“THE HIDDEN HAND”
An in-depth analysis of
Stanley Kubrick’s
FULL METAL JACKET
© by Rob Ager June 2008
6) Cleaning the head
In the opening montage, the recruits look miserable as their heads are shaved in preparation for the intense psychological surgery about to follow. Joker and Pyle on the other hand, both have smug grins on their faces and it is they who turn out to be the most resistant to Hartman’s training methods.
The shaving of heads is a first step in eradicating each recruits sense of individuality. Along with their matching garments, uniforms, bunks and rifles this makes the recruits look almost identical. Kubrick addresses this theme in the first few shots. When Hartman gives his introductory speech the camera makes almost a full pass around the barracks so that we see most of the recruits. Pay attention to the positions of Joker, Cowboy and Pyle. When the shot cuts to Joker muttering his John Wayne comment, they have all changed positions in relation to each other. This confusion of identity is also weaved into Jokers one liner: “Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?”
In many ways the recruits identities become interchangeable during training. In most shots, all of the recruits on screen are kept in focus. Joker, Pyle and Cowboy are shown simultaneously swinging their way across an obstacle in slow motion, as if they are merely three facets of the same mind. Joker and Cowboy’s discussion in the toilets is filmed with the screen symmetrically aligned on either side, as if just one character is talking to his own mirror image – Joker and cowboy are also the only two recruits who wear glasses.
Another metaphor is that the toilets are referred to and even labeled as “the head”, a marine term, which Kubrick has included in FMJ as a symbol of the mind. In the toilets the internal conflicts of the recruits are visually played out. Here characters cease to be physical individuals and become facets of the platoons collective mind.
Thought of in these terms, Pyle represents the infantile innocence of the group, Joker represents compassionate femininity, Hartman represents all things masculine, and Cowboy seems to represent the weak minded who are easily lead. Note that, when in Vietnam, a slogan on the back of Cowboys helmet simply says “I’m short”, while Jokers confident individuality is reflected in his taller stature. On the other hand Private Snowball is short like Cowboy. He shouts with more vigour than the other recruits, but his shorter height may be representing a diminished stature based upon Hartman’s subtle racism.
So the conflict of wills between Hartman, Pyle, Joker, Cowboy and Snowball is symbolic of the overall brainwashing process experienced by the entire platoon. This is why Joker, Pyle and Cowboy seem to be positioned closest to the camera in virtually all of the marching and training footage. It is kept ambiguous as to whose thought processes are being played out in which scenes because that is the purpose of military training – to eradicate each recruits sense of self, leaving them to identify only with the corps. This explains Kubrick’s choice to portray the vast majority of these recruits without dialogue or distinguishing features.They are conveyer belt clones of each other. They are mirror images.
Combining this with the toilet as a “head” space, Pyle’s suicide and murder of Hartman acquires a different meaning. The scene is symbolic of Jokers internal conflict. Hartman has tried to break him down mentally, but he has consistently shown himself to be too intelligent. His choice to pursue military journalism instead of a combat role proves that he has resisted the brainwashing, and when Hartman questions this Joker recalls his memories of writing for his high school newspaper. In other words, the identity he had before training is untarnished. When Hartman tells him: “You’re not a writer, you’re a killer”, Joker placates him in response: “A killer, yes sir”. Quite simply Joker has been falsely telling Hartman what he wanted to hear through the entire 8 weeks of training.
Given that neither Joker or Cowboy mention a single word about Hartman’s death or Pyle’s suicide for the rest of the movie, it’s a pretty good bet that the conflict in the toilets was a metaphor of Jokers resistance to brainwashing, in which his innocence (Pyle) has been destroyed, but not before the eradication of the masculine (Hartman) that the Corps was trying to install in him. After the conflict Joker is left as the compassionate person he was to begin with. Hartman’s dialogue offers a clue as to the psychological nature of this struggle: “What the hell are you animals doing in my head!”
The whole scene appears to be played out as an actual nightmare. There are four night scenes during the training section of FMJ. The beating of Pyle with soap bars and his suicide in the toilets both feature a dream-like blue lighting. They were also accompanied by the same minimalist piece of music, which if you listen carefully, sounds like slow rhythmic breathing – as if Joker the narrator is fast asleep. Compare these factors with a different night scene. A shot of the barracks begins in total darkness. We see lights flicker on and light up the set as Hartman and his fellow instructors enter and start yelling people out of bed. Where was the blue light?
These lighting and music differences between night scenes clearly differentiate that Pyle’s beating and subsequent suicide are actually dream sequences. They never really happened. This is why Joker and Cowboy never mention Hartman or Pyle while in Vietnam.
There are other details that support this dream sequence interpretation. After Pyle takes a beating Cowboy tells him: “Remember it’s just a bad dream fat boy”. In the second dream, why does Joker listen at Hartman’s door? Why does he enter the toilet and how did Pyle get in their without being seen or heard if joker was on night watch? Some reviewers have also pointed out that when Pyle shoots himself, there is no muzzle flash and no smoke from the barrel. Also when he shoots Hartman, the spurt of blood from the drill instructors chest isn’t very convincing. And shouldn’t the bullet exit from Hartman’s back then embed in the wall? And for a really peculiar detail, why is Hartman wearing his hat if he’s just been woken up?
I’d also like to note here that the kind of beating Pyle takes in the first dream sequence actually does occur in some military training institutions. It’s called a blanket party.
Kubrick undoubtedly disapproved of the brainwashing tactics used in military training. The crushing of free will and personal identity through what basically amounts to physical and emotional torture is communicated in other ways.
The slogans that Hartman has his recruits yell over and over are effective because people will believe almost anything if it is repeated enough times and with enough vigor, especially if they’re in a state of exhaustion. “I love working for Uncle Sam. Let’s me know just who I am.”
The almost complete absence of social conversation or leisure time shown in Hartman’s moulding of the group is an assertion of his absolute control of their existence. Hartman is like a God, pacing around with the barracks with our point of view obeying his every move.
All four of the recruits who have dialogue are even renamed, such is the extent of his attack on their identities. Joker’s retained identity is shown in that his name is printed on his shirt as he helps Pyle to overcome his fear of heights. He also fails a pull up for the corps when it is requested of him. He is literally a Private Joker and feeds lies not just to Hartman, but also to we the audience in his monotone narration: “The marine corps does not want robots …” Of course they do and Joker knows it.
A key moment between Joker and Hartman is when Joker is asked if he believes in the virgin Mary. For some reason he answers honestly: “sir, no sir”. Up until this point Hartman has been walking around with a baton in his right hand, clanging it against a steel garbage can. When Joker confirms his “no sir” response, Hartman strikes him in the face … with his right hand, which is now empty. We did not see or hear the baton fall to the ground and the unrealistic sound effect of the slap implies that he has metaphorically used the baton to strike Joker. In fact if we go back to the very first incident, when Joker was struck in the stomach for his John Wayne comment, we find again that Hartman’s hand movement implies that he is holding an imaginary baton.
In the script several scenes that did not make it into the final film show an even harsher side to Hartman.
The extent of Jokers rebellion against his superiors also goes much further in the script. While being harassed by the Colonel at the mass grave about his peace button he narrates: “I hold the salute until the Colonel returns it, plus a couple of extra seconds to identify the colonel as an officer to any snipers in the area.”