Films/DVD Asylum

I have some massive problems with Full Metal Jacket

58.169.44.237

This Post Has Been Edited by the Author

In Reply to: RE: It's a horror classic because of the way it creates terror inside the viewer; the growing posted by tinear on July 02, 2011 at 16:29:59

Firstly, it was filmed on an old industrial estate in Britain, which bears little resemblance to Vietnam. They trucked in some palm trees to give it that tropical look, but it fools no-one.

But my main problem with FMJ was the sloppiness of the script. On several occasions it recycles puerile dialogue from Beverly Hills Cop, which came out a couple of years earlier. Why? The dialogue from Vietnamese actors is also trite (the soul brother scene comes to mind). It also relies on character cliches, which is uncharacteristic of Kubrick at that stage of his career.

FMJ doesn't know what it is. Is it an extension of Dr Strangelove - an examination of the comicly dark side of war? Is it a male bonding, buddy movie? Is it a straight-ahead action movie? Is it the antidote to his great anti-war movies (Dr Strangelove, Paths of Glory)? Is it just Kubrick trying to be playful and tap into the zeitgeist of the 1980s?

It's a pity FMJ is so flawed. Kubrick always wanted to make a definitive war movie (as opposed to an anti-war movie), just like he made definitive movies covering horror, sci-fi and satire. I will always consider FMJ Kubrick's only dud. Sorry.

Follow Ups:

I agree too... - eppis1 12:48:40 07/03/11 (1)
- RE: I agree too too - Daryl Zero 15:56:06 07/21/11 (0)
FMJ was a flop IMO...it just didn't jell. * - Tony D. 11:59:51 07/03/11 (0)
I agree - Des 11:45:23 07/03/11 (0)
It was URBAN Vietnam, and a bombed out, rubble-laden city. There were - tinear 11:31:42 07/03/11 (4)
- "Kubrick's characters seldom, if ever, speak brilliantly." That would likely make Anthony Burgess sad...N/T - musetap 22:01:15 07/03/11 (1)
  - Kubrick lifted but disjointed pieces of the dialogue. nt - tinear 16:16:40 07/05/11 (0)
- You're jackin' with me, right? - Doug Flynn 15:46:24 07/03/11 (1)
  - It was supposed to be the ancestral capitol of Hue . . . - mr grits 18:39:38 07/03/11 (0)
You've captured beautifully what was... - mpathus 23:47:45 07/02/11 (0)
It's all about crazy....one sane guy surrounded by the hopelessly..... - mr grits 22:36:03 07/02/11 (6)
- Good points, but Apocalypse Now did those things much better (nt) - Doug Flynn 23:36:48 07/02/11 (5)
  - The grave problem with AN is that, over 3 hours, it conveyed NO - tinear 11:44:25 07/03/11 (3)
    - AN is a great war movie, FMJ is not. Get over it girlfriend (nt) - Doug Flynn 15:51:42 07/03/11 (0)
    - AN did an excellent job of portraying the insanity and immorality of that war. - Tony D. 11:56:39 07/03/11 (1)
      - There's not a vet alive who couldn't just smell the veracity of J D Spradling . . . - mr grits 18:46:08 07/03/11 (0)
  - AP is the champ of the VN experience. * - mr grits 11:28:50 07/03/11 (0)
I must agree with you... - semuta 21:13:11 07/02/11 (5)
- Despite its long first act, there is no character development in FMJ - Doug Flynn 23:35:49 07/02/11 (4)
  - Boot Camp is not about a central character...it's about being a team.... - mr grits 18:47:44 07/03/11 (3)
    - I didn't really learn anything about boot camp, except for humiliating fat people - Doug Flynn 03:38:56 07/04/11 (2)
      - Shave heads, break'em down to worms....train up from there ..... - mr grits 15:22:15 07/05/11 (0)
      - Uh, the "cheezy" lines were authentic. The actor is a retired Marine drill sergeant. nt - tinear 10:21:55 07/05/11 (0)