This is a plot summary of director Stanley Kubrick's film 'Full Metal Jacket'.
This is Kubrick's 2nd war film, his 1st being 1957s Paths of Glory Starring Kirk Douglas and George Macready. That film, set in WWI, took an anti war position from the standpoint of a French officer ordered to execute 3 soldier's for cowardice. By contrast, Full Metal Jacket is an ambiguous look at war through the eyes of Joker, a soldier conflicted by his nature to kill and his desire to see peace. Anyway, this is one of my favorite war films and I put this summary together highlighting key moments in the film. This clip is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment.
Production
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war action movie shot in London, England and directed by Stanley Kubrick who co-wrote the script with Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford, based on Hasford’s 1979 novel “The Short Timers.” The film stars Mathew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Ermey, and Dorian Harewood.
Plot summary
The film is set in 1968 prior to and during the war’s bloodiest campaign, the Tet Offensive. On Parris, Island South Carolina, new recruits are beginning 8 week U.S. Marine bootcamp training. The opening scene shows the recruits having their heads shaved. The following scene shows the recruits in their dormitory, at attention, being inspected by their drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Here we meet Private Joker, named so by Hartman for his John Wayne impersonations. There’s Cowboy, and finally there’s an overweight recruit named Leonard whom Hartman names Gomer Pyle. Pyles’ and Hartmans' relationship is the focus of the 1st half of the film.
Joker (Matthew Modine) shows exceptional motivation and is quickly promoted to squad leader. Pyle, by contrast, lacks motivation and has trouble following instructions. Hartman assigns Joker to bunk with Pyle and teach him. Unlike Hartman who shouts and curses, Joker’s patient teaching style seems to motivate Pyle for a while. One morning, Hartman inspects the platoon and finds a jelly donut in Pyle’s footlocker. Infuriated, Hartman punishes the whole platoon instead of punishing Pyle. Late 1 night as Pyle is asleep, the platoon throws him a blanket party, pinning him down in bed and each striking him with bar of soap wrapped in a towel. This traumatizes Pyle. Cowboy warns him that it was all just a bad dream.
After this beating, Pyle has the 1,000 yard stare. Now, he follows instructions and does his drills with precision. He names his M14 rifle Charlene and begins to talk to it. He becomes the best rifleman in the platoon and earns Hartmans' respect who calls him “Born again hard.”
The recruits complete their training and Hartman gives them their MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) job codes. Joker is assigned to journalism; Pyle is assigned to infantry. On their last night on Parris, Island, Pyle wakes everyone up. Joker finds him in the head (bathroom) reciting the Rifleman’s Creed. He loads 7.62 mm rounds into Charlene. Hartman bursts into the head and orders Pyle to put down the weapon. Pyle shoots Hartman, turns the rifle on himself, and the film’s 1st act ends.
The 2nd act of the film opens in Saigon. Corporal Joker and Private 1st Class Rafterman are outside at a table drinking beers and negotiating with a prostitute. Two teens make off with Rafterman’s camera and speed off on a moped.
The next scene is at Da Nang where the press corps prepares for the Tet Holiday. Fireworks light up the sky over Dogpatch, a small City outside of Da Nang. The NVA and Viet Cong break the cease fire, springing surprise attacks on military bases throughout South Vietnam. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon is overrun and taken over. The Marines at Da Nang hold off the NVA and Viet Cong but all of the planning around the Tet Holiday goes out the window. Lieutenant Lockhart, the Public Affairs Officer, sends Joker and Rafterman, the photographer, to Phu Bai in central Vietnam south of Hue.
At Phu Bai, Joker and Rafterman visit a mass grave and interview one of the lieutenants. South Vietnamese soldiers (ARVN officers), government officials, and educators number the dead.
Joker and Rafterman go to a platoon area outside of Hue City called Hotel 2-5 and hook up with the Lusthog squad. Here, Joker reunites with Cowboy who introduces him and Rafterman to the rest of the squad including Animal Mother and a Black CO named Eightball. Joker and Rafterman travel with the Lusthogs into Hue City and participate in a number of skirmishes with the enemy. Later, the media interviews members of the platoon whose attitudes range from indifference to sarcasm courtesy of Joker who compares Vietnam to a vacation resort.
While patrolling Hue, squad leader Crazy Earl steps on a booby trap and Cowboy replaces him as commander. The squad gets lost and Cowboy changes direction, sending Eightball to scout a path through a building complex. There, a sniper shoots Eightball but Cowboy orders the squad to wait for tank support. Meanwhile, the sniper continues to shoot Eightball carefully, hoping to lure the rest of the squad out into the open. Doc Jay defies Cowboy and goes to rescue Eightball. Doc Jay finds Eightball and is shot trying to drag him to safety. Animal Mother defies Cowboy and rushes into the city firing his weapon and screaming like a madman. They squad lose sight of him. Moments later, he comes out and gives the all-clear. The rest of the platoon make their way into the city. The sniper shoots Cowboy through one of the buildings. Cowboy dies, however, the angle of the shot gives away the sniper’s position and the platoon makes their way into the sniper’s building. Joker spots the sniper and tries to shoot her but his rifle jams. She turns around but a concrete pillar protects him from being shot. Rafterman shoots the sniper and she falls, alive but mortally wounded. The Lusthogs surround her. The rats would finish the job if they leave her. But she looks directly at Joker and begs him to kill her. After a long time, he shoots her and the Lusthogs are awed, calling him hardcore.
Triumphantly, the platoon marches out of the burning city singing “Mickey Mouse.”
No comments:
Post a Comment