Full Metal Jacket speaks volumes and the message of war is clear; despite who wins, we will all lose ourselves to some degree. Despite being released twelve years after the Vietnam War came to an end, this has long been a favourite of mine, articulating the horrendous realities of combat in a way that is brutally dehumanizing. I chose to watch this again as I've decided to write my film essay on the war and what effect this had upon the American film industry following its devestation.
That does not exactly mean I will only deconstruct popular films that were about the war, but also explore what technological and social advancements (eg, the rise of the indie film culture and anti-war movements) that arose out of it.
In regards to this film however, it is interesting to note it included the line "We are here to help the Vietnamese because inside of every gook, there's an American trying to get out."
Perhaps director Stanley Kubrick was trying to echo an earlier speech made by President Eisenhower who exemplified the patronizing American method forcing themselves upon the resisting Vietnamese, stating "We must work with these people, and then they themselves will soon find out that we are their friends and that they can't live without us."
In adding more weight to my argument, I am hoping to watch other Vietnam films this week including Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, Billy Jack, Taxi Driver and Easy Rider. If you can think of other films for me to watch regarding this subject, or have anything else you'd like to share, feel free to post a comment! :)
Film Count: 39 out of 365
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5 comments:
i am loving reading your movie reviews....and your essay topic is really interesting! good luck, i know you'll do great! <3
http://aberrantmoda.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much for your support :) it's lovely to see people enjoying my posts! Thanks for the well wishes too!
April Skye xx
Oh, if you want to see a fantastic and very interesting Vietnam film, check out Rilling Thunder. It is a sort of revenge film, but is a very well thought out character study of what someone can loose in war and what they can loose when he comes back home. Great film, but it might be hard to get a copy of it. It is not available on DVD outside of bootlegs.
Oops, Rolling Thunder. That's what I get for not checking my spelling! Ma bad.
Hey! Thanks for the suggestion, that sounds exactly like what I'm after! I'll look around for it - hope I'm able to track it down before the due date! ;)
April Skye xx
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