Short Review: Usually, "anti-war" means "anti-thought". This film is the exception.


When someone says “anti-war” today people tend to think of seething undergraduate morons who parrot the leftist drivel they’ve picked up between bong hits. Since Vietnam, the term “anti-war” has less to do with actual philosophy or serious thought about warfare and more about the bedwetting left stabbing our soldiers in the back for political gain. This film is a profound and truthful anti-war film that transcends the usual canard ridden screeds we hear today.

This film tells the story of Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), a French officer trying to survive in the trenches of WWI. Dax is confronted by a horrible situation. After a failed suicide mission, he is forced by his superiors to select three men from the ranks to be tried and then executed for cowardice. The men are not cowards. The stated reason for the trail of innocent men is to make them a warning for the rest of the soldiers. In actuality, the trial is a vehicle for the superior officers to keep from losing face.

General Mireau (George MacReady) is looking for another feather in his cap and proposes a stupid frontal attack as a means of establishing glory. The lives (and deaths) of the men in the trenches are meaningless to him outside of how they can be leveraged for his personal gain. The resulting court martial of the selected men is nothing more than a kangaroo court. Through the story we witness a brutality honest look at the wages of war and the abuse of power.

Douglas’ performance of a man of conviction drowning in a vat of lies is reason enough to see this film. Douglas’ stern performance combined with Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant film making give the film a depth that is entrancing. From the scenes in the trenches to the nervous moments of the condemned soldiers as they wait for their fate in a dirty prison cell, every moment of this film brims with a haunting realism.

MacReady also provides a full performance as the power hungry leader Mireau. He conjures a quick posture that is quite frightening upon reflection. It is completely believable that this man would be so willing to casually cause the deaths of hundreds for his own pride.

While not being Kubrick’s most visually stunning film, it is one of his tightest works. I believe it may be his most meaningful film, which is saying something considering the master filmmaker’s resume. Where Full Metal Jacket had hints of the absurd, this film is deadly serious and expresses an anti-war sentiment that is not anti-soldier. This film is more Saving Private Ryan than Platoon in that regard. We ask our men and women to do terrible things in our name and their work doesn’t stop after they make it back home “safe”. We ask for them to sometimes give up their lives, even when those lives aren’t taken in battle. From lingering injuries of the mind and body, we ask them to sacrifice everything and then suffer in silence. This film is a reminder that war is the unleashing nihilism in the hearts of our soldiers. It is about more than just pride and politics, it is about killing other people. That comes with a deep cost to those involved. That’s a clear fact that is always lost to those of us not getting shot at.


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Labels: film, Kirk Douglas, movie, Stanley Kubrick, war

One of the greatest films ever made. Stanley Kubrick’s anti-Cold War classic is still an outstanding work of cinema. From Peter Sellers multiple roles as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake/President Merkin Muffley/Dr. Strangelove, George C. Scott’s rambunctious Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson to Sterling Hayden’s growling Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper the actors in this film give some of the best comedic performances put to screen. Kubrick’s tempered, dry delivery is perfect for the dark humor he is presenting. The world is pushed to the brink of destruction when a crazed American general sets off World War III. Despite the obvious doom coming their way President Muffley and his staff frantically attempt to keep the inevitable from happening.

This is one of the movies everyone should see at least once. It is a rare film in its quality. It is a comedy but doesn’t ham it up, it is a political jab but it doesn’t have a party. Kubrick and company are somewhat relativist but even this doesn’t get too much in the way. This is a great piece of satire that skewers its target perfectly.


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Labels: film, George C. Scott, movie review, Peter Sellers, Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s first released film is not a great piece of cinema but it is a notable debut. The film stars Vincent Rapallo as a failed prize fighter who gets wrapped up in the messy life of a private dancer (Irene Kane). The young Kubrick reveals his potential but fails to keep his film from being dragged down by his own clunky screenplay. Kubrick’s unique, dry style has been formulated yet and this feels like a film made by someone mimicking the master. For film geeks this is a must-see since it shows the opening effort of one of the great filmmakers. For the average audience member, I don’t imagine this will hold much interest. The pacing is a little plodding and despite some memorable sequences, the film as a whole doesn’t rise to the level of being worth hunting down.


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Labels: classic, film, movie review, Stanley Kubrick

Great movie, possibly one of the most annoying trailers ever put to film. Nice editing, I started having a petit mal just watching it.

Labels: classic, film, movie trailer, Stanley Kubrick

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.


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Labels: film, Mattew Modine, movie review, Stanley Kubrick, Vietnam, war

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Screenwriter: Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket)
Director: Stanley Kubrick (Barry Lyndon)
Actors: Malcolm McDowell (Doomsday), Patrick Magee (Chariots of Fire) and Aubrey Morris (Bordello of Blood)

Labels: film, Malcolm McDowell, movie trailer, Stanley Kubrick