Danielle Solzman
Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 Vietnam War classic, Full Metal Jacket, arrives on 4K Ultra HD over three decades after its theatrical release.
While a recluse at home, Kubrick is also one of the all-time greats behind the camera. It shows through in films such as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Spartacus to name a few. Full Metal Jacket is certainly no exception. Kubrick works the camera as only he can.
The 4K remaster is made possible thanks to a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Leon Vitali, a former Kubrick assistant, also worked with Warner Bros. during the process. The end result is a beautiful picture in terms of imagery. Sure, some of the language can be tough to listen to under 2020 standards but this is a war film and it holds up in that regard.
The screenplay earned the film its sole Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. R. Lee Ermey’s performance will also live on in history. Two years after his passing, it’s the role he’s still remembered for. In 2001, the American Film Institute honored the film with 95th slot on the 100 Years…100 Thrills list.
First-time viewers such as myself are certainly in for a treat.
Synopsis
A superb ensemble falls in for Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant saga about the Vietnam War and the dehumanizing process that turns people into trained killers. The scathing indictment of a film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. ‘Joker’ (Matthew Modine), ‘Animal Mother’ (Adam Baldwin), ‘Gomer’ (Vincent D’Onofrio), ‘Eightball’ (Dorian Harewood) and ‘Cowboy’ (Arliss Howard) are some of the Marine recruits experiencing boot-camp hell under the punishing command of the foul-mouthed Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermy). The action is savage, the story unsparing, and the dialogue is spiked with scathing humor.
Bonus Features
- Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, and Critic/Screenwriter Jay Cocks
- Featurette Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil
- Theatrical Trailer
DIRECTOR: Stanley Kubrick
SCREENWRITERS: Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford
CAST: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, Ed O’Ross, John Terry, Kieron Jecchinis, Bruce Boa, Kirk Taylor, John Stafford, Tim Colceri, Ian Tyler, Gary Landon Mills, Sal Lopez, Papillon Soo Soo, Ngoc Le
