Full Metal Jacket

i think the film’s description is a little misleading. yes, there’s rampant dehumanization we as the audience recognize, but from the very first scene our protagonists aren’t human. we barely get names, barely get any defining characteristics, and by the time we reach the second act, we know nothing about joker, who we’re supposed to be rooting for. how can we root for him if he’s been part of the homologous marine machine from the start? if anything, we should’ve rooted for leonard, the guy who actually showed us some personality and went through the most brutal dehumanization. but the moment joker becomes human is when he’s deciding to shoot the sniper. it’s when he realizes he’s been dehumanized too, and that he’s been part of the machine this whole time despite trying to set himself apart with his peace button and his humor. it is then that we see he’s no brave soldier that effortlessly passed boot camp. there’s no silly quips about john wayne, just the stare. he’s not a cocky little shit, he’s a scared, cowardly boy finally coming to terms with what happened to him - and he can choose two paths. one is what happened to leonard. the other is to disregard this human feeling and march on with the other gun-toting children wasting the country away. i’ve watched this film a few times now, and every time when i get to the second act, i always find myself asking “why is this not as good as i remember?” but then i get to the sniper sequence, and all the cross-fades go away, the score disappears, and i get smacked with the irony that is the united states military and their involvement in vietnam. it gets a little weak after act one, and i think leonard and joker’s characters should have been explored a little bit more, but i think the last 20 minutes makes up for it with perfect set pieces, cinematography, and tension. it helps this was shot so well and the sound design is perfect. kubrick is one of my favorite directors, and while i admit this is neither his best film nor the best vietnam war film, full metal jacket always has a special place in my heart. this is definitely an overlong review too maybe i just like war movies? also “JOKER. SHUT THE FUCK UP.” is the best quote in this movie argue with the WALL