Full Metal Jacket
1987
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Principle actors: Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio
Gut-level take
It’s impossible to be ironic, detached, intellectual, and objective in war.
Basic plot
A journalist enlists in the Marines, and we follow his journey from basic training to reporting on the front during the Tet Offensive.
Themes
- The importance of chain of command
- Sadism and bullying
- The desire for peace vs vengeance
- Price of freedom via militarism
Unexpected Awesomeness
- Hearing the origin of 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny” samples
- John Terry (Christian Shepard on Lost) as a journalist lieutenant
- Seeing the origin of R. Lee Ermey’s drill sergeant persona in pop culture
See also: the Kickstarter project to turn Matthew Modine’s limited edition book Full Metal Jacket Diaries into an iPad app.
