Summary
Full Metal Jacketstar Matthew Modine slams Prime Video for editing out one poster detail. Released in 1987,Full Metal Jacketis directed by Stanley Kubrick and stars Modine as Private Joker. TheVietnam War film, which was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars, chronicles Private Joker’s journey from boot camp to being a soldier on the bloody front lines of the fight in Hue.
In a new post on X, formerly known as Twitter,Modinetakes issue with Prime Video censoring part of the poster forFull Metal Jacket. Theactor slams the streamer for removing the “Born to Kill” writing from his character’s helmeton the film’s VOD purchase tile. Check out Modine’s below:
“Who decided to remove ‘BORN TO KILL?'” asks Modine. He continues: “Not only did they alter a piece of iconic art by Philip Castle, but they completely misunderstood the point of it being there. Pvt. Joker wears the helmet with ‘BORN TO KILL’ and the peace button as a statement about ‘the duality of man.'”
Full Metal Jacket’s “Duality Of Man” Explained
The Stanley Kubrick Movie Explores Some Powerful Themes
Full Metal Jacketcontinues to be debated today, like so many ofKubrick’s films, and a scene involving the “duality of man” line is certainly among the moments that continue to generate discussion. The scene in question sees Private Joker confronted by a colonel, who questions why he has both a peace symbol pin and “born to kill” written on his helmet. Joker replies that he was “trying to suggest something about the duality of man”.
Full Metal Jacketis widely considered one of the best Vietnam War movies ever made and currently has a 90% score onRotten Tomatoes.
The exact meaning of this line and its larger thematic resonance throughout the film is never explicitly explained. Joker, however, is certainly shown to exhibit this duality throughout the movie.Full Metal Jacketis a movie very much about identity, and the entire first half of the film is about how the movie’s central characters have their identities eroded to make them more effective killing machines for their country. Joker exists somewhere on this line and is shown to be torn between holding onto his humanity and personal identity, and becoming a numb killer.
Full Metal Jacket’s ambiguous endingsees Joker confronted with the choice to shoot and kill a wounded teenage North Vietnamese sniper or leave her to suffer. He ultimately chooses to shoot her, which is seemingly the humane thing to do in that situation, but the final narration and song in the movie could be interpreted to mean that Joker has now also left behind any vestiges of his old self.Full Metal Jacketremains an interesting watch in part due to its ambiguity, and the censoring of the poster does seem like it misses a key theme of the film.
Full Metal Jacket
Cast
Full Metal Jacket, directed by Stanley Kubrick, follows U.S. Marine recruits through rigorous boot camp training and onto the battlefields of Vietnam, highlighting the war’s impact on soldiers’ psyches. Released in 1987, the film stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, and R. Lee Ermey.
