the ravaged war zone, glad to be alive, singing the theme song to "The Mickey Mouse Club." It's one last, absurd commentary on the grim absurdity we call "war."
This is a terrific film. Over the years, it has grown in stature, with critics and audiences alike finding more and more to like. I heartily recommend it.
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Customer reviews
Kubrick’s adaptation of Gustav Hasford’s novel the Short-Timers is a mesmerizing tale during the late 1960s, following a Marine Corp recruit from basic training at Paris Island to the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. A must see portrayal for any veteran of the military.
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Top reviews from other countries
Splendido
"Sir, does this mean Ann-Margret's not coming?"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 10, 2017toninozagar
One of the best Nam movies ever made
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 27, 2019
\m/arcolino
Vielleicht der beste und authentischste Vietnam-Film von allen!
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 13, 2018
Vielleicht der beste und authentischste Vietnam-Film von allen!
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 13, 2018
STANLEY KUBRICK dürfte mit Sicherheit zu den bekanntesten und einflussreichsten Regisseuren Hollywoods gehören, wenngleich er gar nicht einmal so viele Filme gemacht hat.Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 13, 2018
Neben Filmen wie „2001: Odyssee im Weltraum“, „Uhrwerk Orange“ oder „Shining“, dürfte „Full Metal Jacket“ sicherlich der bekannteste sein. In jedem Fall zählt er aber zu den bedeutendsten und bedrückendsten Anti-Kriegsfilmen, ich würde ihn in einem Atemzug mit „Platoon“ und „Die durch die Hölle gehen“ nennen.
„Full Metal Jacket“ ist die englische Bezeichnung für ein Vollmantelgeschoß, Munition, die eben auch im Vietnamkrieg verwendet wurde.
Der Film selber basiert auf dem Romanen „The Short-Timers“ von GUSTAF HASFORD und „Dispatches“ von MICHAEL HERR, die beide auch am Drehbuch mitarbeiteten. Beide waren als Kriegsberichterstatter in Vietnam, also ganz wie die Hauptfigur“ PRIVATE JOKER“ (Matthew Modine) im Film.
„Full Metal Jacket“ ist so außergewöhnlich, weil er nicht nur den Vietnamkrieg an sich zum Thema hat, sondern schon viel früher ansetzt, mit der Ausbildung der Soldaten auf „Parris Island“.
Der Film ist eigentlich zweigeteilt, er schildert im ersten Teil die knochenharte und brutale Ausbildung, im zweiten die schockierende Realität während des Einsatzes in Vietnam.
Im Mittelpunkt der Handlung stehen SERGEANT JAMES „JOKER“ DAVIS (Matthew Modine), LEONARD „PAULA“ LAWRENCE (Vincent D'Onofrio) und SERGEANT ROBERT „COWBOY“ EVANS (Arliss Howard).
Besonders gut hat mir persönlich VINCENT D`ONOFRIO gefallen, es ist fast schon genial, wie er den psychisch labilen „Private Paula“ spielt. Für D'ONOFRIO war dieser Film der Durchbruch, bis dahin hatte er nur wenige kleinere TV- und Theaterrollen, und arbeitet hauptsächlich als Türsteher. Bei einer gemeinsamen Theateraufführung lernte er MATTHEW MODINE kennen, die beiden freundeten sich an, und als dieser eine Rolle in „Full Metal Jacket“ bekam, schlug er KUBRICK seinen Freund D'ONOFRIO für die Rolle des „Private Paula“ vor. KUBRICK war D'ONOFRIO aber körperlich zu gut in Schuss, weswegen er 30 (!) Kilo zulegte. Dafür steht er immer noch im Guinness-Buch, für die größte Gewichtszunahme eines Schauspielers für eine Rolle. Tja, aller Anfang ist schwer … im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes! ;-)
Neben D'ONOFRIO hat mich auch R. LEE ERMEY ganz besonders beeindruckt, wie er den „Drill-Sergeant Hartman“ spielt, ist einfach Weltklasse! ERMEY, der ursprünglich als militärischer Berater engagiert wurde, kam eigentlich nur durch Zufall an diese Rolle. ERMEY war selbst Staff-Sergeant im Vietnamkrieg, insofern war er vom „Fach“.
KUBRICK sah in Probeaufnahmen, wie ERMEY minutenlang Statisten zusammenstauchte, ohne sich dabei ein einziges Mal zu wiederholen. Das überzeugte KUBRICK so sehr, dass er TIM COLCERI, der eigentlich für die Rolle vorgesehen war, wieder feuerte. ERMEY hatte zuvor schon ein 150-seitiges Notizbuch mit Beleidigungen vorgelegt, der Typ ist einfach herrlich schräg! Laut KUBRICK stammen knapp die Hälfte aller Beleidigungen im Film von ERMEY selbst, ganz speziell die vielen Fäkalausdrücke.
Diese beiden sind also wirklich erstklassig, dagegen „anzustinken“ war für MATTHEW MODINE ziemlich schwer, dennoch kann er in der Rolle des „Private Joker“ voll überzeugen.
Wie wichtig Filmmusik sein kann, wird einem auch bei „Full Metal Jacket“ wieder sehr eindrücklich vor Augen geführt. Die Filmmusik ist wirklich erstklassig, Songs wie „Hello Vietnam“ von JOHNNY WRIGHT, „Chapel of Love“ von den DIXIE CUPS, „Surfin'Bird“ von THE TRASHMEN oder „These Boots are made for Walking“ von NANCY SINATRA sind sehr stimmungsvoll und passend - sie vermitteln den Geist der Zeit. Der Soundtrack hat aber noch ganz andere „Schätzchen“ zu bieten, so wie etwa den Titeltrack „Full Metal Jacket“, oder „Parris Island“. Die haben jetzt zwar kein Hitpotential, unterstützen aber die Bilder auf geniale Weise – zumindest meiner Auffassung nach. KUBRICKS Tochter VIVIAN war entscheidend daran beteiligt, zu Werbezwecken wurde damals die Single „Full Metal Jacket (I wanna be yur Drill Instructor)“ veröffentlicht, die sich tatsächlich zehn Wochen in den Charts halten konnte. In der Nummer werden jede Menge Beleidigungen des „Drill Instructors“ zitiert – echt cool!
Heute gehört „Full Metal Jacket“ zu den Klassikern, er wurde im Laufe der Jahre auch ein Teil der Popkultur. Als er 1987 in den Kinos angelaufen ist, war er nicht sonderlich erfolgreich, in Deutschland war er nur der vierzehnt-erfolgreiche Film des Jahres 1987. Irgendwie hatte ich das anders in Erinnerung, meine Kumpels und ich fanden ihn mega-geil, kein „Videoabend“ auf dem er nicht lief.
Mein Fazit: „Full Metal Jacket“ gehört mit absoluter Sicherheit zu den wichtigsten Anti-Kriegsfilmen der Geschichte – keine Frage! Die Darsteller, die Handlung und die Inszenierung sind grandios, ich wüsste wirklich nicht, was ich an diesem Film bemängeln sollte.
Besonders gut gefällt mir, dass er auch einen Einblick in das Ausbildungssystem der US-Streitkräfte gibt, vom fast schon menschenverachtenden Drill und den Erniedrigungen durch Ausbilder. Der Film ist auch erfrischend „unpatriotisch“, da wird nichts glorifiziert, KUBRICK schildert die nüchterne Realität.
Ich kann den Film nur empfehlen, wer sich für die Thematik interessiert, der ist hier bestens aufgehoben.
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BlackDog661 ©
A Stanley Kubrick classic of the horrors of the Vietnam war
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 10, 2018
