Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick is a movie about the Vietnam war, that is based on the novel “The Short Timers” by Gustav Hasford.  Mr. Kubrick did an excellent job portraying the life of young recruits as they enter the Marine Corps.  The film follows the recruits through boot camp then focuses on the main character’s first assignment as a field journalist.  In boot camp, the recruits are emotionally broken down so they can be rebuilt as a team of Marines.  The Drill Instructor, played by R. Lee Ermey, an actual Drill Instructor for the Marines from that era, played the role unscripted.  Mr. Ermey was hired as a technical adviser, but was immediately given the role after demonstrating the part to Mr. Kubrick.

Mr. Kubrick shows in his film the conditions a new recruit is faced with while being made into a Marine and prepared for combat.  The DI is very hard on one particular recruit, leading the viewer to think he is heartless and doesn’t care, but then in another scene the DI is actually carrying the recruits rifle for him during a long run.  I think Mr. Kubrick is trying to show that even though the DI is playing a very hard and demanding person in the Corps, he is still human and has a little compassion.  There seems to be a little anti-war theme included in the movie; in one scene, the Marines are being interviewed and one is asked about the people they are fighting for.  The Marine replies that the Marines are there fighting for the people’s freedom and they are unappreciative, he says “they would rather be alive than free.”  I think Mr. Kubrick is trying to show that the guys in the field do not understand the people they are fighting for, or maybe even why they are fighting, they are are just the pawns in the field doing as they are told by their superiors.  Mr. Kubrick demonstrates a little irony of war at the end of the film.  The Marines, with all their training, weapons, and specialized equipment are pinned down and loose two of their guys, to a single enemy sniper, who turns out to be a young girl.  Additionally, in the last scene, the Marines are marching out of town, singing the Mickey Mouse Club song.  I always accepted this as the guys comic relief after the stress of the battle, but could it be a stab at the “leader of the pack, that is made for you and me?” as sung by them.

I have included a link to a movie trailer for the film.  It is not the original, but it does a better job highlighting the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ0veM23apE

Works Cited

Exeron91. “Full Metal Jacket trailer”. YouTube.com. 2 Sept. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ0veM23apE.

IMDb The Internet Movie Database. 2010. IMDb.com, Inc. 2 Sept. 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093058/.