In its ability to both challenge and confront previous conventions of the Hollywood war film genre, Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987) is a provocative and philosophical cinematic experience. Starring R. Lee Ermey as the diabolical Sergeant Hartman, Vincent D’Onofrio as the childlike and naïve private Lawrence or “Gomer Pyle” and Matthew Modine as the sarcastic Private Davis or “Joker”; the film portrays the gruelling experience of the Vietnam war through the perspective of new U.S recruits.
Neglecting to adhere to the conventional narrative plot structure, Full Metal Jacket is separated into two distinctive parts. The film opens while the heads of the young, unsuspecting troops are being shaved to music of the corny, twangy blues …show more content…
Rather than featuring a valiant war hero, the film offers Private Joker, a cynical and sarcastic young recruit. Self-contradictory in manner, Joker wears a peace sign on his jacket yet sports the slogan “born to kill” on his helmet. This reflects that even Joker is conflicted about the purpose of his role in the Vietnam War. In a later scene Joker is confronted about the peace symbol and asked to remove it. Lieutenant Lockhart states “How’s it gonna look if you get killed wearing a peace symbol?” (Terry). This dialogue reveals that Joker’s superiors are only concerned with the media’s portrayal of the war efforts to the American public, when in reality there is no noble cause that these men are fighting for. In a helicopter scene, Joker and Rafter-man witness another soldier carelessly picking off Vietnamese citizens with a machine gun. When Joker enquires about how he can shoot women and children the man replies “Easy. You just don’t lead them so much” (Colceri). The casual tone with which this character discusses an issue that is so morally questionable is shocking. As the beginning of the film set up expectations of the military adhering to the concepts of order and control, this scene counter-acts those expectations. Suggesting the total opposite of order and control, the men in the field appear to kill without morals and lack a sense
Neglecting to adhere to the conventional narrative plot structure, Full Metal Jacket is separated into two distinctive parts. The film opens while the heads of the young, unsuspecting troops are being shaved to music of the corny, twangy blues …show more content…
Rather than featuring a valiant war hero, the film offers Private Joker, a cynical and sarcastic young recruit. Self-contradictory in manner, Joker wears a peace sign on his jacket yet sports the slogan “born to kill” on his helmet. This reflects that even Joker is conflicted about the purpose of his role in the Vietnam War. In a later scene Joker is confronted about the peace symbol and asked to remove it. Lieutenant Lockhart states “How’s it gonna look if you get killed wearing a peace symbol?” (Terry). This dialogue reveals that Joker’s superiors are only concerned with the media’s portrayal of the war efforts to the American public, when in reality there is no noble cause that these men are fighting for. In a helicopter scene, Joker and Rafter-man witness another soldier carelessly picking off Vietnamese citizens with a machine gun. When Joker enquires about how he can shoot women and children the man replies “Easy. You just don’t lead them so much” (Colceri). The casual tone with which this character discusses an issue that is so morally questionable is shocking. As the beginning of the film set up expectations of the military adhering to the concepts of order and control, this scene counter-acts those expectations. Suggesting the total opposite of order and control, the men in the field appear to kill without morals and lack a sense