You’re a great reactor. You really take things in and approach films within their context and not just from a contemporary point of view. Very insightful reviews at the end too. I think you will find Kubrick’s other films just as riveting. Look forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much! That truly means a lot to me, and I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction. I love giving my initial thoughts and impression of the film while it's still fresh on my mind. Eventually, I'll upload full on Film Review videos. Also, I'll be watching The Shinning soon, so I'm really looking forward to that!
R. Lee Ermey, while celebrated for this role, actually based his portrayal of what NOT to do as a drill instructor. He specifically says so in a televised interview. It is most likely somewhere here on TH-cam.
I went through Parris Island back in November, 1977-February, 1978. I was all of 5ft 1 1/2in tall and 117lbs. Graduating on 13 February, 1978 was the proudest day of my life. 13 weeks to make a man out of junior. Ended up serving 6 years as an Expeditionary Airfield Technician.
Jesse, Your reaction to the movie is genuine. I have watched every first viewing of FMJ on youtube, and have found yours to be compelling. Here is my story. Ten days after graduating from high school, at 17 years old, I formally enlisted in the Marines on June 30, 1967, the same era as FMJ. I got on a bus in Jersey City, NJ at 6:00 AM to Newark to report to the Marine recruiting station. I had registered and taken all qualifying medical, and personal tests in April. '67 while still in high school. Arriving In Newark, they did not offer us any lunch. From Newark I was flown to Charleston, SC airport and arrived about 3:00 PM. I boarded a military bus and was taken to Parris Island, about 90 miles south from Charleston. I arrived in Charleston about 6:00 PM and stood on the famous yellow footprints. No dinner was served. This is an intentional strategy for maximum stress on the recruits. From 6:00 PM to 5:00 AM was pure chaos. Getting your head shaved, getting your sea bag, uniforms, changing out of civilian clothes and wrapping them up to send home, and a host of other tasks in the middle of the night, we then were placed in a barracks with no beds and waited hours on the floor for dawn when our Drill Instructors were "picking us up ". At dawn, when the Drill Instructors " marched" us to our permanent barracks, all hell broke loose. Garbage cans were flying, every recruit was insulted, screamed at, we had to do all kinds of excruciating floor exercises, sometimes with the DI's shoes on our backs. Every recruit was insulted like Gomer Pyle. The Drill Instructors had thought that we had already were brought to the chow hall for breakfast. I remember the conversation among the three DIs that we had not had breakfast. We missed breakfast. They thought we had been fed. The time between 5:00 AM and Noon was 10 times more anxiety and difficult than Lee Ermey could portray. I told myself, I can do anything, but I need some sleep and some food. At noon we were brought to the chow hall. I had no food for the last 30 hours. My DIs shouted all of the curses that Lee Ermey did: Texas queers, amphibious shit, pukes, scumbags, worthless human beings, scumbag, " Get on your faces. Ready, exercise!" Drill Instructor D. T. Gowin was a sadist. He liked to grab the Adam's apple on a recruit's throat and squeeze it vey hard while poking the eyes of the recruit with his other finger. Staff Sgt Davis liked to punch recruits extremely hard in the chest or in the jaw. During the final and last evening before we got on the bus to Camp Lejuene for infantry training, Davis called us to attention in front of our racks, and said. " I will get everyone that I did not get during the previous ten weeks". He then proceeded to punch every recruit in the jaw that he failed to do, including me. As an amateur boxer, he knew enough not to give you a black eye, a busted lip, or a broken nose...he hit you squarely on the jaw that threw you back into your bunk. He then said to me, " You will thank me for that punch someday". Since then, I have thanked him 100 times for that punch in the jaw. I arrived in Vietnam on Dec. 10, 1967, less than six months after joining. Forty-six days later, on Jan. 254, 1968, a mortar round landed about six feet to my right rear. It blew me over in a cartwheel: I sustained a penetrating shrapnel headwound above my right ear, and shrapnel wounds to my right wrist, forearm, knee, ankle and right cheekbone. I still have shrapnel fragments in my head and cheek that set the New Orleans airport security alarm off. I was officially discharged from the Marines on my 19th birthday as unfit for further duty. During the entire 12 months of 1968, my combat Marine unit, of 1, 200 Marines ( the 3rd Battalion / 4th Marines / 3rd Marine Division ) sustained 88% casualties: 187 killed and 870 wounded. Four of my fellow Parris Island Marines were killed and approximately 20 wounded. Two of my high school classmates were killed in Vietnam. I cannot complain. The VA paid for my entire college education at Tulane University, where I graduated from with a Masters in Architecture in 1974. After 56 years since being wounded, I continue to take daily medication for my brain injury. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Traumatic Cerebral Encephalopathy ( the same affliction that football payers football sustain) along with other issues. If I was seventeen again, I would join tomorrow. Please Google up: "The Vietnam Conflict and My Path to a Tulane Education". That is my story. Eugene M. Ogozalek gene.ogozalek@gmail.com
I've seen a lot of reactors react to this movie, you are the first one to share my interpretation on two parts, one of which is when Joker talks about being the first kid on the block to have a confirmed kill, hes obviously joking, being sarcastic, his character gets real when Cowboy dies and he wants real payback, then his final form is when he ends the girl, something his other squad members couldnt do, but he did it.
Bro not only do I thank you on an entertainment level for reacting to my favorite war movie of all time but on a personal level too as one of my uncles died during the Vietnam conflict. Love your work as always bro🪖💪🏾
As a son of a Vietnam veteran I just want to say I’m so very sorry for your loss. But you still can hold your head up high knowing he was is an always will be a hero.
Drill instructors school is tougher than boot-camp. Its 12 weeks, 540 hours to create those men that seem as though theyre bionic....They just dont stop. I served in the early 90s, and am grateful for everything our DIs put us through. They were the best!!! Everyone gets their turn getting it from the DIs, NO ONE gets through boot-camp without getting their share of it. There are actually 4 DIs in boot camp...all with their own intense personality. In the movie you, there are a few scenes where you see other instructors, theyre just not focused on. - This was filmed in England.
We had one named Ackerman who climbed the rope upside down. The toughest guys. My friend became a DI when he got back from Vietnam but they fired him for being too mean to recruits. One thing he told me, he would turn his ring around backwards and when he slapped them it raised knots on their heads.
I've seen some vids where they show the real life DI's interacting with recruits and you're right, no one goes through bootcamp without getting it from those guys! Would love to see footage of the Drill Instructor school process. Glad you made it back home safe!
Vincent D'Onofrio, the actor that plays Private Pyle, is a pretty big dude normally. His healthy weight was around 200 lbs. He knew he needed to put on some weight for the role and showed up about 240. But they said he needed to be fatter. So he put on another 40 pounds. An obstacle course is not your friend if you are north of 280 lbs.
That's insane! I can't imagine the effects it must've had on him to gain so much weight in what I imagine must've been a short amount of time. Yeah, during that scene where Joker is holding him up while running must've been him legit about to pass out! It looked too real
Definitely on my list of films to react to! For some reason, those dudes kind of creeped me out. I remember being little and flipping through channels and seeing those guys and just switching the channel quickly. It's gonna be time to watch it soon though.
Great reaction. Stanley Kubrick did not like to fly, even though he had a pilot's licence. Near his house in England there was a gasworks plant that was to be decommisioned and demolished. Kubrick got permission to blow the place up as he saw fit. All Vietnamese locations were shot in the English weather. Palmtrees were imported. The actors were shivering while pretending to be sweating.
Some Context: The last time the USA drafted individuals for the Vietnam War was on December 7, 1972. This marked the final draft call, and the authority to induct draftees officially expired on July 1, 1973. These men were conscripted and not there voluntarily. IQ tests were not part of the equation, were you male and of a certain age were the only factors taken into account.
Yeah some guys are just not made for it. I feel like the ones that might fall in that camp are either the ones that either keep screwing up or possibly the ones that think their King Shit and can't work together as a team. But correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The actor who plays the Colonel who tells Joker off "jump on board for the big win!" is Bruce Boa. He played the (much more genial) General Rieekan - the Echo Base CO in Empire Strikes Back. If you have seen the classic british sitcom Fawlty Towers, he was also the legendary 'Waldorf Salad' guest
Nice! Man must've been impactful to hear stories from him. I'm a history buff so it always amazes me to learn about all the advancements made in the first half of the 20th century whether that's military, economy, construction, etc.
I can tell you that in December of 1977 when I went to Parris Island up to when I graduated, this was exactly what boot camp was like. The uniform, the barracks (weapon was m16 instead of m14 by then) the DI's (we had several not just one) nearly perfect depiction. And my friend (highly decorated combat platoon sgt in Vietnam) said the battle of Hua was very realistic also
Thank you for your service! And It's interesting to hear about how accurate this depiction of bootcamp is to the one you experienced. I can't even imagine what you're friend must've felt being in such a dangerous environment during that time, but glad that he made it back home safe. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Don't worry that the first half of this movie may be "the tip of the iceberg", it's the whole iceberg! No one recruit saw everything portrayed but we all saw some of it. After boot camp there's very varied experiences for Marines but boot camp is very much a structured, focused environment portrayed well here (except Joker mouthing off on-line and killing the drill instructors. I believe these would be once in a VERY long while). Semper Fi...
Here's a connection for you - I know you've seen The Thing, and you know Kurt Russell's MacReady is the central character. Mac was written as a Vietnam vet and had big trouble adjusting to civilian life when he returned. You would have seen that he was an alcoholic and definitely preferred his own company
Ah that makes a lot of sense! I can see why he just wants to get away from everything and be somewhere more isolated. Such a great character brought to life by a great actor.
This movie is iconic but so intense (at least the first part). Classic and highly quotable. Got into this movie in my teens 'cuz of my brothers who love these films. I'm from a family who has served in teh military for over 200 years. I always liked how they shaved their hair in the beginning. It makes them on the same level! Even though I completely sympathize with "Gomer Pyle", I always get a laugh out of 11:55. Shit just looks silly. 😂
I was in my twenties when that film was first released. I thought it was pretty cool , back then. Still here for it today. I enjoyed your reactions to it. They were very much like my own, the first time around. Liking your style, dude. Your fu*king funny as h*ll, bruh. Big shoutout from this old, longhaired, wild eyed, Southern boy in the mountains of East Tennessee. I hit the sub, black bell, and like buttons for ya, and here's my little comment to help out a bit. Peace and love to you and yours. If you have not seen them already maybe you should check these out: "Un-Common Valor", "Born On The Fourth Of July" and "Platoon". These are the same genre. And shot in the same time period. Take it easy. Catch you on the next. Later, man..
Thank you so much, and the support and words of encouragement really means a lot to me!! I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction. I have "Born on the 4th of July" on my list and will be adding Un-common Valor as well. Oh and I did react to "Platoon" about a month and a half ago. Wish you all the best as well!
Normally I don't subscribe to channels that have a smaller screen for the movie because it's hard to see on the phone, but your commentary was so insightful and entertaining I did anyways. BUT.. maybe you could consider changing that in editing for the future. Anyways, totally enjoyed this awesome reaction to such a great movie. 😎👍🙏
Thanks so much for subscribing! And yeah I'm definitely looking into other forms of editing. I noticed some reactors have a set up where they have themselves in a corner and when they speak and give commentary it zooms in on them and hides the film for a few seconds. I'm going to try a few different things to see what works though. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Agreed! I believe he never should've been there. But if he was drafted then he should've been discharged earlier. His descent into madness is tragic and spine chilling. Thanks for watching and commenting!
You must remember this is a Stanley Brubeck production, he was an antimilitary and antiwar activist during that war. He enjoyed putting the military in bad light with his movies.
your wrong with your comment here saying 2 live crew got me so horny from the movie full metal jacket. me so horny by 2 live crew came out in the 1980s and its clear the movie full metal jacket came out much later in the 80s . correct me if i am wrong
@@tiffanyokeefe NOPE. Let's look it up. What year did Full Metal Jacket come out? IMDB says July 10, 1987. OK, "Me so horny" was the 1st track off of 2 Live Crew's "As nasty as they wanna be" record. Let's look it up. Wikipedia says that it was recorded in 1988, and released on February 7, 1989. So, where exactly am I wrong?
Thank you for not censoring the awesome script. There are a few movies that should have their script left unaltered. FMJ and pulp fiction are two of those movies
Yeah the dialogue in this film is just way too good! You can't really exclude anything, because it helps push the story forward. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Yeah I did some reading on his military career, which is pretty impressive. It's like he wasn't even acting because he lived that life. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yeah even to Hartman at the start when he says why he's there "Sir, to kill sir". Or when Hartman says to him "You're not a writer. You're a killer" and Joker responds with "A Killer. Yes Sir!" Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks a lot! Yeah it was difficult and at times gut wrenching to watch. An incredible film that I will definitely watch again because it's just so well made. And thank you for wishing me well, I really appreciate the support! :)
Exactly! I understand being frozen at first, but after having a few seconds to analyze the situation I figured he would've charged him when he saw him loading the magazine.
One important aspect of Pvt. Pyle is that he is representative of "McNamara's Misfits". It was a military recruitment program that allowed in people who were not mentally fit to be recruited. I believe the actual name for this policy was "Project 100,000". R. Lee Emery was hired to be a technical advisor. What I have read is that he didn't think the actor was capable of pulling off the role of a Drill Instructor. Not sure if this part is true, but it was said that Kubrick and an assistant hurled tennis balls and oranges at Emery while he shouted insults for around 10 minutes, not repeating himself once. Also, Vincent D'Onofrio might have been actually exhausted in the running scene as Kubrick was infamous for demanding multiple takes for scenes.
I touched a bit on Pyle possibly being one of "McNamara's Misfits" at the end of the video. And correct it's Project 100,000. I read up on it a little more yesterday and it's crazy to learn about this initiative, which was obviously not successful. Dude if that's true than man what a great casting change to this guy. I mean I'm sure the original actor would've done a good job and it sucks that he lost the role, but this guy was perfect for it. I've also heard that Kubrick would easily do 50+ takes some times. That would be exhausting just going through a scene where you just sit and talk, imagine doing that while running.
@@jessebatres6895 R. Lee Ermy was an actual Drill Instructor, rather than an actor. He just brought his "real world experience" into it. Also, from what I understand about Project 100,000... is that McNamara believed that by introducing people like Pyle into the mix (the "less desirable" kind, if you take my meaning) it would save the lives of functional troops because the "less desirables" would get killed instead. That's a pretty twisted kind of logic, as well as cold and heartless. Another movie you may like is "Heartbreak Ridge" with Clint Eastwood and Mario Van Peebles. It's more about the "Granada" incident, which was much more popular than Vietnam. Also, "Patton" with George C. Scott is a fantastic WWII movie. For a reference, I was born in the late 1960s, and remember quite vividly watching footage coming out of Vietnam to be aired on the 6:00pm News. They didn't edit/censor things like they do now. There was no "blurring" of things too graphic to show on television. There was no warning about "don't let your kids see this" at the time. At the time, I didn't understand why the troops coming home were treated the way they were. As I grew up, and learned what actually happened over there, I understood. I came from a family that served in WWII, so I was raised with an appreciation for those who served our country. Seeing what happened with Vietnam didn't compute at the time.
I entered the USMC about a year later than the Vietnam sequence of the movie. How accurate was the movie? Semi. The book the movie was adapted from was called "The Short Timers." by Gustav Hasford. I haven't read the novel, but I assume it's much like the movie, a brief "autobiographical" account that includes of inside the Corps memes. I think the Marine Corps did draft some people through the DoD's Project 100,000 which was the effort to include lower IQ individuals through the draft. We had a III MAF brig populated by some them in Vietnam with some IQs as low as 60, a highly functioning, mentally disabled person. It's not clear to me whether those people were drafted, or the recruiters simply looked the other way and filled their quotas with nice warm bodies. The Marine Recruiter was hard pressed to make his quota after 3 years of US involvement in the War, and quota was everything. The Corps didn't use a lot of draftee's, the official figure is about 5%. As far as things that weren't real life: there are a lot of them. For instance, I never, ever saw a jelly donut in any Marine Corps mess during my entire time in. Recruit mess certainly would have any. In fact, I don't recall seeing any jelly donuts (I was raised in N. Texas, BTW half the USMC is from Texas, the Steers and Queers thing was repeated over and over in boot and beyond) until about sometime in the late 70s. Rifles are turned in to the Armory by the last night of boot. They don't go with a new Marine to the next duty station (which for PI would have been ITR at Geiger Point). Shooting the DI is a Marine Corps meme, I got told in boot by my DI about DI's at some unspecified location being shot by a recruit. May have happened (or not) on the rifle range, but in my day, at MCRD if a recruit had a rifle on the last night (impossible) the rifles at MCRD all were without firing pins. Firing pins were inserted then removed at the range Armory. Gunny Hartman, in the movie, had superhuman energy. In boot there were usually 3 DI's per platoon, sometimes 4, and the SDI was not there every day. A lot of days only one DI would be with the recruits, many days two, and rarely all 3 or 4. In Vietnam, Joker (Hasford) was an E-5 Sergeant, meaning it was probably the last year of his enlistment (nowadays a Marine can only make Sergeant upon re-enlisting by the normal promotion system, rank was a bit freer in wartime). I'm not sure about the PIO's writing for The Stars & Stripes. Stars and Stripes is an all branches paper, and I can't remember in my time reading it, more than a sparse hand full of stories specifically about the Corps, certainly not about small unit actions. The in the field infantry action is a little thin. Squads do not usually operate separated from the platoon (except for Recon, a Recon platoon is squad sized, but their mission is quite different from regulars). IOW, there would have been an adjacent squad to maneuver against a sniper nest or even larger force. Over all Full Metal Jacket captures the flavor of the Vietnam War and the Marines fighting it (personally, I didn't hear nearly as much "why are we here; we're not appreciated or respected" as the movie spreads it pretty thickly). We knew why we were there: we had orders, and Marines carry out the intent of the Commander. BTW the helicopter scene is bogus, not only would firing on random civilians been a war crime, but the Crew Chief of the aircraft would have never allowed such a thing. Think what would have happened if you'd diverted to a hot LZ and had wasted all your ammo on committing war crimes.
Great reaction. This is among my favorite movies of all time. Vincent D'Onofrio (Pyle) was preparing for the murder scene and was watching Lon Chaney movies who was an old horror film star. Stanley Kubrick not knowing he had been studying these films directed D'Onofrio to go full on Lon Chaney for this scene. He obviously nailed the scene. Kubrick also directed The Shining which was another all-time great films. It was very twisted and will mess with your mind. Another great film with absolutely no ties to either of these films is the Unforgiven, starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. It just doesn't get any better than this. It is a western and I don't even really like westerns, but a great film, is a great film.
Thanks so much! And yeah D'Onofrio killed this role. It was crazy to see his transformation in just that 40-45 minute span. What a talent, and that's some great insight about how he already studied what Kubrick had in mind. Thanks for sharing that! I have both The Shining and Unforgiven on my list of films to react to. Can't wait to get to those films!
Since you've seen Platoon, a logical follow-up would be Born on the Fourth of July. Both Vietnam-related flicks directed by Oliver Stone, both based on true stories. Tom Cruise instead of Charlie sheen in the starring role; but Berenger, Dafoe and a number of other actors are back, playing different characters. Stone is like James Cameron... he re-uses the people he likes.
It's been done for years and years. Directors will work with the same people both in front of the camera and behind it. It's mostly because they get comfortable with certain actors and people and it makes working easier. It's also done to take care of friends in the industry. You see a big name actor surrounded by the same people in many films.
It's definitely on my list of war films, and I think it's going to be my next one. Awesome to hear that Dafoe plays a role in that as well! Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 I saw, I think it was in your Platoon comments rather than here, that you had a Marine recruiter come to your high school and he nearly got you in. That being the case, Berenger's character in this next film might give you flashbacks.
It's a little maddening how he talked over a lot of Sgt. Hartman's best lines to Pyle during the training and obstacles. I understand his empathy, but c'mon, it's a movie.
I've met a lot of people who did not like the last scene where they were marching and singing the micky mouse song, but one thing alot of people forget is alot of marines and soldiers are 18 fresh out of high school, Adults on paper only. My time in the Army only showed me how wrong it is to throw away lives that have only just begun and expect them to integrate back into normal life as if nothing happened. The military can help some, but it harms far more.
That's a great point! The majority of these guys are just out of high school, and there's really no way to "behave appropriately" in this situation. Joker just killed the sniper and saw his close friend die, yet he's marching and singing because for one (he's young) and two (I believe they're becoming more desensitized to this "hell"). Just an amazing film with some powerful imagery!
I just realized that donut killed Hartman and Pyle. I think had Pyle made it through he might have gotten killed in Vietnam and maybe gotten others killed, but Hartman would have lived.
Im sure other have mentioned that R Lee Ermey was a real Marine D.I. He was actually a really cool person in real life. But you know what they say.. Once A Marine, Always A Marine. And when that uniform goes on, the first and last words outta your filthy sewer better be SIR! RIP R Lee Ermey
Nice! It looked so good throughout that third act of the film. The image I typically think of for the Vietnam war is the jungle terrain, but it was awesome to see them in this other environment. Thank you so much for the insight on this :)
I think it was the city of Hue Vietnam that was depicted in this movie. That was the only major urban type battle I remember hearing about back then. I remember the news teams interviewing soldiers during fire fights and showing them on the CBS evening news.
Marine Corps has Drill Instructors, not Drill Sergeants. The stuff he says is a skill to be that quick. The actor was a Marine Corps drill instructor, so he probably had these insults in his toolbox. When I was a drill sergeant in the Army, I had certain things I would say, but nowadays, the military wouldn't be okay with insulting, denigrating, and abusing recruits like this. There are better ways to train them.
I've been watching some drill instructor/sergeant vids online and it blows my mind how those guys have the capacity to do what they do. It does look like the insults are held back a bit or not to the degree as seen in this film. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I keep being surprised by how insane Vietnam was in every way. The biggest enemy of American troops was their own generals, who were trying to turn combat into a production line with kill quotas that just made lower officers lie. It was the ultimate realization of Eisenhower's warning about the military industrial complex. There was no reason for it, no plan during it, and no help after it.
Fucking incredible! That man was born to play that part. It blows my mind how he came up with all of those hilarious lines that make sense for the setting they're in. lol!
Oh boy...welcome to the Kubrick insanity version of Vietnam...it definitely makes an impression, doesn't it? I see that others have mentioned this, but I wanted to add more detail if I could...I have never seen it specifically stated by Kubrick anywhere, but Private Pyle is a clear representation of a real program that the Defense Department ran in the 1960s. It was called "Project 100,000" and it was a test to see whether the mental and physical parameters for serving in the US military could be widened to make the pool of potential service people larger. Between escalation in Vietnam and all the other military commitments of the Cold War in those days, the military was concerned about a shortage of people to serve. So they started testing whether recruits who were normally just a bit below the normal standard for IQ, or emotional stability, or physical fitness could be turned into effective military personnel. The same program probably would have led to Forrest Gump being recruited and serving in Vietnam. The program had various nicknames including "McNamara's Misfits" and "McNamara's Morons" in honor of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
Yeah it sure as hell did make an impression! And I did briefly mention at the end of the vid that Leonard/Pyle was like part of "Project 100,000", however I came to learn about it a few months ago as the more degrading name of the "Moron Corps". It baffles me how this program was approved and how they went about putting it into practice. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 It actually makes a lot of sense. In the 1960s, there was a widespread belief that new developments in science would be like magic bullets to solve problems. The program was adopted because it interested a wide array of powerful people who all had their own ideas about what it could do. The military was generally having trouble keeping up with the manpower demands of Vietnam on top of the Cold War and other needs, and at the DoD many thought that science could allow the military's training to overcome a wider array of deficiencies in the pool of manpower they drew from. In a way, it was another example of a group of humans thinking that they had come up with a way to "make humans better", and thus to solve many of the problems that come from people being people...as always, they were wrong.
When I was in the South African Army in 1976, I fucked up and the training officer (a corporal) tried to turn the platoon against me. Many of the platoon wanted to beat me up but there was a hard core of about 10 guys who were prepared to defend me, even showing the other guys bayonets. Epic fail for the corporal
Oh dude that's fucking awful that someone would try to throw you under the bus like that. I swear some people have no decency or honor. I'm glad you had a good amount of buddies there to have your back. Fuck that corporal! 💪
Thank you so much for watching! Please consider subscribing to the channel. What are some of your favorite war or military films? A few on my list to react to are Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge, A Few Good Men, Born on the 4th of July, etc.
lots of people think the soldiers in vietnam were all killing civilians because of this crap in the movies. NOT TRUE!! I never did no one in my platoon did and I never heard of it happening in my division. I was in the 101st and they were very strick about who was killed why and how. If prisoners were turned in with parts missing they wanted to know how that happened. I am well aware that some of this did happen in vietnam . but it was a very small amount of incidents. Also bear in mind that a lot of so called civilians where helping our enemies to hurt and kill us.
The VC would hide in the villages and pretend to be civilians, or they would force the villagers to inform on the movements of the US soldiers. This is why they didn't trust the civilians and some dudes snapped and would just shoot them.
True! I think Platoon highlighted these kinds of instances and how some of the men could take things to the next level because they aren't sure who is VC or not. It's really tragic all the way around. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Areas of South Vietnam were honey combed with tunnels and tunnel complexes that had everything. Even hospitals. Tunnel rats would be guys with pistols and a flashlight to go in and clear them out.
Yeah I was always curious if that might've been common, but based on your feedback and feedback from others it does sound like it was more of a rare occurrence.
I played that raunchy part during a college class lol! - So we had presentations to give and a friend of mine was extremely nervous so I told her that if she starts going blank or messing up that I would blast this in class. She was doing good at first and then she started messing up, so I blasted it on my phone and everyone turns my way and just start losing their shit laughing. It basically allowed her time to gather herself and shifted the focus to my dumbass for a bit. She then finished her presentation flawlessly lol!
We currently have a volunteer army. During this war the US was desperate for "bodies". Yes McNamara's Morons was a real thing, but don't forget during this time there was a draft. People were called to be in the service - mostly Army, but some were also drafted into the Marines. Some have suggested Leonard should have just gotten out. He couldn't. He was probably drafted and was not there of his choice. At that point he was defiantly in a "world of shit"
True! Yeah I agree that Leonard must've been drafted, and there was almost no way out for him. I've been reading more about McNamara's Morons and how the fatality rate for them was about 3 times higher, just terrible to think about that.
Notice the burning Monolith in the background around the scene when Cowboy gets shot. Rafterman wasn't celebrating, that was extreme nervous tension being released and probably the shock of actually killing someone fornthe first time and at close range. Pyle might have been one of "McNamara's Morons". Project 100,000 was a program that tried putting people too "slow" through special training to try to increase numbers. It didn't work. What might have worked was descreasing all the exemptions and such so a higher caliber of people could have been eligible for the draft.
Dude that makes that Rafterman was release nervous tension. I thought it was a bit odd for his character to behave that way, but there's involuntary reflexes that must happen during such insane situations. I mentioned "McNamara's Morons" at the end of the reaction. I came to learn about it first as the "Moron Corps". I feel bad that these guys were put in a deadly situation and didn't have the mental or physical capacity required to deal with such high stress and life threatening events.
I'm at about the 30 minute mark and I have to stop and comment about this string of staggeringly obvious observations you're making. "So, people die and you just, move on to the next thing?" Yeah. It's called "life". I'm not trying to be a dick, but it's like you've just discovered all these points just during this movie. I keep hearing how emotionally unprepared your generation is. It's not really true, is it? P.S. 30:30 Yeah, just like that.
SINCE IT IS 3 DAYZ HENCE ONLY. I AM A MARINE. IN 0CT 8, 1981, 18yrz OLD WEST SAN JO, CALI. GREW UP IN THE BAY AREA. WAS THERE VIETNAM THE SURRENDER, THE RE POPULATION. SAN JO, BAY AREA HAD AN HONORABLE, AND GOOD INFLUX OF H'MONG, AND VIETNAMESE FOLX. TEXAS......MINNESOTA. ASK THEM. DO THEY DIG THE UNITED STATES? DO THE OVERLAP BEING SOUTHEAST ASIAN MOUNTAIN PEOPLE, OR VALLEY KOOKS OF THE ANCIENT, AND NOBLE CULTURE OF VIETNAM? NOT WITHIN, BUT DAMN DUDE......BEATS COMMUNISM, OR POL POT!!!!! READ A BOOK ON HISTORY, READ A BOOK ON THE FUTURE, READ SOME HUMAN, NOT GODS', YET, HUMAN NATURE. THEN YOU MAY GET IT!!!! COULD JOIN THE CORPS, TOMORROW.......UH HUH.
Nice! Thank you for your service. Honestly, I think a more intense training (what you experienced) is the way to go because you have to be prepared and really put through the ringer before encountering the real thing when overseas. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm new to your channel but another top notch reaction! I felt that. Greetings from London, England If you haven't already, please react to "Nope". Would like to hear your analysis of that one. 🤓🇬🇧
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction and that it resonated with you :) "Nope" is on my list of films to react to by the way. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Always terrifies me how people think the opening sequence is so funny, and how SDI Hartman is just cranking off one-liners for comedic effect for the audience. Recruit training at Parris Island in the mid-1960's was like that..only worse. Even in the 1980's when I went to MCRD, the verbal abuse and mind games was nearly constant.
I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure maybe one guy who was too far gone might've thought about doing that, but I don't think the pilots and others there would allow it to happen.
If you go back to WWII. The Germans used old men, women, and children for combat. The Vietnamese did the same thing. As well as IsIs, the Taliban, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Even The Hamas do it.
You’re a great reactor. You really take things in and approach films within their context and not just from a contemporary point of view. Very insightful reviews at the end too. I think you will find Kubrick’s other films just as riveting. Look forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much! That truly means a lot to me, and I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction. I love giving my initial thoughts and impression of the film while it's still fresh on my mind. Eventually, I'll upload full on Film Review videos. Also, I'll be watching The Shinning soon, so I'm really looking forward to that!
@@jessebatres6895 I love The Shining. Can’t wait.
R Lee Ermey was DI in real life. He nailed it in the movie. Great actor, we will not see likes of him again. RIP , legend.
A great performance! He was incredible in this part!
R. Lee Ermey, while celebrated for this role, actually based his portrayal of what NOT to do as a drill instructor. He specifically says so in a televised interview. It is most likely somewhere here on TH-cam.
@@jamesmarciel5237 Thank you for insight. Might check it out on YT I guess.
@@jessebatres6895He was also the Drill Instructor in the 1978 movie The Boys In Company C. It is also a great Vietnam war movie.
Most young people today don’t know who Gomer Pile was. That was an actual tv show back in the late 1960s. Gomer Pile USMC.
yep, and Gomer Pyle came from Mayberry with Andy Taylor and Barney Fife.
I went through Parris Island back in November, 1977-February, 1978. I was all of 5ft 1 1/2in tall and 117lbs. Graduating on 13 February, 1978 was the proudest day of my life. 13 weeks to make a man out of junior. Ended up serving 6 years as an Expeditionary Airfield Technician.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
Jesse,
Your reaction to the movie is genuine. I have watched every first viewing of FMJ on youtube, and have found yours to be compelling.
Here is my story.
Ten days after graduating from high school, at 17 years old, I formally enlisted in the Marines on June 30, 1967, the same era as FMJ. I got on a bus in Jersey City, NJ at 6:00 AM to Newark to report to the Marine recruiting station. I had registered and taken all qualifying medical, and personal tests in April. '67 while still in high school. Arriving In Newark, they did not offer us any lunch.
From Newark I was flown to Charleston, SC airport and arrived about 3:00 PM.
I boarded a military bus and was taken to Parris Island, about 90 miles south from Charleston. I arrived in Charleston about 6:00 PM and stood on the famous yellow footprints. No dinner was served. This is an intentional strategy for maximum stress on the recruits.
From 6:00 PM to 5:00 AM was pure chaos. Getting your head shaved, getting your sea bag, uniforms, changing out of civilian clothes and wrapping them up to send home, and a host of other tasks in the middle of the night, we then were placed in a barracks with no beds and waited hours on the floor for dawn when our Drill Instructors were "picking us up ".
At dawn, when the Drill Instructors " marched" us to our permanent barracks, all hell broke loose. Garbage cans were flying, every recruit was insulted, screamed at, we had to do all kinds of excruciating floor exercises, sometimes with the DI's shoes on our backs. Every recruit was insulted like Gomer Pyle.
The Drill Instructors had thought that we had already were brought to the chow hall for breakfast. I remember the conversation among the three DIs that we had not had breakfast. We missed breakfast. They thought we had been fed.
The time between 5:00 AM and Noon was 10 times more anxiety and difficult than Lee Ermey could portray. I told myself, I can do anything, but I need some sleep and some food. At noon we were brought to the chow hall. I had no food for the last 30 hours.
My DIs shouted all of the curses that Lee Ermey did: Texas queers, amphibious shit, pukes, scumbags, worthless human beings, scumbag, " Get on your faces. Ready, exercise!"
Drill Instructor D. T. Gowin was a sadist. He liked to grab the Adam's apple on a recruit's throat and squeeze it vey hard while poking the eyes of the recruit with his other finger. Staff Sgt Davis liked to punch recruits extremely hard in the chest or in the jaw.
During the final and last evening before we got on the bus to Camp Lejuene for infantry training, Davis called us to attention in front of our racks, and said. " I will get everyone that I did not get during the previous ten weeks". He then proceeded to punch every recruit in the jaw that he failed to do, including me. As an amateur boxer, he knew enough not to give you a black eye, a busted lip, or a broken nose...he hit you squarely on the jaw that threw you back into your bunk. He then said to me, " You will thank me for that punch someday". Since then, I have thanked him 100 times for that punch in the jaw.
I arrived in Vietnam on Dec. 10, 1967, less than six months after joining.
Forty-six days later, on Jan. 254, 1968, a mortar round landed about six feet to my right rear. It blew me over in a cartwheel: I sustained a penetrating shrapnel headwound above my right ear, and shrapnel wounds to my right wrist, forearm, knee, ankle and right cheekbone. I still have shrapnel fragments in my head and cheek that set the New Orleans airport security alarm off. I was officially discharged from the Marines on my 19th birthday as unfit for further duty.
During the entire 12 months of 1968, my combat Marine unit, of 1, 200 Marines ( the 3rd Battalion / 4th Marines / 3rd Marine Division ) sustained 88% casualties: 187 killed and 870 wounded. Four of my fellow Parris Island Marines were killed and approximately 20 wounded. Two of my high school classmates were killed in Vietnam.
I cannot complain. The VA paid for my entire college education at Tulane University, where I graduated from with a Masters in Architecture in 1974.
After 56 years since being wounded, I continue to take daily medication for my brain injury. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Traumatic Cerebral Encephalopathy ( the same affliction that football payers football sustain) along with other issues.
If I was seventeen again, I would join tomorrow.
Please Google up: "The Vietnam Conflict and My Path to a Tulane Education". That is my story.
Eugene M. Ogozalek
gene.ogozalek@gmail.com
Damn was the jaw punching necessary? Must have rattled the recruits brains a bit.
I've seen a lot of reactors react to this movie, you are the first one to share my interpretation on two parts, one of which is when Joker talks about being the first kid on the block to have a confirmed kill, hes obviously joking, being sarcastic, his character gets real when Cowboy dies and he wants real payback, then his final form is when he ends the girl, something his other squad members couldnt do, but he did it.
Bro not only do I thank you on an entertainment level for reacting to my favorite war movie of all time but on a personal level too as one of my uncles died during the Vietnam conflict. Love your work as always bro🪖💪🏾
As a son of a Vietnam veteran I just want to say I’m so very sorry for your loss. But you still can hold your head up high knowing he was is an always will be a hero.
This guy looks like the dude from buzzfeed unsolved.
Drill instructors school is tougher than boot-camp.
Its 12 weeks, 540 hours to create those men that seem as though theyre bionic....They just dont stop.
I served in the early 90s, and am grateful for everything our DIs put us through. They were the best!!!
Everyone gets their turn getting it from the DIs, NO ONE gets through boot-camp without getting their share of it. There are actually 4 DIs in boot camp...all with their own intense personality.
In the movie you, there are a few scenes where you see other instructors, theyre just not focused on.
- This was filmed in England.
We had one named Ackerman who climbed the rope upside down. The toughest guys. My friend became a DI when he got back from Vietnam but they fired him for being too mean to recruits. One thing he told me, he would turn his ring around backwards and when he slapped them it raised knots on their heads.
I've seen some vids where they show the real life DI's interacting with recruits and you're right, no one goes through bootcamp without getting it from those guys! Would love to see footage of the Drill Instructor school process. Glad you made it back home safe!
Vincent D'Onofrio, the actor that plays Private Pyle, is a pretty big dude normally. His healthy weight was around 200 lbs. He knew he needed to put on some weight for the role and showed up about 240. But they said he needed to be fatter. So he put on another 40 pounds. An obstacle course is not your friend if you are north of 280 lbs.
That's insane! I can't imagine the effects it must've had on him to gain so much weight in what I imagine must've been a short amount of time. Yeah, during that scene where Joker is holding him up while running must've been him legit about to pass out! It looked too real
When asked how he put on the weight he responded, "a lot of hash and icecream."
i recommend you :
★ *A Clockwork Orange* (1971) 🔥
_starring Malcolm McDowell_
Directed by *Stanley Kubrick*
Definitely on my list of films to react to! For some reason, those dudes kind of creeped me out. I remember being little and flipping through channels and seeing those guys and just switching the channel quickly. It's gonna be time to watch it soon though.
@@jessebatres6895they were designed to creep you out. Just be prepared for shocking comments under that reaction video.
@@jessebatres6895 There's a good creation for that. And yt is lacking reactions to that one, even more those of ppl willing to dig in a bit deeper
O@@jovanjorgovan23
@@jessebatres6895 yes please , i watched as a kid and that night something change on me
Most reactors skip through the boot camp section; appreciate your attention to the details and your insights!
One of the better reactions to this movie. Good job my man. 👍🏻
Will definitely stopping by again...
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the support and encouraging words! I'll be doing some more war/military film reactions going forward.
I like this reaction. Ill sub and stick around and hit that bell notification to see what u got in the future brotha 😊
The drill sergeant is like a stand-up comedian, but you are not allowed to laugh!
Great reaction.
Stanley Kubrick did not like to fly, even though he had a pilot's licence.
Near his house in England there was a gasworks plant that was to be decommisioned and demolished. Kubrick got permission to blow the place up as he saw fit.
All Vietnamese locations were shot in the English weather. Palmtrees were imported. The actors were shivering while pretending to be sweating.
Some Context: The last time the USA drafted individuals for the Vietnam War was on December 7, 1972. This marked the final draft call, and the authority to induct draftees officially expired on July 1, 1973. These men were conscripted and not there voluntarily. IQ tests were not part of the equation, were you male and of a certain age were the only factors taken into account.
Had two blanket parties at USCG boot camp in 1979. Had some guys that needed a attitude adjustment. Both were processed out in a week.
Yeah some guys are just not made for it. I feel like the ones that might fall in that camp are either the ones that either keep screwing up or possibly the ones that think their King Shit and can't work together as a team. But correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it.
Thanks you so much for watching, and I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction! :)
Fun Trivia: the character of "Murphy" when Cowboy calls for tank support was voiced by Stanley Kubrick himself 😎🤓👍
The actor who plays the Colonel who tells Joker off "jump on board for the big win!" is Bruce Boa. He played the (much more genial) General Rieekan - the Echo Base CO in Empire Strikes Back. If you have seen the classic british sitcom Fawlty Towers, he was also the legendary 'Waldorf Salad' guest
Btw my Uncle was in WWII and told the "this is my rifle this is my gun" story decades before this was made. So apparently it's a tradition
Nice! Man must've been impactful to hear stories from him. I'm a history buff so it always amazes me to learn about all the advancements made in the first half of the 20th century whether that's military, economy, construction, etc.
Cool channel dude. You got a new subscriber.
Thanks so much Johnny! I really appreciate the support, and I have many more reactions coming your way! :)
I can tell you that in December of 1977 when I went to Parris Island up to when I graduated, this was exactly what boot camp was like. The uniform, the barracks (weapon was m16 instead of m14 by then) the DI's (we had several not just one) nearly perfect depiction. And my friend (highly decorated combat platoon sgt in Vietnam) said the battle of Hua was very realistic also
Thank you for your service
Thank you for your service! And It's interesting to hear about how accurate this depiction of bootcamp is to the one you experienced. I can't even imagine what you're friend must've felt being in such a dangerous environment during that time, but glad that he made it back home safe. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Don't worry that the first half of this movie may be "the tip of the iceberg", it's the whole iceberg! No one recruit saw everything portrayed but we all saw some of it. After boot camp there's very varied experiences for Marines but boot camp is very much a structured, focused environment portrayed well here (except Joker mouthing off on-line and killing the drill instructors. I believe these would be once in a VERY long while). Semper Fi...
Here's a connection for you - I know you've seen The Thing, and you know Kurt Russell's MacReady is the central character. Mac was written as a Vietnam vet and had big trouble adjusting to civilian life when he returned. You would have seen that he was an alcoholic and definitely preferred his own company
.... aanndd just about the whole film was shot in the UK. The sniper scene was a derelict gasworks outside of London
Ah that makes a lot of sense! I can see why he just wants to get away from everything and be somewhere more isolated. Such a great character brought to life by a great actor.
Nice! I love the abandoned buildings and how it felt almost post-apocalyptic at times.
This movie is iconic but so intense (at least the first part). Classic and highly quotable. Got into this movie in my teens 'cuz of my brothers who love these films.
I'm from a family who has served in teh military for over 200 years. I always liked how they shaved their hair in the beginning. It makes them on the same level!
Even though I completely sympathize with "Gomer Pyle", I always get a laugh out of 11:55. Shit just looks silly. 😂
I was in my twenties when that film was first released. I thought it was pretty cool , back then. Still here for it today. I enjoyed your reactions to it. They were very much like my own, the first time around. Liking your style, dude. Your fu*king funny as h*ll, bruh. Big shoutout from this old, longhaired, wild eyed, Southern boy in the mountains of East Tennessee. I hit the sub, black bell, and like buttons for ya, and here's my little comment to help out a bit. Peace and love to you and yours. If you have not seen them already maybe you should check these out: "Un-Common Valor", "Born On The Fourth Of July" and "Platoon". These are the same genre. And shot in the same time period. Take it easy. Catch you on the next. Later, man..
Thank you so much, and the support and words of encouragement really means a lot to me!! I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction. I have "Born on the 4th of July" on my list and will be adding Un-common Valor as well. Oh and I did react to "Platoon" about a month and a half ago. Wish you all the best as well!
Normally I don't subscribe to channels that have a smaller screen for the movie because it's hard to see on the phone, but your commentary was so insightful and entertaining I did anyways. BUT.. maybe you could consider changing that in editing for the future. Anyways, totally enjoyed this awesome reaction to such a great movie. 😎👍🙏
Thanks so much for subscribing! And yeah I'm definitely looking into other forms of editing. I noticed some reactors have a set up where they have themselves in a corner and when they speak and give commentary it zooms in on them and hides the film for a few seconds. I'm going to try a few different things to see what works though. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 That's awesome, good luck with it and I look forward to seeing your stuff. 😎
Private Pyle is a character impossible to not feel in his shoes.
Agreed! I believe he never should've been there. But if he was drafted then he should've been discharged earlier. His descent into madness is tragic and spine chilling. Thanks for watching and commenting!
At 23:11 of the reaction you can see that Pyle changed mags and left rounds in the mag
You must remember this is a Stanley Brubeck production, he was an antimilitary and antiwar activist during that war. He enjoyed putting the military in bad light with his movies.
Kubrik*. There wasn't much bias in this movie tho... it is insanely accurate.
Yes! 2 Live Crew got "Me so horny" from this movie. Including Joker saying "What do we get for ten dollars?", and her saying "Everything you want"
LOL! Man those lines are classic! Just perfect for a raunchy and fun song haha
@@jessebatres6895 That whole album is funny. I would file it more under COMEDY than RAP.
your wrong with your comment here saying 2 live crew got me so horny from the movie full metal jacket. me so horny by 2 live crew came out in the 1980s and its clear the movie full metal jacket came out much later in the 80s . correct me if i am wrong
@@tiffanyokeefe NOPE. Let's look it up. What year did Full Metal Jacket come out? IMDB says July 10, 1987. OK, "Me so horny" was the 1st track off of 2 Live Crew's "As nasty as they wanna be" record. Let's look it up. Wikipedia says that it was recorded in 1988, and released on February 7, 1989. So, where exactly am I wrong?
Oh ok and I stand corrected then
Thank you for not censoring the awesome script. There are a few movies that should have their script left unaltered. FMJ and pulp fiction are two of those movies
Yeah the dialogue in this film is just way too good! You can't really exclude anything, because it helps push the story forward. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
As far as movies go The Big Red One (1980) has always been one of my favorite war movies.
The director's cut is fucking awesome
Awesome! I'm going to have to look this one up. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
The actor playing the full instructor actually was one for Vietnam
Yeah I did some reading on his military career, which is pretty impressive. It's like he wasn't even acting because he lived that life. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Joker was absolutely being a troll to the interviewers.
Yeah even to Hartman at the start when he says why he's there "Sir, to kill sir". Or when Hartman says to him "You're not a writer. You're a killer" and Joker responds with "A Killer. Yes Sir!" Thanks for watching and commenting!
Dude, you had some serious visceral reactions to some of those scenes.That makes for good reactions, I wish you well in the channels future.
Thanks a lot! Yeah it was difficult and at times gut wrenching to watch. An incredible film that I will definitely watch again because it's just so well made. And thank you for wishing me well, I really appreciate the support! :)
Winning hearts and minds and winning the war. Both good things
Same thought. He should have seized the weapon while Pyle was loading his magazine.
Exactly! I understand being frozen at first, but after having a few seconds to analyze the situation I figured he would've charged him when he saw him loading the magazine.
@@jessebatres6895 Yes, but that's the movie plot, I suppose.
That beating was important for Pyle. It did help him he just couldn't see the big picture and lost it
Your idea of help is disturbing.
@@jamestaylor3805 you probably needed one in your life
Just noticed the hair on the night before graduation. By the time we graduated we had 3rd phase hair. Just a shade shorter than yours lol
One important aspect of Pvt. Pyle is that he is representative of "McNamara's Misfits". It was a military recruitment program that allowed in people who were not mentally fit to be recruited. I believe the actual name for this policy was "Project 100,000".
R. Lee Emery was hired to be a technical advisor. What I have read is that he didn't think the actor was capable of pulling off the role of a Drill Instructor. Not sure if this part is true, but it was said that Kubrick and an assistant hurled tennis balls and oranges at Emery while he shouted insults for around 10 minutes, not repeating himself once.
Also, Vincent D'Onofrio might have been actually exhausted in the running scene as Kubrick was infamous for demanding multiple takes for scenes.
I touched a bit on Pyle possibly being one of "McNamara's Misfits" at the end of the video. And correct it's Project 100,000. I read up on it a little more yesterday and it's crazy to learn about this initiative, which was obviously not successful.
Dude if that's true than man what a great casting change to this guy. I mean I'm sure the original actor would've done a good job and it sucks that he lost the role, but this guy was perfect for it.
I've also heard that Kubrick would easily do 50+ takes some times. That would be exhausting just going through a scene where you just sit and talk, imagine doing that while running.
@@jessebatres6895 R. Lee Ermy was an actual Drill Instructor, rather than an actor. He just brought his "real world experience" into it. Also, from what I understand about Project 100,000... is that McNamara believed that by introducing people like Pyle into the mix (the "less desirable" kind, if you take my meaning) it would save the lives of functional troops because the "less desirables" would get killed instead. That's a pretty twisted kind of logic, as well as cold and heartless.
Another movie you may like is "Heartbreak Ridge" with Clint Eastwood and Mario Van Peebles. It's more about the "Granada" incident, which was much more popular than Vietnam. Also, "Patton" with George C. Scott is a fantastic WWII movie.
For a reference, I was born in the late 1960s, and remember quite vividly watching footage coming out of Vietnam to be aired on the 6:00pm News. They didn't edit/censor things like they do now. There was no "blurring" of things too graphic to show on television. There was no warning about "don't let your kids see this" at the time. At the time, I didn't understand why the troops coming home were treated the way they were. As I grew up, and learned what actually happened over there, I understood. I came from a family that served in WWII, so I was raised with an appreciation for those who served our country. Seeing what happened with Vietnam didn't compute at the time.
I'm sure that graduation was real footage. Exactly like that. They probably just added the actors in a real graduation
I agree! It just looked really official and with the crowd there and how it was shot. Looked super real for sure.
Straight up horror movie feel when Sargeant Pyle kills himself scene
I definitely felt some horror vibes during that sequence in the bathroom!
What a great movie classic
Truly an amazing film with imagery that will always stay with me.
I entered the USMC about a year later than the Vietnam sequence of the movie. How accurate was the movie? Semi. The book the movie was adapted from was called "The Short Timers." by Gustav Hasford. I haven't read the novel, but I assume it's much like the movie, a brief "autobiographical" account that includes of inside the Corps memes. I think the Marine Corps did draft some people through the DoD's Project 100,000 which was the effort to include lower IQ individuals through the draft. We had a III MAF brig populated by some them in Vietnam with some IQs as low as 60, a highly functioning, mentally disabled person. It's not clear to me whether those people were drafted, or the recruiters simply looked the other way and filled their quotas with nice warm bodies. The Marine Recruiter was hard pressed to make his quota after 3 years of US involvement in the War, and quota was everything. The Corps didn't use a lot of draftee's, the official figure is about 5%. As far as things that weren't real life: there are a lot of them. For instance, I never, ever saw a jelly donut in any Marine Corps mess during my entire time in. Recruit mess certainly would have any. In fact, I don't recall seeing any jelly donuts (I was raised in N. Texas, BTW half the USMC is from Texas, the Steers and Queers thing was repeated over and over in boot and beyond) until about sometime in the late 70s. Rifles are turned in to the Armory by the last night of boot. They don't go with a new Marine to the next duty station (which for PI would have been ITR at Geiger Point). Shooting the DI is a Marine Corps meme, I got told in boot by my DI about DI's at some unspecified location being shot by a recruit. May have happened (or not) on the rifle range, but in my day, at MCRD if a recruit had a rifle on the last night (impossible) the rifles at MCRD all were without firing pins. Firing pins were inserted then removed at the range Armory. Gunny Hartman, in the movie, had superhuman energy. In boot there were usually 3 DI's per platoon, sometimes 4, and the SDI was not there every day. A lot of days only one DI would be with the recruits, many days two, and rarely all 3 or 4. In Vietnam, Joker (Hasford) was an E-5 Sergeant, meaning it was probably the last year of his enlistment (nowadays a Marine can only make Sergeant upon re-enlisting by the normal promotion system, rank was a bit freer in wartime). I'm not sure about the PIO's writing for The Stars & Stripes. Stars and Stripes is an all branches paper, and I can't remember in my time reading it, more than a sparse hand full of stories specifically about the Corps, certainly not about small unit actions. The in the field infantry action is a little thin. Squads do not usually operate separated from the platoon (except for Recon, a Recon platoon is squad sized, but their mission is quite different from regulars). IOW, there would have been an adjacent squad to maneuver against a sniper nest or even larger force. Over all Full Metal Jacket captures the flavor of the Vietnam War and the Marines fighting it (personally, I didn't hear nearly as much "why are we here; we're not appreciated or respected" as the movie spreads it pretty thickly). We knew why we were there: we had orders, and Marines carry out the intent of the Commander. BTW the helicopter scene is bogus, not only would firing on random civilians been a war crime, but the Crew Chief of the aircraft would have never allowed such a thing. Think what would have happened if you'd diverted to a hot LZ and had wasted all your ammo on committing war crimes.
Great reaction. This is among my favorite movies of all time. Vincent D'Onofrio (Pyle) was preparing for the murder scene and was watching Lon Chaney movies who was an old horror film star. Stanley Kubrick not knowing he had been studying these films directed D'Onofrio to go full on Lon Chaney for this scene. He obviously nailed the scene. Kubrick also directed The Shining which was another all-time great films. It was very twisted and will mess with your mind. Another great film with absolutely no ties to either of these films is the Unforgiven, starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. It just doesn't get any better than this. It is a western and I don't even really like westerns, but a great film, is a great film.
Thanks so much! And yeah D'Onofrio killed this role. It was crazy to see his transformation in just that 40-45 minute span. What a talent, and that's some great insight about how he already studied what Kubrick had in mind. Thanks for sharing that!
I have both The Shining and Unforgiven on my list of films to react to. Can't wait to get to those films!
Since you've seen Platoon, a logical follow-up would be Born on the Fourth of July. Both Vietnam-related flicks directed by Oliver Stone, both based on true stories. Tom Cruise instead of Charlie sheen in the starring role; but Berenger, Dafoe and a number of other actors are back, playing different characters. Stone is like James Cameron... he re-uses the people he likes.
It's been done for years and years. Directors will work with the same people both in front of the camera and behind it. It's mostly because they get comfortable with certain actors and people and it makes working easier. It's also done to take care of friends in the industry. You see a big name actor surrounded by the same people in many films.
It's definitely on my list of war films, and I think it's going to be my next one. Awesome to hear that Dafoe plays a role in that as well! Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 I saw, I think it was in your Platoon comments rather than here, that you had a Marine recruiter come to your high school and he nearly got you in. That being the case, Berenger's character in this next film might give you flashbacks.
Great Film
Definitely is! :)
It's a little maddening how he talked over a lot of Sgt. Hartman's best lines to Pyle during the training and obstacles. I understand his empathy, but c'mon, it's a movie.
I've met a lot of people who did not like the last scene where they were marching and singing the micky mouse song, but one thing alot of people forget is alot of marines and soldiers are 18 fresh out of high school, Adults on paper only.
My time in the Army only showed me how wrong it is to throw away lives that have only just begun and expect them to integrate back into normal life as if nothing happened. The military can help some, but it harms far more.
That's a great point! The majority of these guys are just out of high school, and there's really no way to "behave appropriately" in this situation.
Joker just killed the sniper and saw his close friend die, yet he's marching and singing because for one (he's young) and two (I believe they're becoming more desensitized to this "hell"). Just an amazing film with some powerful imagery!
I just realized that donut killed Hartman and Pyle. I think had Pyle made it through he might have gotten killed in Vietnam and maybe gotten others killed, but Hartman would have lived.
I just noticed they said good night sir instead of sir goodnight sir. Anyone else catch tbat.
Im sure other have mentioned that R Lee Ermey was a real Marine D.I. He was actually a really cool person in real life. But you know what they say.. Once A Marine, Always A Marine. And when that uniform goes on, the first and last words outta your filthy sewer better be SIR! RIP R Lee Ermey
The movie was filmed in England using abandoned buildings and bringing in palm trees to look like the terrain of southeast Asia.
Nice! It looked so good throughout that third act of the film. The image I typically think of for the Vietnam war is the jungle terrain, but it was awesome to see them in this other environment. Thank you so much for the insight on this :)
I think it was the city of Hue Vietnam that was depicted in this movie. That was the only major urban type battle I remember hearing about back then. I remember the news teams interviewing soldiers during fire fights and showing them on the CBS evening news.
The Gomer Pyle insult came from the Gomer Pyle USMC sitcom, 1964 = 1969.
"You a f-fotographer?"
Reading this comment made me laugh my ass off more than it should've lol! I love how the actor delivered that line and the look on his face haha!!
The whole film was filmed in England.
Drill Instructor. Drill Sargeant is an army term.
They played this amazing movie on my bus ride to Marine Corps Boot Camp in 2007 lmao Semper Fi.
Was that in San Diego or Paris Island?
That's hilarious. That's like showing Final Destination on a plane.
Oh hell yeah!!! Glad to know you made it back home safe!
@@Technerd17 SD
Joker was put out by the killing of women and children and by the end of the film he ends up killing the sniper, which is what she was.
Marine Corps has Drill Instructors, not Drill Sergeants. The stuff he says is a skill to be that quick. The actor was a Marine Corps drill instructor, so he probably had these insults in his toolbox. When I was a drill sergeant in the Army, I had certain things I would say, but nowadays, the military wouldn't be okay with insulting, denigrating, and abusing recruits like this. There are better ways to train them.
A lot of the Gunny's dialogue actually came straight from the book. The movie uses a lot more of the book than Kubrick usually did.
I've been watching some drill instructor/sergeant vids online and it blows my mind how those guys have the capacity to do what they do. It does look like the insults are held back a bit or not to the degree as seen in this film. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I keep being surprised by how insane Vietnam was in every way. The biggest enemy of American troops was their own generals, who were trying to turn combat into a production line with kill quotas that just made lower officers lie. It was the ultimate realization of Eisenhower's warning about the military industrial complex. There was no reason for it, no plan during it, and no help after it.
Non of sgt. Hartmans lines where written. He was a real drill sgt and he just ad libbed and let him say whatever he said. Lol
Fucking incredible! That man was born to play that part. It blows my mind how he came up with all of those hilarious lines that make sense for the setting they're in. lol!
Marine Corps Drill Instructor. The Army has Drill Sargents.
Thanks for letting me know. This will help, especially for future film reactions that involve either the marines or Army.
Oh boy...welcome to the Kubrick insanity version of Vietnam...it definitely makes an impression, doesn't it?
I see that others have mentioned this, but I wanted to add more detail if I could...I have never seen it specifically stated by Kubrick anywhere, but Private Pyle is a clear representation of a real program that the Defense Department ran in the 1960s. It was called "Project 100,000" and it was a test to see whether the mental and physical parameters for serving in the US military could be widened to make the pool of potential service people larger. Between escalation in Vietnam and all the other military commitments of the Cold War in those days, the military was concerned about a shortage of people to serve. So they started testing whether recruits who were normally just a bit below the normal standard for IQ, or emotional stability, or physical fitness could be turned into effective military personnel. The same program probably would have led to Forrest Gump being recruited and serving in Vietnam. The program had various nicknames including "McNamara's Misfits" and "McNamara's Morons" in honor of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
Yeah it sure as hell did make an impression! And I did briefly mention at the end of the vid that Leonard/Pyle was like part of "Project 100,000", however I came to learn about it a few months ago as the more degrading name of the "Moron Corps". It baffles me how this program was approved and how they went about putting it into practice. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 It actually makes a lot of sense. In the 1960s, there was a widespread belief that new developments in science would be like magic bullets to solve problems. The program was adopted because it interested a wide array of powerful people who all had their own ideas about what it could do. The military was generally having trouble keeping up with the manpower demands of Vietnam on top of the Cold War and other needs, and at the DoD many thought that science could allow the military's training to overcome a wider array of deficiencies in the pool of manpower they drew from.
In a way, it was another example of a group of humans thinking that they had come up with a way to "make humans better", and thus to solve many of the problems that come from people being people...as always, they were wrong.
To contrast check out HEARTBREAK RIDGE with Clint Eastwood USMC in 80s instead of 60d. Mote lighter but still great action with some ju.or thrown in
2 Live Crew, Yep
When I was in the South African Army in 1976, I fucked up and the training officer (a corporal) tried to turn the platoon against me. Many of the platoon wanted to beat me up but there was a hard core of about 10 guys who were prepared to defend me, even showing the other guys bayonets. Epic fail for the corporal
Oh dude that's fucking awful that someone would try to throw you under the bus like that. I swear some people have no decency or honor. I'm glad you had a good amount of buddies there to have your back. Fuck that corporal! 💪
Fyi he was a drill seargent in the marines
Try Empire Of The Sun 1987…(Christian Bale, John Malcovich)
Nice! I'm adding that to my list of war films. Thanks for the recommendation!
Me love you long time - yes, this is where it is from!
Haha! I wish I could see the table read of this and see the actors laugh there asses off 😂
Thank you so much for watching! Please consider subscribing to the channel. What are some of your favorite war or military films? A few on my list to react to are Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge, A Few Good Men, Born on the 4th of July, etc.
@@jessebatres6895 I also recommend Crimson Tide
Glory
Awesome! It's on my list as well :)
lots of people think the soldiers in vietnam were all killing civilians because of this crap in the movies. NOT TRUE!! I never did no one in my platoon did and I never heard of it happening in my division. I was in the 101st and they were very strick about who was killed why and how. If prisoners were turned in with parts missing they wanted to know how that happened. I am well aware that some of this did happen in vietnam . but it was a very small amount of incidents. Also bear in mind that a lot of so called civilians where helping our enemies to hurt and kill us.
I was station in Korea and their military is a lot like that may be even worse!!!
You excited to see the movie Haywire with Gina Carano?
The VC would hide in the villages and pretend to be civilians, or they would force the villagers to inform on the movements of the US soldiers. This is why they didn't trust the civilians and some dudes snapped and would just shoot them.
True! I think Platoon highlighted these kinds of instances and how some of the men could take things to the next level because they aren't sure who is VC or not. It's really tragic all the way around. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Areas of South Vietnam were honey combed with tunnels and tunnel complexes that had everything. Even hospitals. Tunnel rats would be guys with pistols and a flashlight to go in and clear them out.
React to Heartbreak Ridge 1986 starring Clint Eastwood.
Today's snowflakes need to attend a training like this!
Unless I slept through it, we had no blanket party when I was in, but we heard of them. Walking fire watch I heard some dumb crap but not that
Yeah I was always curious if that might've been common, but based on your feedback and feedback from others it does sound like it was more of a rare occurrence.
Bedford TX in the house!!lol
Nice man! I'm just across the way in Flower Mound. Apparently, we're either "steers or queers" lol!!
@@jessebatres6895 That always cracks me up!!😂😂😂
Yes, at 28:38, this is where the 2 Live Crew song "Me So Horny" came from 😂😂😂
Lol! I always thought it was just something that came to fruition directly from a song haha!
@@jessebatres6895 I'm actually shocked you know that song, you look too young 🤣
I played that raunchy part during a college class lol! - So we had presentations to give and a friend of mine was extremely nervous so I told her that if she starts going blank or messing up that I would blast this in class. She was doing good at first and then she started messing up, so I blasted it on my phone and everyone turns my way and just start losing their shit laughing. It basically allowed her time to gather herself and shifted the focus to my dumbass for a bit. She then finished her presentation flawlessly lol!
We currently have a volunteer army. During this war the US was desperate for "bodies". Yes McNamara's Morons was a real thing, but don't forget during this time there was a draft. People were called to be in the service - mostly Army, but some were also drafted into the Marines. Some have suggested Leonard should have just gotten out. He couldn't. He was probably drafted and was not there of his choice. At that point he was defiantly in a "world of shit"
True! Yeah I agree that Leonard must've been drafted, and there was almost no way out for him. I've been reading more about McNamara's Morons and how the fatality rate for them was about 3 times higher, just terrible to think about that.
If you want a better understanding of life in the Vietnam war you should probably watch Hamburger Hill.
Awesome! I'm adding this one to my list of war films. Thanks so much!!
Oh your god? To which god are you constantly referring?
Gotta' love the Gunny... After Boot Camp the movie was strictly Hollywood bullshit.
Spoiler. Its a really good movie
Notice the burning Monolith in the background around the scene when Cowboy gets shot.
Rafterman wasn't celebrating, that was extreme nervous tension being released and probably the shock of actually killing someone fornthe first time and at close range.
Pyle might have been one of "McNamara's Morons". Project 100,000 was a program that tried putting people too "slow" through special training to try to increase numbers. It didn't work. What might have worked was descreasing all the exemptions and such so a higher caliber of people could have been eligible for the draft.
About Rafterman... All this time, I thought the character's name was Raptor Man. Been thinking that for decades. Apparently not.
Dude that makes that Rafterman was release nervous tension. I thought it was a bit odd for his character to behave that way, but there's involuntary reflexes that must happen during such insane situations.
I mentioned "McNamara's Morons" at the end of the reaction. I came to learn about it first as the "Moron Corps". I feel bad that these guys were put in a deadly situation and didn't have the mental or physical capacity required to deal with such high stress and life threatening events.
During the sixties, the military was drafting anybody they could get. They weren't as picky and selective as they are now.
It's scary how so many young guys, that just weren't qualified, were put in that high stress and dangerous situation.
Did he shoot the SGT? Or was it Jokers dream/nightmare?
Definitely not a dream. The scenery and music does almost give off a nightmarish feel though. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm at about the 30 minute mark and I have to stop and comment about this string of staggeringly obvious observations you're making. "So, people die and you just, move on to the next thing?" Yeah. It's called "life". I'm not trying to be a dick, but it's like you've just discovered all these points just during this movie. I keep hearing how emotionally unprepared your generation is. It's not really true, is it? P.S. 30:30 Yeah, just like that.
SINCE IT IS 3 DAYZ HENCE ONLY. I AM A MARINE. IN 0CT 8, 1981, 18yrz OLD WEST SAN JO, CALI. GREW UP IN THE BAY AREA. WAS THERE VIETNAM THE SURRENDER, THE RE POPULATION. SAN JO, BAY AREA HAD AN HONORABLE, AND GOOD INFLUX OF H'MONG, AND VIETNAMESE FOLX. TEXAS......MINNESOTA. ASK THEM. DO THEY DIG THE UNITED STATES? DO THE OVERLAP BEING SOUTHEAST ASIAN MOUNTAIN PEOPLE, OR VALLEY KOOKS OF THE ANCIENT, AND NOBLE CULTURE OF VIETNAM? NOT WITHIN, BUT DAMN DUDE......BEATS COMMUNISM, OR POL POT!!!!! READ A BOOK ON HISTORY, READ A BOOK ON THE FUTURE, READ SOME HUMAN, NOT GODS', YET, HUMAN NATURE. THEN YOU MAY GET IT!!!!
COULD JOIN THE CORPS, TOMORROW.......UH HUH.
Ruined it, your talking over the insults smh
This is exactly how it was when I went through basic training, before wokeness invaded the military
Nice! Thank you for your service. Honestly, I think a more intense training (what you experienced) is the way to go because you have to be prepared and really put through the ringer before encountering the real thing when overseas. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@jessebatres6895 exactly, and I was deployed and thankfully the military made me “hard” that training is what got me home safe. 🙏
I'm new to your channel but another top notch reaction! I felt that. Greetings from London, England
If you haven't already, please react to "Nope". Would like to hear your analysis of that one.
🤓🇬🇧
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction and that it resonated with you :) "Nope" is on my list of films to react to by the way. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Another one that edits the intro so badly that it becomes pathetic. I stopped watching after that.... This is ridiculous
Always terrifies me how people think the opening sequence is so funny, and how SDI Hartman is just cranking off one-liners for comedic effect for the audience. Recruit training at Parris Island in the mid-1960's was like that..only worse. Even in the 1980's when I went to MCRD, the verbal abuse and mind games was nearly constant.
The gunner on the chopper is pure fiction it would never have been allowed. It's just part of the anti -war message of the film
I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure maybe one guy who was too far gone might've thought about doing that, but I don't think the pilots and others there would allow it to happen.
I think the comment about Texas steers and queers was meant for Austin.
HAHAHA! I think you might be on to something. I'm in the DFW area 👍
If you go back to WWII. The Germans used old men, women, and children for combat. The Vietnamese did the same thing.
As well as IsIs, the Taliban, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Even The Hamas do it.
True! I believe there was the Hitler Youth, which included young kids. Man when it's war in your own land, I guess eventually it's all hands on deck.