Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Full Metal Jacket

At first I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the director Stanley Kubrick. He was a man who tackled on a lot of genres even though his filmography isn't large. He made two war films: The Paths of Glory (1957) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). While the former didn't focus on the war itself, the latter does exactly that. Full Metal Jacket takes place during the Vietnam War and we see the story unfold through the eyes of Private Joker all the way from training to the actual battlefield.

Kubrick explores the effects of war on soldiers thoroughly - although it isn't that hard to achieve, Kubrick makes a lot of out of the subject. He establishes a wide range of memorable characters effortlessly. The narrative works very well - and the climax is especially great.

Kubrick's form never fails: the long takes, amazing camera drives, spectacular sets/locations and magnificent use of music are precise and spot-on in Full Metal Jacket. My only problem with the film is the use of slow motion. Every notable hit is portrayed in slow motion - the more it is used the more ridiculous it becomes.

As with Kubrick's films in general, Full Metal Jacket is a worthwhile, great film.

Score: 9 out of 10

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