Full Metal Jacket – (1987) Stanley Kubrick’s 762-mm film, with screenplay assistance from Michael Herr (author of Dispatches), of Marines from Parris Island to Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. Drill instructor Hartman (Lee Ermey) prepares his platoon – “phony tough and crazy brave” raw recruits – for combat by making them into hardcore killers for the Marine Corps, including Leonard (Vincent D’Onofrio), whom he names Pvt Gomer Pyle and humiliates in every way. Before training them on the rifle range, Hartman commends to his men the sharpshooting skills of Charles Wittman (who went to the top of the observation deck of the Tower Building at the University of Texas from where he shot to death 14 people and wounded 24 after killing his mother and father the previous night) and Lee Harvey Oswald, both trained in the Marine Corps. Leonard joins them.

Pvt Joker (Matthew Modine) survives boot camp to become a Stars and Stripes journalist, wearing a peace button on his flak jacket and “Born to Kill” on his helmet. Cynical yet curious to test himself – dueling with his inner duality – he takes an assignment into “the shit” where he’s reunited with Cowboy (Arliss Howard) from their eight weeks with Sgt Hartman. All hell breaks loose during a firefight with a lone sniper during which the war becomes up-close and personal.

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Copyright © 2007 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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