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Full Metal Jacket
1987 117 min United Kingdom, United States of America R 18+
★8.5
Drama, War
Director: Stanley Kubrick
📖 Based on the novel
«The Short-Timers»
byGustav Hasford
Trailers
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EN
EN
Description
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
Budget:
$30M
US Gross:
$46.36M
Worldwide:
$46.36M
Starring
Matthew Modine
Actor
R. Lee Ermey
Actor
Vincent D'Onofrio
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1988
— Best Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA 1988
— Best Visual Effects
Golden Globe 1988
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 1988
— Best Sound
Key opinion
Full Metal Jacket is widely regarded as a visually striking and technically precise exploration of the dehumanizing nature of war. While audiences and critics frequently praise the intense realism of the first half, the film's structural shift into the Vietnam combat sequence results in a polarized response regarding narrative cohesion and emotional payoff.
| Acting | R. Lee Ermey delivers a hauntingly realistic and commanding performance that anchors the boot camp sequence as the film's definitive highlight. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is masterfully executed, blending a stark, ironic visual tone with unflinching depictions of wartime brutality. | |
| Theme | The film effectively communicates the thematic depth of how military indoctrination strips away individual identity to manufacture killers. | |
| Screenplay | The structural division between the intense training camp and the Vietnam combat scenes is divisive; some see it as a brilliant illustration of order versus chaos, while others find the second half narratively disjointed and lacking closure. | |
| Pacing | The shift in tone and pace between the two halves leaves some viewers satisfied with the film’s nihilistic critique, while others feel the transition lacks a cohesive narrative arc and leaves the protagonist under-developed. |