“Full Metal Jacket” (1987) is Stanley Kubrick’s return to filmmaking after a seven-year hiatus. The film tells the story of a group of raw Marine volunteers, crystallizing the experience of the Vietnam War. It is based on Gustav Hasford’s novel “The Short Timers.”
The first half of the film details the volunteers’ harrowing boot-camp training under the guidance of drill instructor Sgt. Hartman, portrayed by R. Lee Ermey, a real-life drill instructor whose performance is hauntingly realistic. The second half takes place in Vietnam, as seen through the eyes of the now thoroughly indoctrinated marines.
Despite its setting, “Full Metal Jacket” was filmed almost entirely in England. The film has an MPAA rating of R and falls into the genres of drama, action, adventure, and war.
