Full Metal Jacket

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For the type of ammunition, see Full metal jacket bullet.

Template:Infobox Film Full Metal Jacket (1987) is a film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford. The film is named after the full metal jacketed bullets used in military ammunition.

The film portrays the Vietnam War from the point of view of the US Marines. Recurring themes are the contradictions of war, a constant feeling of being out of one's depth, and the idea of combat in Vietnam being part of a different world, with its own rules and customs. The miasma of confusion and angst of the new world begins in boot camp, and spirals down into bloodshed before even landing in Vietnam.

In the aftermath of this film a series of policy changes came about in what was considered acceptable behavior by a Drill Instructor in the United States Marine Corps. All references to a recruit's family are absolutely forbidden, as is striking a recruit.

The movie is often said to have been shot on the Isle of Dogs, in east London, but in fact the ravaged city scenes were shot in a disused gas works in Beckton, further east. The open country is Cliffe marshes, also on the Thames, with palm trees imported from Spain. While this was reasonable for the urban nature of the Tet Offensive, it was also influenced by Kubrick's aversion to air travel.

1 Synopsis
2 Synopsis of characters
3 Theme
4 Music
5 Quotes
6 Trivia
7 External links

[edit]

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The protagonist of the film is Marine recruit J.T. 'Joker' Davis (Matthew Modine), who is part of a group beginning basic training as a Marine on Parris Island, SC.

The brutal command of Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (played by former Marine Drill Instructor R. Lee Ermey, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor) shows the harsh indoctrination of Marine recruits. The training is depicted as designed to eliminate virtually all trace of the recruits' individual personalities and transform them into killers (to "keep Heaven packed with fresh souls"). This first section of the film focuses largely on how the brutal treatment of overweight misfit Leonard 'Gomer Pyle' Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) results in him losing his sanity. The first half of the film culminates in Lawrence murdering Hartman, then killing himself, after the platoon has graduated as full-fledged Marines.

Image:Full metal jacket screenshot.JPG

The second part then takes place in Vietnam, focusing on 'Joker', who is now a Sergeant and a Stars and Stripes war correspondent in a Marine public information unit. 'Joker' soon becomes familiar with both the horror and the absurdity of the war. He and a photographer nicknamed Rafterman are sent "into the shit" to cover the Tet Offensive. Joker's helmet decoration – the slogan "Born to Kill" – and the Peace symbol pin on his uniform exemplify his moral ambiguity. In one scene Joker is confronted by a Marine Corps Colonel (Bruce Boa), demanding to know why he has a peace symbol on his uniform and "Born To Kill" on his helmet. Joker mentions the duality of man theory postulated by Carl Jung; the Colonel questions Joker's patriotism and demands that he shape up, "or I will take a giant shit on you."

Joker joins his friend Cowboy and his squad on patrol in the city of Hué. A vicious battle breaks out and the city, already crumbling from previous battles, is practically leveled. One of the film's standout sequences shows the squad being interviewed individually by a television news crew and expressing their thoughts on the war. They also stand over the dead bodies of two of their unit and comment on what freedom means to the Vietnamese.

Cowboy's squad is called up for patrol again, this time north of the Perfume River (which divides the city of Hué), where Viet Cong forces are believed to be hiding. The squad becomes lost and a sniper, hiding among some abandoned buildings, wounds two of their comrades with the intention of sucking more of them into the trap. As the squad moves up to try to locate the hidden position, the sniper shoots Cowboy. Using smoke to conceal their movements (effectively depicted with a hand-held camera running alongside the Marines), the squad moves in. Joker finds the sniper hiding in a room. At the critical moment his rifle jams and the sniper, a young Vietnamese girl, opens fire, pinning Joker behind a column, making it impossible for him to escape or shoot back. Suddenly, the girl is rippled by shots and falls; Joker's savior turns out to be Rafterman. As Joker, Rafterman, and Animal Mother gather around the girl she begins to pray, then begs the Marines to kill her. Joker reluctantly does so after being egged on by his comrades.

The film concludes with the Marines' ironic rendition of the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club as they march into a night battle. The film's end credits are accompanied by The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black.

[edit]

Synopsis of characters

Private/Sergeant "Joker" J.T. Davis — The film's protagonist and narrator who initially joined the Corps to see action and to kill. He witnesses Pyle's insanity growing during boot camp but ostensibly becomes a "squared away" Marine. He later becomes a combat correspondent and links up with the Lusthog Squad to report combat incidents from the field. During his time with the squad, he witnesses the horrors of war. Frequently uses a John Wayne impression to diffuse tense situations.

Private/Sergeant "Cowboy" Evans — Cowboy is a Marine from Texas who went through boot camp with Joker. He becomes an infantry grunt, encounters Joker again in combat, and is killed in action when a sniper shoots him from behind.

Rafterman — Rafterman is a combat photographer in Joker's PIO unit and so eager to see action he asks to accompany Joker into Hue. He seems somewhat naive and ready to believe anything.

Animal Mother — The nihilistic M-60 light machine gunner of the Lusthog Squad, Animal Mother is contemptuous of any authority other than his own and rules by intimidation. At first, he is contemptuous and scornful of Joker as a rear echelon Marine. Animal Mother believes victory should be the only object of war. (In the novel, he comes from New York City, and joined the Corps as an alternative to prison for auto theft.) One of the most significant characters.

Eightball — An African-American in the Lusthog squad, sensitive about his ethnicity, and an ally of Animal Mother. Eightball is one of the more lively members of the squad. He is also angry at the South Vietnamese for not wanting to fight for their freedom. He dies when an enemy sniper shoots him repeatedly, a shot at a time, to bait the squad into trying to rescue him.

Doc Jay — An Navy corpsman attached to the Lusthog squad. Doc Jay, like Animal Mother, is headstrong and willing to disobey orders under extreme circumstances. He is killed by the sniper when he tries to save Eightball.

Hand Job — A member of the squad nicknamed for his habit of excessive masturbation, Hand Job exploited his habit to receive a Section Eight order to go home but is killed during a skirmish in Hue one week before being shipped out.

Donlon — Another African-American in the squad and its RTO (radiotelephone operator). Along with Eightball, he views the South Vietnamese as ungrateful, and their ingratitude as an insult.

Crazy Earl — The squad leader, he is force to take charge of the platoon when their platoon leader is killed. A gung-ho Marine who feels that he belongs in Vietnam, Crazy Earl is killed by an exploding booby trap, leaving Cowboy in charge of the squad.

T.H.E. Rock — A Latino member of the squad, generally quiet and a follower. He carries an M79 grenade launcher for the squad.

Murphy — An unseen member of Cowboy's platoon coordinating fire support. During the final scene, he is unable to provide the Lusthog Squad with much-needed tank support. (Murphy's radio voice is provided by Stanley Kubrick.)

Lieutenant Walter J. Schinoski "Touchdown" — The platoon leader of the Lusthog squad, Touchdown played college football at Notre Dame, hence his nickname. He is killed during the advance into Hue by mortar fragments.

No-Doze and Stutten — Two other Marines in the Lusthog squad.

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman — A stereotypical, abrasive drill instructor at Parris Island who physically abuses his recruits to turn them into ruthless killing machines. He is killed by the mentally-unbalanced "Private Pyle". (The novel reveals that Hartman was a veteran of the Second World War and fought at Iwo Jima, a particularly brutal, bloody battle, to offer insight into his motivation.)

Leonard Lawrence "Gomer Pyle" — An overweight and clumsy recruit in Joker's boot camp platoon, Pyle becomes the focus of Hartman's abuse for his incompetence and weight, and as an object lesson to the other recruits. After failing almost everything in boot camp, he "snaps" and start to talk to his rifle, Charlene (Smooth, Charlene). Yet he begins to become the most disciplined recruit. The night of the platoon's graduation from recruit training, Pyle kills Hartman with his M14 rifle and a round of stolen ammunition ("full metal jacket bullet") and nearly shoots Joker before graphically committing suicide by putting the weapon's muzzle in his own mouth and firing.

Private Brown "Snowball" — A recruit in Joker's boot camp platoon, nicknamed "Snowball" by Hartman, and briefly a squad leader.

Payback — A veteran correspondent with the Marine PIO unit, Payback brags that he has been "out in the shit" (combat) and tells Joker and Rafterman about the "Thousand Yard Stare."

Chili and Stork — Other members of the PIO unit.

Lieutenant Lockhart — An officer and the head of Joker's PIO unit who acts as assignment editor. He has some experience reporting on combat but uses his rank to avoid going back into the field because of the danger and bugs, rationalizing that his duties keep him where he belongs, 'In the rear with the gear'. Joker taunts the lieutenant with wise-crack statements and winds up in the field.

Pogue Colonel — A Marine colonel schooled in "the last war" who encounters Joker near the grave of executed civilians and reprimands him for wearing a peace symbol button, suggesting that Joker be more enthusiastic about winning the war.

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Theme

The movie includes a great deal of satire on the Vietnam war and the Marines involved in the war, though few would deem the movie a comedy. The main themes of the movie include the irony of war, and the comparable power of words and ideas in a war. This theme is crystalized first by the Drill Instructor, whose words hit as hard as his fists, and later in the scenes with Sgt. Joker's editor for "Stars and Stripes" (who mindlessly follows the latest headquarters directive to change the term "search and destroy" missions against the VC to "sweep and clear", as this sounds less violent), and in the scene with the colonel where the Colonel asks if Sgt. Joker is on "our side" and is waiting for "this peace craze to blow over."

Although often said to contain two distinct parts, the film can be categorized into three. The first part is the training of new US Marine Corps recruits, culminating with the deaths of the Senior Drill Instructor and Pvt. "Pyle". The second part of the movie establishes Joker's role as a war reporter, working behind the lines during the Tet Offensive of 1968. In the third section, the focus shifts to a patrol searching through the bombed out city of Huế to root out a sniper. The sections are bookended by scenes of bargaining with prostitutes, and each section ends with shocking violence.

Irony runs rampant throughout the film. In the first section of the movie, the recruit training is supposed to train Marines who protect the interests of the country and the military, but eventually it results in the death of the Senior Drill Instructor. The initially innocent and naive Pvt. Leonard Lawrence (nicknamed Gomer Pyle) ended up as a killer, exactly as the Drill Instructor wanted. The murder of the Senior Drill Instructor is ironic because his success in converting Pvt. Gomer Pyle into a killer results in his own death. During marksmanship training, the Drill Instructor's use of Lee Harvey Oswald and Charles Whitman as examples of the efficacy of Marine training provides more irony. Although both began as motivated Marines, both ultimately became notorious criminal killers. Near the beginning of the second part of the movie, Sgt. Joker is told an irony laced joke about "how to kill women and children." The final irony is that the product of the US Marine recruit training, the professional killers, are wiped out one by one by a small school girl who snipes them from a damaged building. Having injured her, the Marines then kill her with a mercy shot.

The movie also presumes the irony of providing freedom for the Vietnamese people by taking away the freedom of the American people, and the allegation made by some of the Marines that the Vietnamese don't seem to want their freedom.

There are several references to religion. In one of the scenes the Senior Drill Instructor asks Pvt. Joker whether he believes in the Virgin Mary. Pvt. Joker replies that he does not, and the Senior Drill Instructor, offended, strikes the Private, and asks him again, getting the same reply. After repeated blows, the Drill Instructor asks Pvt. Joker if he is deliberately trying to anger the instructor by reiterating his answer, and Joker replies that he believes the Drill Instructor will beat him harder if he reverses his position in the face of the abuse. The Drill Instructor then promotes Pvt. Joker to squad leader, not because of his answer, but for standing by his beliefs in the face of adversity.

[edit]

Music

All of the music used in the film was written and recorded before 1968, as to be accurate to the time period the film is set in. The music included in the film is as follows:

Hello Vietnam - Performed by Johnnie Wright
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - Performed by Nancy Sinatra
Wooly Bully - Performed by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
Surfin' Bird - Performed by The Trashmen
The Marines Hymn - Performed by The Goldmen
Chapel of Love - Performed by The Dixie Cups
Paint It Black - Performed by The Rolling Stones
Mickey Mouse Club Television Theme

[edit]

Quotes

Nightpray: “This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it untill there is no enemy, but peace. Amen”

Private Pyle: Seven-point-six-two millimeter full metal jacket.

Private Joker (narration): Parris Island, South Carolina...the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot. An eight-week college for the phony-tough and the crazy-brave.

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (addressing new recruits): If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training you will be a weapon, you will be a minister of death, praying for war. But until that day, you are pukes! You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human fucking beings! You are nothing but unorganized, grab-asstic pieces of amphibian shit! Because I am hard, you will not like me. But the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard, but I am fair! There is no racial bigotry here! I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless! And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps!

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman “God has a hard-on for Marines, because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours! To show our appreciation for so much power we keep heaven packed with fresh souls! God was here before the Marine Corps! So you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps“

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman “The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine, and his rifle. It is your killer instinct that must be harnessed if you expect to survive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. You will become dead Marines. And then you will be in a world of shit. Because Marines are not allowed to die without permission! Do you maggots understand? SIR, YES SIR“

Joker: I wanted to see exotic Vietnam, the jewel of Southeast Asia. I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture and...kill them. I wanted to be the first kid on my block to get a confirmed kill.

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (to Cowboy): Holy dogshit, Texas! Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy, and you don't much look like a steer to me so that kind of narrows it down!

"Vietnamese Prostitute": Me so horny!

"Vietnamese Prostitute": Me love you long time!

"Helicopter Gunner" (as he fires at any Vietnamese people he sees from the helicopter): Anyone who runs is a VC! Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined VC! Ain't war hell? *laughs maniacally*

[edit]

Trivia

Stanley Kubrick provided the voice of Murphy, the soldier on the other end of the radio communication in the latter part of the film.
Vivian Kubrick, Stanley's daughter, had an uncredited guest role as a News Camera Operator at the Mass Grave and contributed several tracks to the film's score under the name "Abigail Mead".
Former US Marines Drill Instructor R. Lee Ermey was originally hired to give another actor hired to play Gunnery Sergeant Hartman the basics of giving a realistic performance as a Marine Drill Instructor. He performed a demonstration on videotape in which he yelled obscene insults and abuse for fifteen minutes without stopping, repeating himself, or even flinching — despite being continuously pelted with tennis balls and oranges. Stanley Kubrick was so impressed that he cast Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann.
To make Gunnery Sergeant Hartman's performance and the recruits' reactions as convincing as possible, Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio and the other actors playing recruits never met Ermey prior to filming. Kubrick also saw to it that Ermey didn't fraternize with the actors between takes.
Despite the arguably anti-war stance of the film, Full Metal Jacket remains one of the favorites of US servicemen. Viewing the film before departing for recruit training is a widely-followed ritual.
If you pay close attention, Ermey rarely blinks at all in any of his scenes.
Full Metal Jacket is one of the most widely sampled movies in industrial music. Samples from it, mostly lines from Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and the Marines' Nightpray, appear in tracks by Ministry, Front Line Assembly, Grendel, and Combichrist, among others.
When Joker mercy-kills the Vietnamese sniper girl; as he psyches himself up to pull the trigger, his peace-button gradually disappears behind his body-armour while his "BORN TO KILL" slogan remains in full view, signifying, as he put it, "the duality of man."