Verified Document

Screening Stanly Kubrick And Full Research Proposal

The colors used are also drab and grey-green dominates to evoke a sense of claustrophobic death and destruction. Another aspect that evokes atmosphere in the film is the use of music. Kubrick chooses a soundtrack which is both empty and banal yet also succeeds in emphasizing the loss of meaning and vacuity in what the young recruits have become. The director makes use of popular songs such as "These Boots Are Made for Walking" and "Surfin' Bird." The very emptiness of the lyrics tends to ironically emphasize the dehumanization and loss of identity which pervades the film (Maslin).

The theme of dehumanization is followed through in the graphic events of the battle and we also see the "…collapse of the individual into the group" (Anderegg 11). For example, when Joker tries to express his individuality by wearing a peace symbol on his uniform, he is sternly rebuked by a marine officer and ordered to "join the program'. In effect the young recruits become almost robotic in their view of the reality of the war and are strangely dislocated from the events around them.

It is also clear that while Joker shows signs of personal identity and individually, this is overtaken by the group mentally that has become the reality that the young recruits now subscribe to. In one scene when Joker meets his old friends, one marine displays a dead body of the enemy as a joke. The extent of their dehumanization is also evident in the interview that the young recruits give to the press and in the warped views and attitudes expressed by Animal Mother. One critic remarks that, Private Joker "…melts into an "irrevocably infantalized" group...The creation of young killing machines, as Kubrick delineates the process, involves a form of male bonding…" (Anderegg 11)

In essence they have all become weapons of war rather than human beings. This is also very evident when one of the platoon is killed and the others go after the sniper. What they find in the final scenes of the film is shocking. The enemy is a young teenage girl who has also become just as dehumanized and twisted in her views as the young marines. The sad reality of the film is that the political and military...

The film leaves one with the thought that these are young people who will return to society as twisted and psychologically damaged individuals.
3. Conclusion

In films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick insists that we expand our vision and understanding of human existence and the universe. This is a film that suggests that human being is limitless and that life is filled with unknown potential. In Full Metal Jacket on the other hand Kubrick interrogates society and the way in which humanity has lost its way in the search for meaning and identity. This film is in essence a horror story and even more horrific for being so close to reality. What is frightening about the film is the way that society allows young people to be indoctrinated and dehumanized in order to become military automatons. What the film leaves us with is the realization that we are faced with a future where dehumanized individuals have to adjust to normal society, with obvious negative consequences.

In essence we could summarize Kubrick's works as being aware of both the negative and positive aspects of human nature. On the one hand he was well aware of the amazing potential and possibilities that are innate within human nature; on the other hand, as we see in Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick was well aware of the negative traits of human nature and the possibility that people can lose their sense of compassion and human identity.

References

Anderegg, Michael, ed. ( 1991) Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television.

Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

MASLIN J. FILM VIEW; INSIDE THE 'JACKET': ALL KUBRICK . ( 1987) Retrieved

June 8, 2009, from http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=2&res=9B0DEEDD1731F936A35754C0A961948260&oref=slogin&oref=login

Plot summary/analysis of full metal jacket. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www.stolaf.edu/people/mcbridek/index_files/Page423.htm

Rafferty T. Full Metal Jacket. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www.thenation.com/doc/19870801/rafferty

Sources used in this document:
References

Anderegg, Michael, ed. ( 1991) Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television.

Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

MASLIN J. FILM VIEW; INSIDE THE 'JACKET': ALL KUBRICK . ( 1987) Retrieved

June 8, 2009, from http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=2&res=9B0DEEDD1731F936A35754C0A961948260&oref=slogin&oref=login
Plot summary/analysis of full metal jacket. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www.stolaf.edu/people/mcbridek/index_files/Page423.htm
Rafferty T. Full Metal Jacket. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www.thenation.com/doc/19870801/rafferty
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

U.S. Marine Corps History
Words: 1510 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Marine Corps and its development over time. The Marine Corps were formed as a compliment to the naval forces. While the navies fought at sea they still required some link to the land, which became essential for the naval operation success. It was in 1775 that the Continental Congress of the U.S. gave rise to two battalions of marines who served for the naval infantry and it was in 1798

United States Marine Corps Marine
Words: 1381 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Many of the everyday jobs in a civilian workplace can also be found on a military base. As such, they fall under the OSHA laws the same as any other workplace. Employers must ensure that the workplace is free from any workplace hazards and health issues that would harm the employee. Posters must be placed in conspicuous areas in the workplace identifying potential health and safety hazards. Employers must

Marine Speed Speed, Intensity, Success There Are
Words: 570 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Marine Speed Speed, Intensity, Success There are many things that a Marine needs to incorporate into his character and his action if he is going to be an effective member of his team and successfully achieve goals. Speed and intensity are two of the most important qualities for Marines to possess, for a variety of reasons. It is through these qualities that the Marine Corps has developed and maintained its reputation as

Marine Corporate Culture Assessing Corporate
Words: 878 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

I will trust in my God and in the United States of America. Sturkey pp). In April 2001, two busses carrying eighty passengers arrived at the Officers Candidates School (Covington pp). They were students from one of the nation's premier business schools, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School, who had come to participate in a special leadership course where the future business leaders would gain first-hand knowledge of Marine Corps

Marines Build Leaders That Last. By Preparing
Words: 947 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Marines build leaders that last. By preparing soldiers that are ready and able to enter into any combative situation, soldiers are not only skilled in ways of warfare, but in ways of leadership as well. This is no mistake -- by establishing a set of core values and leadership skills, the Marines are prepared for almost anything. By integrating important values with distinctive leadership skills, the Marines are one

Islands of the Damned a Marine at War in the Pacific
Words: 902 Length: 3 Document Type: Book Report

Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific' is a memoir of Romus Valton Burgin from Texas. He volunteered to Marine Corps at twenty years of age and went through training to be a 60mm mortar man. Burgin was later shipped overseas, at Melbourne, to join first Marine Division. During the time at the Camp Balcombe, he met the Guadalcanal veterans and experiences firsthand information about the

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now