The new draftees at an American military barracks during the Vietnam War are put through their paces by a ferocious Gunnery Sergeant (an astounding debut performance by real-life army veteran R. Lee Ermey). Not all of them make it to their first tour of duty in a hellish urban war zone, where they come face to face with the enemy – inside themselves.

Amid the contemporary cycle of Vietnam War films, Full Metal Jacket stands out for its bold two-part structure and radical stance on masculinity and militarism. Filmed in the Isle of Dogs, East London, its portrayal of the dehumanising effects of both army training and neo-colonialist combat makes this one of the most powerfully disturbing works to come out of 1980s Hollywood.

Director Stanley Kubrick
Year 1987
Duration 1h 56m
Language English
Cast Adam Baldwin, Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio