The 1987 Stanley Kurbrick-directed film Full Metal Jacket cements itself as arguably one of the most famous war films of all time and, according to an expert, the film is also very accurate.
It’s not uncommon for war films to take liberties with how accurate they are. However, according to former Marine Corps officer and military expert Elliot Ackerman, Full Metal Jacket is incredibly accurate. And a video by Insider, Full Metal Jacket, scores 10/10 in accuracy in Ackerman’s opinion. Ackerman analyzed other scenes, including ones from Barry, Generation Kill, Man Down, The Marine, Jarhead, Heartbreak Ridge, Rules of Engagement, A Few Good Men, and Flags of Our Fathers. Ackerman was shown one of the film’s most infamous scenes where drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant L. Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey, tears into the recruits with a myriad of «creative» insults, among other tactics.
Ackerman attests to the scenes’ accuracy, stating, «[Actor] R. Lee Ermey was a drill instructor, so he was basically just sort of dusting off his drill instructor movers for this film. Today it isn’t quite as brutal and profanity-laced, but I can certainly imagine in 1967 that there was.»
ckerman also confirms the accuracy of the famous Rifleman’s Creed. «The Rifleman’s Creed was written during World War II, by, I believe, it was a Marine Major [who] wrote it, and that’s when it made its way into Marine recruit training. «And it’s stayed there ever since,” says Ackerman.
This perfect score, however, isn’t universal. Per ScreenRant, another expert, Military Historian, Bill Allison, felt other aspects of the film lacked accuracy in some minor aspects. While he didn’t comment on the training scenes and their accuracy, Allison felt the depiction of the Battle of Huế was somewhat inaccurate. However, while not perfect, Allison gave the film a lot of credit, stating, «Overall, Full Metal Jacket is a masterclass in big-screen realism that set a benchmark for the accuracy of war films for decades to come.»
Full Metal Jacket's Legacy
The Kubrick film not only strived for accuracy but to create a harrowing experience for audiences. Based on Gustav Hasford’s novel The Short-Timers, the film follows a platoon of U.S. Marines, starting with showing their basic training. The film’s goal was to depict the horrors of the Vietnam War with brutal realism.
Full Metal Jacket boasts a critical score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film features additional performances from Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard and Ed O’Ross.
