The dead know only one thing: it's better to be alive. (Full Metal Jacket (DVD))

Member Name: barryvs

Product:	Full Metal Jacket (DVD)
Date:	29/06/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great camerawork, fine battle scenes, good acting, value for money

Disadvantages: The 2nd half is a bit of a let-down, and perhaps it is a little too detached.

It is safe to say that this film is really two films in one. The first part (roughly 45 minutes) shows a group of new Marine corps recruits going through basic training with drill-instructor-from-Hell Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey, who was a drill instructor in real life too and served 14 months in Vietnam), who are being made into full-blown marines to serve in the Vietnam War.

Private James T. "Joker" Davis (Matthew Modine) serves as the focal point for the majority of the film. He's made mentor of Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence, an overweight, rather dimwitted recruit who is picked on by Hartman almost immediately for his incompetence and overweight. Hartman makes him the platoon scapegoat; the whole platoon has to take the consequences of his failures but eventually, with the mentorship of Private Joker, he turns into a disciplined Marine that impresses Hartman with his marksmanship.....and a psychotic, withdrawn ton of dynamite that talks to his rifle (named Charlene), waiting to explode.

The 2nd part of the movie, often considered a let-down in relation to the first part, starts off in January, 1968, just before the Tet Offensive. The Vietnam War is in full swing, and Private Joker is now a Sergeant with the 4212-Basic Military Journalism unit, as a Combat Correspondent with Stars & Stripes. We are introduced to a few characters: "Rafterman" (Kevyn Major Howard), a combat photographer and Lt. Lockhart (John Terry) who is the superior of Private Joker. Joker tells Lockhart that he suspects the enemy will launch an attack during the Tet Holiday, something that Lockhart dismisses. Shortly after that, the Tet Offensive starts and their Marine Base is attacked by the North Vietnamese Army.

Private Joker and Rafterman are then transferred to the city of Hue, to cover combat taking place around Phu Bai, a marine forward ops base. At Phu Bai they meet Lt. Walter J. Schinowsky, platoon leader of "Cowboy" (Arliss Howard), who spent boot camp with Pvt. Joker.

I end here with this synopsis as I hate to give away major plot-details, though I might have gone overboard a little already. The movie is full of psyschological musings and allegories for those who pick up that sort of thing - I like to myself but you would still enjoy a great movie if you choose not to.

I think what Kubrick wanted to show is that war can corrupt anyone and anything; the lands, the soul, innocence, even individuality....the character of Joker has an air of ambiguity surrounding him; as if he could be anyone, as if he represents the common man - showing that anyone can lose his very being in a war.

For me, the 2nd half feels mashed together. As it doesn't have a primary plot to focus on, nor does it want to, it kind of keeps its distance (especially in character development) and that makes it hard to feel for the G.I.'s who get killed in the battle. It makes it hard to relate emotionally, and thus makes this movie mostly a lesson, a thought experiment. It might give you new insights about war, about human nature; but that does take away from the entertainment value a little bit. This is usually the case with Kubrick; cold, detached, somewhat pessimistic even; but if that doesn't bother you then this will be an even greater movie for you.

The story is based on the novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford, and was Stanley Kubrick's penultimate film before dying in his sleep on March 7, 1999.

CAST:

Matthew Modine ... Pvt. Joker
Adam Baldwin ... Animal Mother
Vincent D'Onofrio ... Pvt. Pyle
R. Lee Ermey ... Gunnery. Sgt. Hartman
Dorian Harewood ... Eightball
Kevyn Major Howard ... Rafterman
Arliss Howard ... Pvt. Cowboy
Ed O'Ross ... Lt. Touchdown
John Terry ... Lt. Lockhart

The score was written by Vivian Kubrick, the daughter of Stanley.

Summary: 'Full Metal Jacket is a powerful war movie, and has a good argument for being the best Vietnam movie