Analysis: The meaning of Full Metal Jacket is that human beings are divided between their animal desires and their rational minds.
Examples that support this Full Metal Jacket analysis:
The Divided Screens
– The cadets are on one side, while the Sergeant is on the other, symbolizing the undisciplined versus the disciplined
– Even as they march, this division exists
– The obstacle courses represent this as well
– The entire movie is broken up into two parts, each ending in death, but in the first part, the death is animalistic, while in the second part, the death is a result of reasoning
The Division of War
– The killing of civilians shows how war is more animalistic than rational
– The interviews show how the U.S. side talks about how there is a lack of reason
– The newspaper editor wants to report news that supports morale instead of reporting the truth
– The title of the film, “Full Metal Jacket,” could be interpreted as the division that a human must take on when at war
Animal desires versus rational mind
– Bargaining with the prostitutes
– The character, Animal, acts against the rational orders
– “Born to Kill” versus the Peace symbol summarizes the film nicely
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