The unlikely actor Stanley Kubrick praised as a “genius”
Throughout his illustrious career, Stanley Kubrick consistently showcased his mastery as one of the greatest auteurs in bringing period pieces to life. From Paths of Glory, Spartacus, and Barry Lyndon, Kubrick’s ability to recreate historical epochs with stunning realism was unparalleled. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is that he accomplished this feat long before the advent of CGI, which revolutionised the film industry.
One of Kubrick’s most acclaimed films, 1987’s Full Metal Jacket, is noteworthy in his filmography for its portrayal of the Vietnam War. What makes it particularly remarkable is that the majority of the movie was actually shot on the banks of the River Thames, including locations such as London’s Millennium Mills and Beckton Gas Works. These settings, situated in the post-industrial landscapes of London, offered a stark contrast to the real-life Vietnamese cities of Da Nang and Huế depicted in the film.
While the weather-beaten shoreline of east London might have been much different from the war-affected Vietnamese cities, Kubrick knew he had found the perfect place to bring his readings to life, as they offered a blackly grotesque means of telling his story and commenting on the futility of conflict.
However, in a masterstroke, Kubrick would prompt realism differently. He hired extras from the local Vietnamese community, with the lead roles then cast from videotaped auditions. Notably, one of these was the then-unknown Vincent D’Onofrio, better known to fans as Private Pyle. However, the most significant catch was R. Lee Ermey, an actual Vietnam veteran and former drill instructor, who was already working as the director’s technical advisor before he was cast to star in the movie.
Hiring Ermey came after videotaping him insulting and intimidating prospective actors, which, in true Kubrick fashion, was designed to see who would react in the most interesting ways. Witnessing such full-frontal aggression forged in the Army led to Kubrick picking Ermey to play the terrifying drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Much of the character’s dialogue was Ermey’s invention, adding a further dose of realism.
When speaking to the Washington Post in 1987 about the film, Kubrick called Ermey a “genius” for his defining addition to the project. “It was quite clear that Lee was a genius for this part,” he said. “I’ve always found that some people can act and some can’t, whether or not they’ve had training. And I suspect that being a drill instructor is, in a sense, being an actor. Because they’re saying the same things every eight weeks, to new guys, like they’re saying it for the first time – and that’s acting.”
Watch Lee Ermey’s iconic Full Metal Jacket scene below.
