"It's like they took away our freedom and gave it to the gookers...but I guess they'd rather be alive than free, poor dumb bastards."
Eightball

Credits

Director/Producer: Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford, based on Hasford's The Short Timers
Music: Abigail Mead, (period songs)Johnny Wright, Nancy Sinatra, the Dixie Cups, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, the Rolling Stones, the Goldman Band
Running time: 118 min
Cast: R. Lee Ermey (GySgt. Hartman), Matthew Modine (Joker), Arliss Howard (Cowboy), Vincent D'Onofrio (Pyle), Adam Baldwin (Animal Mother), Kevin Major Howard (Rafterman), Dorian Heywood (Eightball), John Terry (Lt. Lockhart), Ngoc Le (Sniper)

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Plot

The adventures of a Marine Sgt. "Joker", from his boot camp days to his short-timing in Vietnam. Joker and his fellow recruits receive a harsh indoctrination to Marine life from their relentless drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. An overweight and dazed recruit, Pyle, can't cope and is beaten by the other recruits. Subsequently, he shoots Hartman then commits suicide. Several months later, Joker, a salty Stars & Stripes military journalist, survives the Tet Offensive. During the battle to retake Hue, Cowboy and several other Marines die. Joker realizes he's in a world of shit, but at least he's alive.

Commentary

It's a little hard to write commentary for a film like this, I can't seem to take a really objective point of view. You see, I was once in the beloved Corps, so I see the movie very personally. In any event, let me say that the dialogue (throughout the entire film) and the boot camp sequence are probably the most realistic I've seen on screen. To be cont...

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