We continue our Million Dollar Matinees with Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket as we near the finish line on our Kubrick Kaleidoscope series.

Kubrick spent 5+ years developing then shooting this stunningly brutal yet very idiosynchratic take on the Vietnam war.

The movie, like many mid-late period Kubrick pictures, is divided into roughly two halfs. The first half of the movie follows young draftees and enlisted men through the boot camp experience prior to being shipped out to Vietnam.

The experience is so relenting and unforgiving that one private in particular, nicknamed Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onfrio in a stunning performance), isn't able to mentally cope with the bullying and slowly loses his mind.

The others are then shipped out to Vietnam and the second half of the movie follows Private Joker (Matthew Modine) as he tries to retain his humanity and perspective. It's hard amidst the absurdity of the top military brass, the day to day wholesale killing, and finally a stunning final sequence during the Tet Offensive in which Private Joker's platoon is targeted by an unseen assassin and get picked off one by one.

Like all Kubrick movies, there is a particularly stunning subtext here about the inherent dual nature of man. On one hand, mankind DOES strive to become something more than just another predatory animal. On the other hand, mankind is possibly the worst predator and killer on the planet.

Come join us to watch this stunning late period Kubrick movie on 35mm in a movie palace.