Full Metal Jacket (1987)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Gustav Hasford (novel)
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

An Epic Story of the Vietnam War [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Recruit | Tet Offensive | Sergeant | Basic Training

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Pvt. Joker
Adam Baldwin	...	Animal Mother
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Pvt. Pyle
R. Lee Ermey	...	Gny. Sgt. Hartman (as Lee Ermey)
Dorian Harewood	...	Eightball
Kevyn Major Howard	...	Rafterman
Arliss Howard	...	Pvt. Cowboy
Ed O'Ross	...	Lt. Touchdown
John Terry	...	Lt. Lockhart
Kieron Jecchinis	...	Crazy Earl
Kirk Taylor	...	Payback
Tim Colceri	...	Doorgunner
Jon Stafford	...	Doc Jay (as John Stafford)
Bruce Boa	...	Poge Colonel
Ian Tyler	...	Lt. Cleves
Sal Lopez	...	T.H.E. Rock
Gary Landon Mills	...	Donlon
Papillon Soo	...	Da Nang Hooker (as Papillon Soo Soo)
Peter Edmund	...	Snowball
Ngoc Le	...	VC Sniper
Leanne Hong	...	Motorbike Hooker
Tan Hung Francione	...	ARVN Pimp
Marcus D'Amico	...	Hand Job
Costas Dino Chimona	...	Chili
Gil Kopel	...	Stork
Keith Hodiak	...	Daddy D.A.
Peter Merrill	...	TV Journalist
Herbert Norville	...	Daytona Dave
Nguyen Hue Phong	...	Camera Thief
Duc Hu Ta	...	Dead N.V.A.
Martin Adams	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Kevin Albridge	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Del Anderson	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Philip Bailey	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Louis Barlotti	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Beddows	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Patrick Benn	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Steve Boucher	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Adrian Bush	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Carey	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Gary Cheeseman	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Wayne Clark	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Chris Cornibert	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Danny Cornibert	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Curtis	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Davis	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Harry Davies	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Kevin Day	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Gordon Duncan	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Phil Elmer	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Colin Elvis	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Hadrian Follett	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Sean Frank	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
David George	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Laurie Gomes	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Brian Goodwin	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Nigel Goulding	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Hague	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Steve Hands	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Chris Harris	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Bob Eric Hart	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon (as Bob Hart)
Derek Hart	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Barry Hayes	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Hayes	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Robin Hedgeland	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Duncan Henry	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Kenneth Head	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Liam Hogan	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Trevor Hogan	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Luke Hogdal	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Steve Hudson	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Howard	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Sean Lamming	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Dan Landin	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Leete	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Nigel Lough	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Terry Lowe	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Frank McCardle	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Gary Meyer	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Brett Middleton	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
David Milner	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Sean Minmagh	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Minmagh	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Morrison	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Russell Mott	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Ness	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Robert Nichols	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
David Perry	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Peter Rommely	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Pat Sands	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Jim Sarup	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Chris Maybach	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon (as Chris Schmidt-Maybach)
Al Simpson	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Russell Slater	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Gary Smith	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Roger Smith	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Tony Smith	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Anthony Styliano	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Bill Thompson	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Mike Turjansky	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Dan Weldon	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Dennis Wells	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
Michael Williams	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Wilson	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
John Wonderling	...	Parris Island Recruit and Vietnam Platoon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Kubrick	...	Murphy (voice) (uncredited)
Vivian Kubrick	...	News Camera Operator at Mass Grave (uncredited)
David Palffy	...	Mass Grave Soldier (uncredited)
John Ward	...	TV Camera Operator (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick

Writing credits
Gustav Hasford		(novel "The Short Timers")
Stanley Kubrick		(screenplay) &
Michael Herr		(screenplay) &
Gustav Hasford		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jan Harlan	....	executive producer
Michael Herr	....	associate producer
Philip Hobbs	....	co-producer
Stanley Kubrick	....	producer

Original Music by
Vivian Kubrick		(as Abigail Mead)

Cinematography by
Douglas Milsome		(lighting cameraman)

Film Editing by
Martin Hunter

Casting by
Leon Vitali

Production Design by
Anton Furst

Art Direction by
Keith Pain
Rod Stratfold
Leslie Tomkins		(as Les Tomkins)

Set Decoration by
Barbara Drake		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Keith Denny

Makeup Department
Christine Allsopp	....	co-makeup artist (as Christine Allsop)
Jennifer Boost	....	co-makeup artist
Leonard	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Philip Kohler	....	production manager (as Phil Kohler)
Bill Shepherd	....	unit production manager
Paul Hitchcock	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Needham	....	first assistant director
Chris Thompson	....	second assistant director (as Christopher Thompson)
Ken Shane	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Steve Allett	....	stand-by prop
Frank Billington-Marks	....	propman
Ronald Boyd	....	stagehand
A.R. Carter	....	carpenter
T.R. Carter	....	carpenter
John Chapple	....	supervising painter
Leonard Chubb	....	painter
R. Dave Favell Clarke	....	propman
Jane Cooke	....	prop buyer
Jim Cowan	....	stand-by construction
George Crawford	....	construction manager
Winston Depper	....	dressing prop
Marc Dillon	....	dressing prop
Dominic Farrugia	....	plasterer
Anthony Frewin	....	art department researcher
David Gruar	....	stagehand (as David Gruer)
Danny Hunter	....	stand-by prop
John Marsella	....	stand-by construction
Joe Martin	....	assistant construction manager
Michael Martin	....	stagehand
Stephen Martin	....	stagehand
Colin McDonagh	....	stand-by construction
Brian Morris	....	stand-by construction
Leslie Evans Pearce	....	painter
Nigel Phelps	....	assistant art director
Michael Quinn	....	plasterer
George Reynolds	....	stand-by construction
Tom Roberts	....	painter
Andrew Rothschild	....	assistant art director
Steve Simmonds	....	set dresser (as Stephen Simmonds)
Paul Turner	....	chargehand prop
Brian Wells	....	prop master
Terry Wells	....	stand-by prop
Micky Wheeler	....	dressing prop (as Michael Wheeler)
Mark Wilkinson	....	carpenter
Alan Cheevers	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Philip Elton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roger Cherrill	....	sound transfer
Paul Conway	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Culverwell	....	assistant sound editor
Mike Dowson	....	dubbing mixer
Nigel Galt	....	sound editor
Joe Illing	....	dialogue editor
Andy Nelson	....	dubbing mixer
Edward Tise	....	sound editor
Edward Tise	....	sound recordist
Martin Trevis	....	boom operator
Steve Bartlett	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Alan Barnard	....	special effects senior technician
Jeff Clifford	....	special effects senior technician
Peter Dawson	....	special effects senior technician
John Evans	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Eddie Butler	....	modeller

Camera and Electrical Department
James Ainslie	....	follow focus
Ken Arlidge	....	aerial photographer
Maurice Arnold	....	follow focus
Jean Marc Bringuier	....	Steadicam operator (as Jean-Marc Bringuier)
Mark Ellis	....	grip
Manuel Harlan	....	video operator
Michaela Mason	....	camera trainee
Vaughan Matthews	....	camera trainee
Seamus O'Kane	....	chief electrician
Les Phipps	....	rigger
Brian Rose	....	follow focus
Jonathan Taylor	....	follow focus
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator
Peter Wilkinson	....	rigger
Jason Wrenn	....	assistant camera
Adam Dale	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Stewart Hadley	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Simon Mills	....	clapper loader: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Nguyen Thi My Chau	....	additional casting: Vietnam
Marion Dougherty	....	additional casting
Jane Feinberg	....	additional casting
Mike Fenton	....	additional casting
Dan Tran	....	additional casting: Vietnam

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Birkinshaw	....	wardrobe master (as John Birkenshaw)
Helen Gill	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Rona Buchanan	....	editor trainee
Adam Watkins	....	montage editing engineer

Transportation Department
James Black	....	unit driver
Steve Coulridge	....	unit driver
Dave Croucher	....	transportation
Ron Digweed	....	transportation
Nick Johns	....	action vehicle engineer
Paul Karamadza	....	unit driver
Ron Lowe	....	transport facilities
Mark White	....	transportation (as Chalky White)
Bill Wright	....	unit driver

Other crew
Margaret Adams	....	production coordinator
Paul Cadiou	....	production accountant
Matthew Coles	....	production runner
Emilio D'Alessandro	....	assistant to producer
Rita Dean	....	assistant accountant
R. Lee Ermey	....	technical advisor (as Lee Ermey)
Chester Eyre	....	laboratory contact
Carmen Fitzgerald	....	nurse
Anthony Frewin	....	assistant to producer
Linda Glatzel	....	nurse
Julian Harcourt	....	special computer editing programs
Robert Hills	....	armorer
Steve Millson	....	production assistant
John Oxlade	....	armorer
Julie Robinson	....	continuity
Adam Samuelson	....	louma crane technician
Michael Shevloff	....	production runner
Wendy Shorter	....	secretary to producer
Alan Steele	....	accounts computer operator
Leon Vitali	....	assistant to director
Bob Warren	....	helicopter pilot
Joseph Cline	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Nick Frewin	....	key model maker (uncredited)
Marc Wolff	....	aerial coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Natant
• Stanley Kubrick Productions
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Cannon-Warner (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Creative Design (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Bros. (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1987) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1987) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• ARRI München  camera equipment provided by
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• British Gas PLC North Thames  thanks
• Chapman Beauvais  titles
• D & D International Locations  transports
• Delta Sound Services  sound post-production
• Depot Queens Division Bassingbourn  special thanks
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Focus Cars Ltd.  unit transport
• Hills Small Arms  armourers
• Kay-Metrocolor Sound Studios  optical sound
• Location Caterers, The  catering
• PSA Bassingbourn Barracks  thanks
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering
• Samuelson Film Service  louma crane and montage video editing system
• Samuelson's Camera Equipment  aerial photography
• Sykes Group  helicopters provided by
• The National Trust Norfolk  thanks
• The Vietnamese Community  thanks
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack released by
• Willie's Wheels  transport facilities

Also Known As:

Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (USA) (poster title)
Full Metal Jacket (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Acéllövedék (Hungary) [hu]
Cara de guerra (Mexico) [es]
Full Metal Jacket (Finland) [fi]
Full Metal Jacket (Canada: French title) [fr]
Full Metal Jacket (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
La chaqueta metálica (Spain) [es]
Metal jacket (Greece) [el]
Nacido para matar (Argentina) [es]
Nascido Para Matar (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Pelny magazynek (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating on appeal) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 (2007 Re-rating) | Canada:18A (DVD rating) | Hungary:18 | Brazil:16 | Ireland:15 (2007 Re-rating) | Malaysia:U | UK:15 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 (original rating) | France:U (re-rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Israel:16 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Vietnam:(Banned) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bassingbourn Barracks, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Natant

Trivia:

Former US Marine Corps Drill Instructor R. Lee Ermey was not originally hired to play Gunnery Sgt. Hartman but as a consultant for the Marine Corps boot camp portion of the film. He performed a demonstration on videotape in which he yelled obscene insults and abuse for 15 minutes without stopping, repeating himself or even flinching - despite being continuously pelted with tennis balls and oranges. Stanley Kubrick was so impressed that he cast Ermey as Gunnery Sgt. Hartmann.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A modern communications tower is visible in a shot of a helicopter taking off after they enter the city and it is being strafed by the tanks. Occurs during the scene of them being filmed by the film crew while they are sitting down waiting for orders.

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: Sir, yes sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Bullshit I can't hear you. Sound off like you got a pair.
Recruits: SIR, YES SIR!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pink Floyd The Wall Redux (2002)

Soundtrack:

Chapel Of Love

The movies finally got Parris Island right

Though I've read only a couple of dozen of the nearly 500 comments on this film, I didn't see any from ex-Marines who'd had the Parris Island experience. I went through PI in 1957. The time period in the picture would have been about 1967, since the in-country sequence includes the '68 Tet Offensive. Little had changed in those 10 years except the switch from M1s to M16s.

For the most part Kubrick got Parris Island right on the money. And why shouldn't he have, since his screen DI, Lee Ermey was in fact a real DI before he started acting (he played another DI in "The Boys of Company C," an earlier and lesser Vietnam flick)? He had a built- in technical adviser. The screams and insults and profanity and physical punishment were all part of the DIs armamentarium. When you're facing up to 75 young strangers you need to immediately establish absolute authority and hang on to it for 13 weeks. Furthermore, you want to break the breakable as soon as you can. My platoon had its Private Pyles and though none ended up as he does in "Full Metal Jacket," I remember that they simply disappeared from our ranks, never to be heard from again. Nothing Ermey as Sgt. Hartman does is exaggerated.

Kubrick, however, does exaggerate. Speaking of Pyle's ending, it's almost impossible for me to imagine that a recruit could manage to sneak a clip of live rounds away from the rifle range. Every shooter at the range has his own rifle coach, and every single round is very carefully accounted for. Kubrick started the killing one scene too early.

I've read that DIs nowadays are forbidden to use the time-honored f-word, and are not allowed to lay hands on recruits. I don't know if that's good or bad for training (I had my face slapped hard my first day of boot camp and that was just for openers), but then all of us old-timers like to brag about how tough it useta be!

A final note: It's interesting to compare "Full Metal Jacket" to another attempt at a portrayal of Parris Island, Jack Webb's "The DI," made around '55 or '56. Webb tries for authenticity, but as I was to learn a year or so later, his PI was a boy scout camp.