Movie Review: Full Metal Jacket

I am trying to improve my English by writing some post in my blog. Since I am learning English as my second language, any feedback is welcomed. Thank you for reading.

Warning!!!
This review contains spoiler of the movie. Please be cautious before you proceed further.

I watched movie Full Metal Jacket this weekend. The movie is consisted of two parts: boot camp, and Vietnam. First part reminded me a lot of my military experience. I have served in ROK (Republic of Korea) Army for 21 months because of Korea’s conscription system. I was lucky that I was selected to KATUSA program and stationed in one of US army units. So I had gone through the ROK Army Basic Training in Nonsan and KATUSA Basic Training in Camp Jackson which resembles US Army Basic Training in some ways.

The First Part: Boot Camp

The movie starts with young men getting buzz cuts. Drill instructor Hartman uses harsh methods which includes verbal abuse, physical abuse, and collective punishment. Gomer Pyle who was dim-witted and overweight had hard time catching up the training. Joker who was in the same squad with Pyle was selected to be a squad leader and tasked to take care of Pyle. However, one day Pyle was caught hiding doughnuts in his footlocker and Hartman punish the entire platoon except Pyle. That night, Pyle was hazed with a blanket party. Pyle’s gaze became different since that night. At a graduation day, Pyle kills Hartman and commits suicide.

This part reminded me of my ROK army basic training. I still remember that day vividly. It was a strange experience being called by a number not by my name. I was assigned 185, and I was called trainee 185. Whenver I was ordered, I had to shout out my identity “trainee 185”. Every night I slept between 184 and 186. Everyone was wearing same shirts, carrying the same gears, and slept in the same room.

Despite the restricted environment, I actually enjoyed my time in basic training, because it has given a new perspective to see the world and I have met a lot of friends there. But I don’t think that everyone suits military. Pyle in the movie would be the example. I hope that they should be exempted from the mandatory service if they wanted to. Not only it’s heartbreaking to see them suffer, they could harm friendly forces if they are stressed out and goes under mental breakdown. Those kind of tragedy must be prevented in advance.

I was surprised when recruits are addressing their drill instructors as “sir”. Because we were all smoked out when we called our sergeant “sir” and noboy never did it again. After quick search, I found out that in maries they call their drill instructors “sir”. And drill instructor’s insulting words, how I miss them so much. I was so amazed in ways they insult the trainees in such various ways. I want to ask if there is any kind of training to make up insulting words if I have any chance to talk with drill sergeant privately. They were so good at making up words and nicknames. Unlike the movie I never had experience with beatings, which I think the way it should be.

The Second Part: Vietnam

Joker became a writer after the base camp. And he is dispatched to Da Nang. He went into operation with a squad. Some members of their squad including his boot camp buddy Cowboy lost their lives by Vietnamese sniper. His squad watch them die in pain. They decided to retaliate for their buddies. But as they captured the sniper, she was a teenaged girl. Laying on the floor, she kept saying prayers bleeding from her wounds. Animal Mother in his squad insisted to let her rot on the floor suffering pain. But Joker decided to put her out of her misery and killed her.

Last scene were impressive because when they were fighting they were just looking at their shapes. It didn’t really matter who they are. Until the last moment, the sniper didn’t reveal her face. At the last moment, she reveals her face and Joker looked hesistant to kill her. Maybe it was against his thought not to kill women and children. Or seeing her face might have made him realize she is same human being just as he is.

Conclusion

I think there are a lot of interesting things like duality, animalistic behaviors, and so on. But I am starting to feel sleeply right now, I will stop writing about here. It was a worth watching movie. See you on the next post!

New words I learned

• talk the talk: to talk or act in a confident way so that you seem to be very good at what you do
• walk the walk: suit one’s actions to one’s words