Looking for a specific film review? CLICK BELOW

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z / Trailers / DVD Store


December 4, 2008
Full Metal Jacket (1988)
Should I see it?
Yes.

Full Metal Jacket
Personally, this is my favorite Stanley Kubrick film. By Kubrick’s standards, this is a brief, focused film. We follow the path of Private Joker from his time at bootcamp through to his first confirmed kill in the depths of The Vietnam War. Joker (Matthew Modine) becomes a combat report but is far too belligerent for that position. He is sent into the field to fight but finds he is too imaginative to be a grunt. He is a man who slowly learns that the absurd world he inhabits is at once ridiculous while also deadly serious.

The film is actually two films in one. We have the opening section at boot camp and the second section in Vietnam. The transition between these two worlds is abrupt and jarring. This may have been intentional on Kubrick’s part but regardless, he develops two independent worlds in this film and allows each to mature on screen to their fullest extent.

Looking beyond the brilliant direction by Kubrick, we are given some great performances in this film. No discussion of this film is complete with a nod to R. Lee Ermey as Gny. Sgt. Hartman. Ermey’s amazing performance as the screaming drill sergeant that is hilarious as well as ominous. He will make you laugh just before he kicks your teeth in. Ermey’s Hartman is the quintessential drill sergeant and gives the stereotype a new life and dimension. Another notable and career founding performance is Vincent D'Onofrio’s Private Pyle. Pyle’s descent into madness at the hands of others is a hard watch. D’Onofrio manages both sides of this complex character with masterful control. Ermey’s and D’Onofrio’s performances make this film a must see. The rest of the cast is hardly standing around doing nothing. Modine as Joker, Adam Baldwin as Animal Mother, Arliss Howard as Cowboy and Kevyn Major Howard as the over enthusiastic Rafterman, each of these men give memorable performances. This is one of the best war films made and one of the better acted films in decades.

Then there’s that whole “Me love you long time” thing…I’ll just move on to the next review.


Related Reviews:
Vietnam War movies
Rescue Dawn (2006)
Platoon (1986)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Combustible Celluloid
Siskel & Ebert

Labels: , , , , ,


posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




Share






0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home