In a world of ........ (Full Metal Jacket (DVD))

Member Name: bigdave

Product:	Full Metal Jacket (DVD)
Date:	09/10/01 (1202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Storyline, Opening Scene, Soundtrack

Disadvantages: Ending a bit weak

In a world of ..
Well you probably all ready know the quote from the movie, but this movie certainly doesn't fit into that category.

Full Metal Jacket is Stanley Kubricks 1987 adaptation of Vietnam. The movie is split into two sections.

The first being the introduction of the new Marines to Parris Island boot camp. The movie starts with the drill sergeant(Lee Ermey) setting the Marines straight. The opening scene has to be one of the most unforgetfull scenes in cinema history, with some of the best quotes in the business available e.g. "Only queers and steers come from Texas, and you dont look much like a steer to me boy! So do you...."

The first half of the film mainly concentrates on three main characters, the drill sergeant, Private Joker(Matthew Modine) and Private Pile(Vincent D'Onofrio).
Private Pile turns out to be a useless, overwieght half-wit who cant seem to get anything right. The drill sergeant strikes apon the idea no longer to punish Pile but to punish everyone else for his mistakes.

Sometimes during the opening you don't know wether to laugh, or feel sorry for the treament that Pile recieves at the camp.

After Piles "Major Malfunction" the story then follows Joker to Vientnam where he is posted as a military journalist. Joker starts to get bored of being a part of the American propaganda war and decides that he wants to see a part of the front line action. He meets up with one of his fellow boot camp graduates and decides to go in for the final push with his squad.

The movie gives very thought provoking look at the Vientnam war and questions what the American involvement was for, this is highlighted in the proganda TV interviews.

I personally thought the ending could have been more fufilling, as it seemed pointless and hadnt achieved anything, probably it was meant to reflect Kubricks view on the war itself.

Overall this is a fantast
ic movie, which was well shot, and tell's its story to great effect. The movie also has a spectacular soundtrack. I would definatly recommend this movie to anyone who like's their military film's but wants something a bit more thought provoking than a straight out shoot them up and big explosions.

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