Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Full Metal Jacket: Directed by Stanley Kubrick. With Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey. A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

“The first half of u0026quot;Full Metal Jacketu0026quot; is so intensely entertaining that director Stanley Kubrick can be forgiven for the slight come-down that follows. The opening scenes draw us into the strict world of u0026quot;maggotsu0026quot; training to join the ranks of real men, otherwise known as Marines. We see the characters humiliated, yelled at like children, beaten and, in one tragic case, broken down. Itu0026#39;s an unpleasant yet fascinating place to visit from the comfort and safety of our living room couches. Yet once the action shifts to the Vietnam War, when you would expect even better, something is lost. The characters seem less real and the atmosphere less intriguing. Overall, however, there arenu0026#39;t many faults to find with this effort, but be forewarned that itu0026#39;s certainly not for younger viewers.”