Full Metal Jacket - Scene analysis

Joker & Pyle


In the scenes where Joker assists Pyle, we as the spectator are constantly reminded of Pyle's incapabilities and how he is shown to be becoming a burden on the group.

During the training montage, we see just how reliant on Joker Pyle is, as they are running in a pair with Joker just about holding Pyle up. This responsibility held by Joker restricts his own alignment with the group as he is paired with someone so isolated from the core ethos that he too is limited. Furthermore in this scene, Hartman carries Pyle's gun, therefore removing his identity as a soldier, as the gun is so symbolic of the soldier and their identity and alignment with the group ethos. The fact that Joker still has his gun suggests that even though he is not actually with the group, he is with Pyle, he still falls within the group ethos and keeps his identity as a soldier, something Pyle doesn't do.

The scene where the group is running through the mud is shown through a wide shot, thus presenting the group as one unit. However, this unity is disrupted when Pyle falls down, leading to a domino effect of the rest of the group falling down too. This illustrates how much of a threat Pyle is to the group, as when he fails, the rest are punished, something exemplified in the 'jelly donut' scene.
As a spectator, we share in their punishment by viewing the experience. We too align with the group, and therefore find it difficult to align with Pyle as he is constantly bringing the group to a standstill in with his actions.

When Joker is helping Pyle get dressed, Pyle addresses how everyone hates him, something Joker eventually denies. However, Joker acknowledges the fact that Pyle keeps 'making mistakes and getting everyone in trouble', thus cementing Pyle's position as a burden to the group. Pyle's reaction to this is one that suggests he is all too aware of this and he is trying, saying he 'just needs help'. This scene illustrates why Pyle struggles so much, as the Marine ethos is to be one big group of equals, not individuals, and this will never be achieved whilst Pyle needs help with every task that the other soldiers can do on their own. Through his need for help, Pyle is being highlighted as an individual and is denied the possibility of ever aligning with the group, reinforced by Joker calling him 'Leonard' and not 'Pyle'.

Overall, Pyle's scenes with Joker illustrate how he is constantly singled out by both Hartman, and the camera thus the spectator, showing his weaknesses as well as the reactions of other soldiers when he fails. Both the characters and the spectator see him as a threat to the group ethos, and although Hartman singles him out to be helped by Joker to combat this issue, it only makes it worse as he is seen as even more of an individual and even more isolated than he initially was. The group itself works much better when Pyle is singled out, but when he is brought back into the group, the unity is once again disrupted. Therefore, we recognise that the only way that total group unity and ethos will be achieved is if Pyle was no longer in the picture.