The Movie: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
What Is It?: Stanley
Kubrick constructs a horrifying before-and-after portrait of the military as
young recruits are turned into mindless machines of war by a cruel drill
sergeant before being set loose in Vietnam to put their programming to work. The
first half is impossible to top, but the second half ends with satisfying
dread and awesome use of "Paint It Black".
Why Today?: On
this day in 1973, Nixon announces the
end of America’s offensive action in Vietnam.
