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out Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onorfio)for the majority of his abuse. Private Pyle is an unfortunate lethargic and overweight young man who is clearly not designed for battle. The tension builds as we see Pyle's morale sink to low depths that ultimately lead to him losing his mind and killing his torturer Hartman, before turning the gun on himself.

The second section of the film follows Private Joker (Matthew Modine) after witnessing the two deaths. Now a trained marine, working as a writer reporting on events in the heart of battle in Vietnam at odds with the concept of war. Joker is reunited with some of the men from his basic training and we watch as they face ambushes, sniper fire and booby traps as they attempt to travel through the city. Kubrick showed his bravery for revolutionary film making and his ability to make the audience question and think for themselves. He shows soldiers with a strong blood lust as we see a tasteless scene when a dead Vietcong soldier is dressed up and pictures are taken with him and the marines as they describe him as their friend, while openly laughing and mocking him. One of the most thought provoking scenes comes when the men find the sniper and discover that she is a woman taking her final breathes after being shot. It brings into questions many arguments about the involvement of women in battle and the reactions of the marines to this discovery highlights this still further.

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