Director Dissection with Seanc and Rauldc

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Director's Dissection
– FULL METAL JACKET –
Review
contains spoilers


A full metal jacket bullet is a small-arms projectile
consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal.


In many ways, this explanation of the bullet behind the title totally encapsulate the experience that the Marine Corps depicted in the film goes through and can be used as our first bullet point here. Behind the façade there is a human being, who during military training is physically broken down and manipulated with, until his outer shell is tough enough not to break upon the great impact of WAR.

‘Full Metal Jacket’ is one of the greatest anti-war films ever made in my opinion. It a isn’t perfect film, but the depiction of these young boys going through boot camp and busting their asses only to bite the dust in the act of war is amusing and alarming at the same time, especially in the way that it is executed and presented. R. Lee Ermey is amazingly convincing and creatively brilliant as the loud-mouthed and verbally abusing a-hole, who plays the sergeant and runs this recklessness as he pleases. He truly puts on a one-man show and even when push comes to shove, he doesn’t shiver and continues his behavior until it ends with his own demise. Dedicated and a true military hero, right?

The guy killing the sergeant, “Gomer Pyle”, is equally believable as the mentally challenged and socially awkward outsider, who doesn’t have a deep enough layer of toughness to survive the pressure from having to perform beyond what he is capable of. He is clearly unstable and isn’t able to simply bite the bullet and get on with it. He finally finds something he is good at tough, shooting riffles, and ends up literally biting the bullet in a horrifying scene also containing the signature “Kubrick stare” from Pyle. Joker, who was the guy assigned to help him, did do just that but also ended up betraying him the night when everyone beat up Pyle.

Joker is an interesting fellow, and like the joker from a deck of cards, isn’t really part of “the game” so to speak. There are 52 cards in a deck and 52 states in America. Well, that is after all a common mistake even for Americans but taking out the two jokers from the deck and there are suddenly 50 cards and it matches up. Where am I going with this again? Anyways, Joker does what is asked of him but usually not without a smart remark and he does question the things he is asked to do a lot, acting as the twisted moral voice in the midst of torn apart logic…

The second half of the film does indeed pale in comparison to the first, which showed us a side of war we hadn’t quite seen before. It was brutally expressive, mockingly morbid, purposely exaggerated and powerfully precise. I loved and loathed being on the verbal shooting range of sergeant Hartman as he slowly but surely turned these young boys into bareboned killer machines, and I equally found interest in seeing the different effects that war can have on you in the second part of the film. The second half might not be as exciting, but it is equally elaborate and expressive about the absurdity of war. The war we are presented with is big, brassy and bloated, filled with flashy imagery of false comfort and foolish masculinity inside a massively confusing and convoluted world of absolute chaos and dimwitted death-wishing’s. Everything is an act to survive the fact if you haven’t already turned mentally insane of course.

The pace drags a little more in the second half, especially towards the end, but after the coal-colored dark comedy on command, camaraderie, loyalty and whatnot, we end up in the final scene with the marines marching to the “Mickey Mouse March” also used earlier, sort of cementing the rather immature inanity of war as a concept, as well as the innocence in it and the façade that is necessarily placed on top of it all.







Great review MM. You have a great way with words!

By the by, I really liked that Mickey March Club ending too!
I appreciate it man. I truly do.

And yeah, overall the second half also worked better for me this time around. Last time it felt like “just another war movie” when we got to that second half and while the first half is superior, I was able to view the second one more in context this time around. Notice how it worked in relation to the themes and topics also dissected in the first act and how Kubrick’s general approach was the same for both half’s but within different areas of war.

I’m watching Clockwork Orange now to follow your lead.



Home tomorrow. I am going to follow your guys lead and do Full Metal and Clockwork. Should watch at least those two over the weekend.
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Home tomorrow. I am going to follow your guys lead and do Full Metal and Clockwork. Should watch at least those two over the weekend.
Whoohoo!

I won't get to anything else until after the weekend so we will all be on the same pace!



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I appreciate it man. I truly do.

And yeah, overall the second half also worked better for me this time around. Last time it felt like “just another war movie” when we got to that second half and while the first half is superior, I was able to view the second one more in context this time around. Notice how it worked in relation to the themes and topics also dissected in the first act and how Kubrick’s general approach was the same for both half’s but within different areas of war.

I’m watching Clockwork Orange now to follow your lead.
The first half is literally pretty damn flawless but I have a nice appreciation for the second half too.

The more I think about it, I realize that perhaps this might be a favorite film of mine, which is pretty cool because I had The Shining and Lolita ranked ahead of it, so we will see what I think with those two on rewatched.



I watched 2001 today.

Now I need to get around a review of that as well as Clockwork Orange. I’ll try to get Clockwork done tomorrow to I can chime in on your thoughts on it, Raul.





I believe this is only my second full viewing of The Shining, and it has been a few minutes since my first. How I remember this movie is love Jack but not scary. The atmosphere definitely worked better for me this time. The score adds a ton to the creepiness. Had a greater appreciation for Duvall this time around as well.

As with all Kubrick what works best here is the look of the film. Every frame is perfect. He makes it easy for everyone to engage with his films. You just want to stay in his worlds.

As always there is something about Kubrick that leaves me just a little cold. I can never quite figure it out unfortunately, but there is something missing that keeps any of his films from being favorites of mine. Just guessing but I think Kubrick doesn't take a humanist approach. His characters aren't bad by any means, almost always his films have great performances. I think his characters just function to further his themes. They never feel fully formed.

That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this viewing. Probably my second favorite horror behind The Exorcist. I see why many cinephiles love this film so much. Really made me finally want to see Room 237 as well.




Lovely. Which cut did you watch? I much prefer the longer US cut of close to two and a half hours versus the lesser cut of around two hours.

Anyways good write-up. Yeah, while I personally do like it, there is a cold feel to Kubrick flicks. While not as extreme as Lanthimos films for example, his characters are often a bit “off”. Sometimes they even do tell humanistic themes but without the characters themselves feeling completely human.

I’m glad you call it your second favorite horror film though! It’s probably my number one...

I’m so glad we are doing this Kubrick dissection. Because somehow Kubrick works even bigger wonders with me this time around. That’s so awesome.



Lovely. Which cut did you watch? I much prefer the longer US cut of close to two and a half hours versus the lesser cut of around two hours.

Anyways good write-up. Yeah, while I personally do like it, there is a cold feel to Kubrick flicks. While not as extreme as Lanthimos films for example, his characters are often a bit “off”. Sometimes they even do tell humanistic themes but without the characters themselves feeling completely human.

I’m glad you call it your second favorite horror film though! It’s probably my number one...

I’m so glad we are doing this Kubrick dissection. Because somehow Kubrick works even bigger wonders with me this time around. That’s so awesome.

I was wondering what cut myself MM. It was the longer version though. 2:24





Wish I had more to say about A Clockwork Orange. Like all Kubrick it is put together perfectly. The only scene that hasn't aged well is them driving in the car. The fact that these films still look as good as anything made today show what a visual master Kubrick was. Another piece that makes this film feel timeless is the score. Using classical music instead of rock or pop assures this film will never feel dated.

The movie did move much quicker for me this time. I was calling it a movie with two half but it really splits up into thirds quite nicely. The initial debauchery was over quite quickly, and I appreciated that because it is by far the part I don't care for. I realize it should be uncomfortable but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it.

The second and third acts still worked better for me but I don't think I know what this film is driving at thematically. It just seems to be angry, maybe that's the point. I don't know. I do know overall it isn't a great watch for me even if I can appreciate the craft.

Clockwork probably gets half a star for the end when Alex is being fed and he keeps opening his mouth like a bird. I have laughed hysterically at that both viewings. Literally one of the funniest things in any movie ever.




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Nicely put. I feel like I dogged on it a bit more but I can see how one can like the craft. I really didn't much personally. It seems a film that would need a rewatch to fully take certain aspects in. Maybe in like 20 years





I certainly forgot more of Full Metal Jacket than I remembered. Even though it has been about 25 years since my initial viewing I thought I remembered it quite well. Like Clockwork it moved so much quicker than I remember. The first half, which I absolutely love, just flew by. I still feel I could spend the whole film here just developing a lot of the characters we don't spend time with.

The second half really took me by surprise. I want to ask young Sean what he was thinking. I remember it feeling so detached from that first half but it fits like a glove. I think Joker has a great arc. I also love getting to know Cowboy better.

This movie at the same time makes me feel like it may have done on the cheap in some abandoned town but Kubrick makes it look great. The cinematography really holds up here as all of Kubrick's films seem to.

I have kind of mixed feelings with most war films. I rarely rewatch them because they don't leave me with the fuzzies. I also rarely hate them. So many are well done and most directors seem very interested in putting you in the mindset of what is pure hell. A lot of film viewers seem to feel war is treated in a positive manner in many films. I have never come away from a war film thinking it was cool, although I know many people do. I say all that to say I certainly found Full Metal to have a negative outlook on war. I think most feel that way about Kubrick's war films but I think it is worth noting because I knew many people who would call Full Metal bad ass

I think this will remain one of my favorite war films, and one of my favorites of the 80's overall. Everything works here. Great viewing.




Damn. I’m behind on my write-ups now!

Some good reviews and thoughts in here. I really thought the second half worked better too this time in Full Metal Jacket. thematically and morally and whatnot it seemed to perfectly transition from the first half. Different vehicle same engine and Kubrick was definitely still behind the wheel.

I guess I’ll be the one to pull Clockwork up as I awarded it the full five... I really hope to get to a review soon but I want to deliver something good. I don’t want to just toss out it.



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I like how really we all think more highly of Full Metal Jacket coming out of this. It's going to have a chance to pop up on some of my favorites lists in the future. It's definitely an 80s favorite.

I'm trying to catch up on some Pixar but maybe I can get around to Shining or 2001 soon.



I actually reduced my rating of FMJ by (a small) half a star BUT that’s because I watched this movie way back when I was getting into movies and my knowledge and appreciation and analyzation and whatnot has grown more. So I might award it with a slightly lesser grade but I would like to say I think higher of it now. I understand it more. Appreciate the little things. Can study the deeper things... and that’s way more important to me.

I will try and get The Shining in as my next then so we can follow each other closely again! But first... WRITE-UPS!