“THE HIDDEN HAND”
An in-depth analysis of
Stanley Kubrick’s
FULL METAL JACKET
© by Rob Ager June 2008
The video version of this analysis is available on the
Kubrick Decoded: Volume 2 DVD set - see products page
Contents
1) First impressions
2) The performance of duty
3) Cowboys and Indians
4) Equally worthless
5) Women and children
6) Cleaning the head (update added 22nd Feb 2012)
7) God’s will
8) M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
9) The illusive enemy
10) Ghosts on the battlefield
11) Shoot me
12) Spree killers
13) Hell on Earth
14) The illusive self
15) Where's the sniper?
16) The hidden hand
17) Reading the signs
18) I will teach you by the numbers
19) If this were real I'd be scared
20) Final thoughtsA copy of the 1985 Full Metal Jacket script, extensively referenced in this article, can be downloaded here.