The central character (Modine), and others, seem more genuine than those in Platoon.

 

I agree. The Vietnam part in FMJ definitely has its moments, but the training sequence is just so powerful that it feels like a bit of a let down. I can't help it, but whenever I hear the song "These Boots are Made for Walking", the "me so horny" -scene from the movie starts playing in my head.

 

...it was largely filmed in London's East End Docks. Amazing feat and, unless you know, it's not easy to tell.

 

When I first saw it, I had no idea. I was about 14 or 15 back then, but still...

Yep - that scene doesn't work. Feels odd. I like the Surfin' Bird scene - feels right :-)

Don't get me wrong, I still think it was a good movie, but I think it is perhaps a bit overrated, especially when you have a similar movie in Apocalypse now which in my opinion is vastly greater than it.

 

As for Platoon, I found the concepts and story more interesting in the way that it portrayed the US soldiers who normally are the heroes, as such evil people, however the cinematography in FMJ was clearly far superior, I just felt it lacked a story once the movie moved to Vietnam.

Don't get me wrong, I still think it was a good movie, but I think it is perhaps a bit overrated, especially when you have a similar movie in Apocalypse now which in my opinion is vastly greater than it.

This is where I have to disagree. I think Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse are quite different movies. I'm almost willing to go as far as to say that Vietnam and war are the only links between them, but they set out to tell two very different type of stories. Whether you like one over the other depends on personal preference. I prefer Apocalypse, but Full Metal Jacket definitely has its merits. I wonder what kind of reception Full Metal Jacket would have got if it wasn't made by Kubrick. I mean, when you hear his name, you have certain kind of expectations when you see one of his movies.

This is where I have to disagree. I think Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse are quite different movies. I'm almost willing to go as far as to say that Vietnam and war are the only links between them, but they set out to tell two very different type of stories. Whether you like one over the other depends on personal preference. I prefer Apocalypse, but Full Metal Jacket definitely has its merits. I wonder what kind of reception Full Metal Jacket would have got if it wasn't made by Kubrick. I mean, when you hear his name, you have certain kind of expectations when you see one of his movies.

I agree. For me, Apocalypse could not be about Vietnam, and still be a very good film. Vietnam provides the context of the film but the film is not about the Vietnam War as such. Full Metal Jacket concerns the impact of war on people, particularly soldiers, and is also about the Vietnam War; you can watch FMJ and learn things about the conflict that are not present in Apocalypse or Platoon. Platoon is a very good film but (I may be on my own here) the central focus/tension is the conflict between the Berenger/Dafoe characters and the overwhelming impact of the experience of Vietnam on the Stone/Sheen character.i.e. it's not a film about the war as such. For me, FMJ says 'war f**ks you up and this is what Vietnam was like for the average guy'.

'...Khe Sahn is about to fall and VC death squads have stormed our Embassy in Saigon'.

Rafterman: 'Sir, does this mean Ann Margaret isn't coming?'...

Edited June 29, 201313 yr by Thfc

Saw Full metal jacket years ago, thought it was sh*t. There seems to be no actual relevance to anything that happens in the film. It just jumps from one setting to another and then ends. Load of garbage.

Jumping in on the Full Metal Jacket topic, I felt this was a damn good movie to watch. The relationship between R. Lee Ermey (lead drill sargeant) & Vincent D'Onofrio (Private Pyle) was freakin' the best. Loved how that whole thing ended on the toilet, w/ Private Pyle saying he was 'in a whirl of sh*t'. What did Marine privates look forward at that time really? Great play on words.

 

What I really liked about Full Metal Jacket was that it encapsulated the randomness and total unpredictability of what war did to different people. It blasted you with the ugliness of war.

 

There have been war films which followed a"story line" in a logical chronological order - they may have been easier to understand, but gave, I think, a far less compelling picture of the insanity of war.

What I really liked about Full Metal Jacket was that it encapsulated the randomness and total unpredictability of what war did to different people. It blasted you with the ugliness of war.

 

There have been war films which followed a"story line" in a logical chronological order - they may have been easier to understand, but gave, I think, a far less compelling picture of the insanity of war.

 

Also it sorta mocked the Marine Corps ethics. I know it made me think twice about joining the Service, but in the end I joined Uncle Sam's Army. I couldn't help myself. The prospect of jumping out of airplanes & blowing crap up just appeals to me.

Saw Full metal jacket years ago, thought it was sh*t. There seems to be no actual relevance to anything that happens in the film. It just jumps from one setting to another and then ends. Load of garbage.

The film does jump from location to location, or from mood to mood, but in doing this, Kubrick reflects reality more than some other film-makers. As an example, there's an unwritten rule in fiction and films that, if you meet a character, and the author or director spends time on that character, then they'll be in the book or film, later on. This doesn't happen in FMJ (i.e. with the helicopter door gunner, or the senior officer at the scene of the VC massacre. Real life is bitty - you meet some people and they are in your life for that moment of meeting only. Life's pretty random. You do something and, often, move on and never re-visit that thing/event again. Film-makers tend not to reflect this random-ness as loose ends annoy them. Life is full if jumpy, incomplete, loose-ends - the invitation that's declined, the journey not made, the unspoken compliment, the road not taken (who coined that phrase? - don't know but it says a lot).

Also it sorta mocked the Marine Corps ethics. I know it made me think twice about joining the Service, but in the end I joined Uncle Sam's Army. I couldn't help myself. The prospect of jumping out of airplanes & blowing crap up just appeals to me.

Blowing stuff up sounds cool!

Do you know the story about the Ghurka parachute battalions in WW2? (your post reminded me).

The British Army in India wanted to form a Ghurka paratroop unit and asked for volunteers to jump from aircraft. There were some volunteers but, the Ghurkas are as keen as mustard and the Army couldn't understand why there were not more. A senior officer addressed the soldiers:

'Look, we need brave Ghurkas to jump from aircraft, with parachutes...'

An 'Ahhhh...' of comprehension rose from the Ghurkas.

'...with PARACHUTES!'

Few had volunteered originally because they had been told that volunteers were needed to jump from aircraft. Parachutes had not been mentioned...

The film does jump from location to location, or from mood to mood, but in doing this, Kubrick reflects reality more than some other film-makers. As an example, there's an unwritten rule in fiction and films that, if you meet a character, and the author or director spends time on that character, then they'll be in the book or film, later on. This doesn't happen in FMJ (i.e. with the helicopter door gunner, or the senior officer at the scene of the VC massacre. Real life is bitty - you meet some people and they are in your life for that moment of meeting only. Life's pretty random. You do something and, often, move on and never re-visit that thing/event again. Film-makers tend not to reflect this random-ness as loose ends annoy them. Life is full if jumpy, incomplete, loose-ends - the invitation that's declined, the journey not made, the unspoken compliment, the road not taken (who coined that phrase? - don't know but it says a lot).

 

 

The Road Not Taken is a brilliant poem by Robert Frost

 

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth; 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

Robert Frost

Edited June 29, 201313 yr by moi

Blowing stuff up sounds cool!

Do you know the story about the Ghurka parachute battalions in WW2? (your post reminded me).

The British Army in India wanted to form a Ghurka paratroop unit and asked for volunteers to jump from aircraft. There were some volunteers but, the Ghurkas are as keen as mustard and the Army couldn't understand why there were not more. A senior officer addressed the soldiers:

'Look, we need brave Ghurkas to jump from aircraft, with parachutes...'

An 'Ahhhh...' of comprehension rose from the Ghurkas.

'...with PARACHUTES!'

Few had volunteered originally because they had been told that volunteers were needed to jump from aircraft. Parachutes had not been mentioned...

 

I knew of the Ghurkas, but I didn't know of this story. Unfortunately for me I only got 5 jumps from a plane. I did get some out a helicopter though.

The Road Not Taken is a brilliant poem by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Brilliant, as you say. Seeming to speak of hope and regret. We've all been there.

Poetry thread anyone?. ...........:-) :-)

I knew of the Ghurkas, but I didn't know of this story. Unfortunately for me I only got 5 jumps from a plane. I did get some out a helicopter though.

Respect to you for serving. Hope it was an ok experience for you mate.

Brilliant, as you say. Seeming to speak of hope and regret. We've all been there.

Poetry thread anyone?. ...........:-) :-)

 

 

I have considered it in the past, but didn't think there'd be much interest.

 

P.S. Why don;t you start one?

Edited June 29, 201313 yr by moi

I have considered it in the past, but didn't think there'd be much interest.

Well, you could count me in Moi. It would be a niche thread but it'd be great to compare and learn about different poets, etc.

I'm a McNeice chap, though I like a lot of other stuff. 'The Listeners' (de la Mare?) prob my favourite as it has a sombre but comforting quality.

I have considered it in the past, but didn't think there'd be much interest.

P.S. Why don;t you start one?

I will - Tom as to kip now. Wonder whether it'll run?!

Well, you could count me in Moi. It would be a niche thread but it'd be great to compare and learn about different poets, etc.

I'm a McNeice chap, though I like a lot of other stuff. 'The Listeners' (de la Mare?) prob my favourite as it has a sombre but comforting quality.

 

 

OK - so you'd rather I started it?

OK - so you'd rather I started it?

I think our replies crossed! Happy to start one - see above :-)

This is where I have to disagree. I think Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse are quite different movies. I'm almost willing to go as far as to say that Vietnam and war are the only links between them, but they set out to tell two very different type of stories. Whether you like one over the other depends on personal preference. I prefer Apocalypse, but Full Metal Jacket definitely has its merits. I wonder what kind of reception Full Metal Jacket would have got if it wasn't made by Kubrick. I mean, when you hear his name, you have certain kind of expectations when you see one of his movies.

 

Yeah I was definitely stretching the definition of the word similar as what I meant was that they are both movies set in the Vietnam war, Apocalypse Now is actually based loosely on the book Heart of Darkness (that I actually read years back in school, long before I'd seen the movie) and the war was just used as context for it.

 

What I really liked about Full Metal Jacket was that it encapsulated the randomness and total unpredictability of what war did to different people. It blasted you with the ugliness of war.

 

I'd say that statement is even more applicable to Apocalypse now, as the whole movie is a series of unexpected events, however the difference between that and Full Metal Jacket is that they are combined through a storyline (Sheen trying to find Brando), as opposed to FMJ where it's established that the protagonist goes out to the front line to do a story for the magazine, and then that is abandoned pretty quickly and they kill the sniper and the movie is over.

 

I feel like if the movie went for another hour it would have been far better as it could have provided more food for though, such as 2001 and Clockwork where the last 30 minutes of the movie leaves you with a lot of questions and the watcher able to interpret the ending in many ways, this movie was just very literal (which I suppose might have been the point).

 

Might watch The Deer Hunter today so I can complete the essential Vietnam movies package, big fan of De Niro so I have high hopes.

Edited June 29, 201313 yr by Jonty

 

 

Might watch The Deer Hunter today so I can complete the essential Vietnam movies package, big fan of De Niro so I have high hopes.

 

 

The Deer Hunter is brilliant!

Respect to you for serving. Hope it was an ok experience for you mate.

 

It was like that song by Led Zeppelin...Good Times Bad Times

Watched The Fighter, great movie and I usually dont like these kind of movies but Wahlberg and a skinny Bale were both excellent.

What I find even more amazing is how Bale can change his body type so god damn fast, its amazing if its all legit and without any illegal substances.

He gained 110lbs in 6 months for Batman Begins, that's nearly 8 stone of muscle, not much fat. I highly doubt that was down to only food and training alone.

Edited July 1, 201313 yr by Zola

I watched 'Sinister' last night, pretty good film to watch with the Mrs, give her a few scares.

Anyone recommend any other real scary flicks? Already seen Paranormal Activity recently, and I won't watch Saw, that's

a little too gory for me......I mean the Mrs.