Comments on: Movie Review – Full Metal Jacket

By: contentforyou1254

contentforyou1254 — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:58:42 +0000

The story behind Gunnery Sergeant Hartman’s speech from Full Metal Jacket https://contentforyoublog.wordpress.com/2014/06/1…

By: Rodney

Rodney — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 00:53:46 +0000

In reply to brikhaus. Where I think a lot of people have problems with the film overall is it's sudden shift in tone. A bit like Rodriguez' From Dusk 'Til Dawn, which goes from bloody crime flick to bloody vampire horror film in nearly the blink of an eye, the about-face following D'Onofrio's violent outburst just seems to change the mood of the film entirely, and I don't think audiences were (or are) used to it. They expect a certain continuity, I think, and it makes the shift in the film's focus a little harder to countenance. Thoughts?

By: brikhaus

brikhaus — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 21:32:55 +0000

I used to think that the second half was worse than the first, but when I rewatched this as an adult, I realized they are equally great. The second half is meant (as you said yourself) to show how the men are faceless grunts, cannon-fodder, and sent to die in wave after wave by a government that only cares about objectives and not people. The cold, detached nature (admittedly in many of Kubrick's works – I say many because I haven't seen all of his films – the really early ones) fits this narrative design to a T. The government doesn't care about the boys who are dying like flies, and neither does the camera. I think people have trouble reconciling the different tones of the two halves, but each plays off one another brilliantly like a two-act play.

By: Rodney

Rodney — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:35:17 +0000

In reply to Wendell. Thanks Dell. Yeah, that second act is still good, just not as cohesive and incisive as the opening half. It's a shame, because this could have scored an A from me if it had been a little more taut. Oh well.

By: Wendell

Wendell — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:45:14 +0000

I love this movie. It’s among my top 5 war movies of all time. You’re right that the first half is easily the better one, but I think the second one works really well, too. Modine was excellent, but both Ermey and D’onofrio were Oscar worthy.