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Full Metal Jacket (1987)

 -  Drama | War  -  26 June 1987 (USA)
8.4
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Ratings: 8.4/10 from 272,474 users   Metascore: 78/100
Reviews: 595 user | 131 critic | 18 from Metacritic.com

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marine recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting set in 1968 in Hue, Vietnam.

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(novel), (screenplay), 2 more credits »
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Title: Full Metal Jacket (1987)

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Top 250 #81 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Gny. Sgt. Hartman (as Lee Ermey)
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Kieron Jecchinis ...
Kirk Taylor ...
Tim Colceri ...
Jon Stafford ...
Doc Jay (as John Stafford)
Bruce Boa ...
Ian Tyler ...
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Storyline

A two-segment look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines. The first half follows a group of recruits in boot camp under the command of the punishing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second half shows one of those recruits, Joker, covering the war as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes, focusing on the Tet offensive. Written by Scott Renshaw <as.idc@forsythe.stanford.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Born to Kill See more »

Genres:

Drama | War

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

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Release Date:

26 June 1987 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket  »

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$46,357,676 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Stanley Kubrick:  [Bathroom]  Crucial scenes of the first act, including its shocking climax, take place in the "head" of the barracks. See more »

Goofs

The shape of Private Joker's flashlight beam as he enters the head to confront Pyle. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be "Sir". Do you maggots understand that?
Recruits: [In unison in a normal speaking tone] Sir, yes Sir.
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Bullshit I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair!
Recruits: [In unison, much louder] SIR, YES SIR!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon. You will be a minister of death praying ...
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Tosh.0: Brian Atene (2011)
Mentioned in dialogue, and a poster is shown See more »

Soundtracks

"Paint It, Black"
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Performed by The Rolling Stones
Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
Courtesy of ABKCO Music and Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Still modern today, all too modern.
30 November 2004 | by (Montigny-lès-Metz, France) – See all my reviews

One of the greatest war movies ever, a statement very few will dispute. I will therefore not illustrate this point : thousands have done it before me, often brilliantly.I'd rather lay the stress on Kubrick's modernity in "Full Metal Jacket". Indeed the USA being once again at war, it is interesting to compare the way they wage war these days with the way they did back in the sixties. And the comparison is edifying. Just apply the following statements to Iraq and you will realize NOTHING HAS CHANGED : - the marines are trained to become killing machines without being taught minimum knowledge about the people they come to defend. - the boys know nothing about the Vietnamese and reason according to American standards : for instance "Cow-Boy" complains half-jokingly half-seriously that there are no horses in Vietnam. Another example is the soldiers singing the Mickey Mouse Club hymn after fighting, which strikes as particularly out of place. - they try in vain to impose democracy through gruesome violence and destruction. Such similarities abound and testify to the film's absolute - and unfortunate - modernity. I wish Kubrick was still with us. I also wish George Bush and his advisers had seen this masterpiece and - most of all - understood its message. They would have avoided another bloody war doomed to fail.


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