Films/DVD Asylum

Despite its long first act, there is no character development in FMJ

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This Post Has Been Edited by the Author

In Reply to: RE: I must agree with you... posted by semuta on July 02, 2011 at 21:13:11

All of Kubrick's other movies have a central character who actively propels the story. Without that central character there is no story. Despite Kubrick's innovative cinematography, lighting, etc, he was fundamentally a directer who told stories about people and their interactions with their surroundings.

There is no central character in FMJ. Joker is the closest Kubrick gets, but you can safely remove every scene Joker is in, and the movie still hangs together. So basically, there are no real characters in the whole movie. That was Kubrick's main error. Imagine FMJ if it had been about one character's experience of war. Or a group of men (eg The Thin Red Line). He replaced characters with cliches, and relied on a series of set-piece vignettes to propel the story. A missed opportunity.

Follow Ups:

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)