Film: FULL METAL JACKET.

Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick, Gustav Hasford, Michael Herr.

Setting the Scene: On a Parris Island Marine barracks we are introduced to recruits who stand at attention in front of their bunks. Master Gunnery Sergeant HARTMAN (R. Lee Ermey) walks along the line of blank-faced recruits, observing them before proceeding his barrage of profane verbal abuse and humiliation.

HARTMAN

I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your Senior Drill Instructor. From now on, you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be “Sir!”

Do you maggots understand that?

RECRUITS

(in unison)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! I can’t hear you. Sound off like you got a pair.

RECRUITS

(louder)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training … you will be a weapon, you will be a minister of death, praying for war. But until that day you are pukes! You’re the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human fucking beings! You are nothing but unorganised, grabasstic pieces of amphibian shit!

Because I am hard, you will not like me. But the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard, but I am fair! There is no racial bigotry here! I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless! And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved core. Do you maggots understand that?

RECRUITS

(in unison)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! I can’t hear you!

RECRUITS

(louder)

Sir, yes, sir!

[Sergeant Hartman stops in front of a

black recruit]

HARTMAN

What’s your

name, scumbag?

RECRUIT #1

(shouting)

Sir, Private Brown, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! From now on

you’re Private Snowball! Do you like that name?

SNOWBALL

(shouting)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Well, there’s one thing that you won’t like, Private Snowball! They

don’t serve fried

chicken and watermelon on a daily basis in my mess hall!

SNOWBALL

Sir, yes, sir!

[A voice is heard from the back of the barracks]

RECRUIT #2

(whispering)

Is that you, John Wayne? Is this me?

HARTMAN

Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who’s the slimy little communist, shit twinkle-toed, cocksucker down here, who just signed his own death warrant? Nobody, huh?

The fairy fucking godmother said it! Out-fucking-standing! I will P.T. you all until you fucking die!

I’ll P.T. you until your assholes are

sucking buttermilk.

[Sergeant Hartman grabs Recruit #3 by the shirt]

HARTMAN

Was it you, you scroungy little fuck, huh?!

RECRUIT #3

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

You little piece of shit!

You look like a fucking worm!

I’ll bet it was you!

RECRUIT #3

Sir, no, sir!

RECRUIT #2

Sir, I said it, sir!

[Sergeant Hartman steps up to him]

HARTMAN

Well… no shit.

What have we got here, a

fucking comedian? Private Joker? I

admire your honesty. Hell, I like you. You can come over to my house and fuck my sister.

[Sergeant Hartman punches Joker in the stomach. Joker sags to his knees]

HARTMAN

You little scumbag!

I’ve got your name! I’ve got your ass! You will not laugh!

You will not cry!

You will learn by the numbers.

I will teach you. Now get up! Get on your feet!

You had best unfuck yourself or I

will unscrew your head and shit down your neck!

JOKER

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Private Joker, why did you join

my beloved Corps?

JOKER

Sir, to kill, sir!

HARTMAN

So you’re a killer!

JOKER

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Let me see your war face!

JOKER

Sir?

HARTMAN

You’ve got a war face?

[He Screams in his face]

Aaaaaaaagh! That’s a

war face.

Now let me see your war face!

JOKER

[shouting]

Aaaaaaaagh!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! You didn’t convince me!

Let me see your real

war face!

JOKER

[Screaming]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

HARTMAN

You didn’t scare me! Work on it!

JOKER

Sir, yes, sir!

[Sergeant Hartman walks over to Recruit #3 again and speaks into his face]

HARTMAN

What’s your excuse?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, excuse for what, sir?

HARTMAN

I’m asking the fucking questions

here, Private. Do you understand?!

RECRUIT #3

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Well thank you very much! Can I be in

charge for a while?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Are you shook up? Are you nervous?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, I am, sir!

HARTMAN

Do I make you nervous?

RECRUIT #3

Sir!…

HARTMAN

Sir, what? Were you about to

call me an asshole?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

How tall are you, Private?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, five foot nine, sir!

HARTMAN

Five foot nine? I didn’t

know they stacked shit

that high! You trying to squeeze an inch in on me somewhere, huh?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, no, sir.

HARTMAN

Bullshit! It looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of your mama’s ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress! I think you’ve been cheated!

Where in hell are you from anyway, Private?

RECRUIT #3

Sir, Texas, sir!

HARTMAN

Holy dogshit! Texas! Only

steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy! And you don’t look much like a steer to me, so that

kinda narrows it down!

Do you suck dicks?

COWBOY

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

Are you a peter-puffer?

COWBOY

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

I’ll bet you’re the kind of guy that would

fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddam common courtesy to give him a reach-around! I’ll be watching you!

[Sergeant Hartman walks down the line to another recruit, a tall,

overtweight boy]

HARTMAN

Did your parents have any

children that lived?

RECRUIT #4

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

I’ll bet they regret that! You’re so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece! What’s your name, fatbody?

RECRUIT #4

Sir, Leonard Lawrence, sir!

HARTMAN

Lawrence?

Lawrence, what, of Arabia?

RECRUIT #4

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

That name sounds like royalty! Are you

royalty?

RECRUIT #4

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

Do you suck dicks?

RECRUIT #4

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! I’ll bet you

could suck a golf ball

through a garden hose!

RECRUIT #4

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

I don’t like the name Lawrence!

Only faggots and sailors are called Lawrence! From now on you’re Gomer Pyle!

PYLE

Sir, yes, sir!

[Pyle has the trace of a strange smile on his face]

HARTMAN

Do you think I’m cute, Private Pyle? Do you think I’m funny?

PYLE

Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN

Then wipe that disgusting grin off your face!

PYLE

Sir, yes, sir!

[Sergeant Hartman waits for a moment]

HARTMAN

Well, any fucking time, sweetheart!

PYLE

Sir, I’m trying, sir.

HARTMAN

Private Pyle, I’m gonna give you three

seconds. Excactly three fucking seconds, to wipe that stupid-looking grin off your face, or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!

One… Two…Three!

[Pyle purses his lips but continues to smile involuntarily]

PYLE

Sir, I can’t help it, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! Get on your

knees, scumbag!

[Pyle gets down on his knees]

HARTMAN

Now choke yourself!

[Pyle places his hands around his throat as if to choke himself]

HARTMAN

Goddamn it, with my hand,

numbnuts!!

[Pyle reaches for Sergeant Hartman’s hand. Hartman jerks it away]

HARTMAN

Don’t pull my fucking hand over there! I said choke yourself!

Now lean forward and choke yourself!

[Pyle leans forward so that his neck rests in Sergeant Hartman’s open hand]

[Hartman chokes Pyle, as he gags and starts to turn red in the face]

HARTMAN

Are you through grinning?

PYLE

(barely able to speak)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! I can’t hear you!

PYLE

(gasping)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

Bullshit! I still can’t hear you! Sound off like you got a pair!

PYLE

(gagging)

Sir, yes, sir!

HARTMAN

That’s enough! Get on your feet!

[Sergeant Hartman releases Pyle’s throat. Pyle gets to his feet,

breathing heavily]

HARTMAN

Private Pyle, you had best square your ass away and start shitting me

Tiffany cuff-links or I will definitely fuck you up!

PYLE

Sir, yes, sir!