FMJ - Initial Responses

I believe Full Metal Jacket to be about the duality of man. The belief that a man can perform an evil action for the greater good. The scene I am analysing for this ethos is when Joker and Cowboy are reunited in Vietnam. The scene starts quite innocent and uplifting, upbeat music plays while the duo hug and excitedly chat. This gives a completely different expectation of the scene than what actually happens, it break conventions. After this Cowboy introduces Joker and Rafterman to his platoon. 

Animal Mother walks over and has a verbal battle with Cowboy, the two trade insults, it is at this point that we can tell that Animal Mother is a man made for war, he stared unblinkingly at Cowboy, while clutching a machine gun, despite them not being in combat. This is further cemented by when eight-ball says "Believe it or not, under fire Animal Mothers one of the finest human beings in the world, he just needs someone to throw hand grenades at him for the rest of his life". This shows the duality of man by showing this man who had been dehumanised to the point when war is all he knows, but it is done so that he can fight for his side in the war. Arguably, doing something evil for the greater good. 

After this we are introduced to Doc-J, who tells Rafterman to take a picture of his "friend", of course we learn that it is a dead NVA soldier. Doc-J then goes on the explain that he "loves the commie bastards", and refers to the war as "great days". He then describes the US in Vietnam as "Jolly Green giants walking the earth with guns".  This segment shows the duality of man, as at the beginning of the scene, things are very upbeat and friendly, however this part, the music is still playing, while we are watching Doc-J talk about a corpse like it is his friend, we see the soldiers change from regular people to twisted monsters just in the space of a few seconds.

 These soldiers are arguably "fighting the good fight" yet perform twisted and inhuman actions such as this. The way in which Doc-J talks as well is so calm, yet to disturbing. He talks about the corpse as if it is nothing, he is so desensitised that he can talk about someone he (probably) killed with ease and even stay by their corpse. Again showing that these men are being turned into monsters, but arguably for the greater good.