Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey

Full Metal Jacket is Kubrick’s second war film. Unlike Paths of Glory however, Full Metal Jacket can’t be considered to be a truly anti-war film. Rather it’s a relatively objective portrayal of the Vietnam war and the soliders who fought in it.

The first half of the movie concentrates on basic training, and features a stand out performance from R. Lee Ermey as Gny. Sgt. Hartman. This first half of the story focuses mainly on the characters of Pvt. Joker (who wants to become a combat reporter) and Pvt. Gomer Pile, a slow and fat recruit who repeatedly incurs the wrath of Hartman as well as the other soliders in training.

The film then moves to Vietnam and loses some steam in the process. This makes Full Metal Jacket Kubrick’s most uneven film. While still thought provoking and entertaining, the second half of the film cannot match the greatness of the first.