What Role Did Matthew Modine Play In Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket? Find Out As Actor Slams Donald Trump's Usage Of Movie Clip For Campaign Ad

Matthew Modine, star of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, criticized Donald Trump for using clips from the film in a new campaign ad. Find out how Modine’s iconic role fits into this controversy.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Oct 15, 2024 | 05:41 PM IST | 5.4K

Matthew Modine (via Getty Images)

Matthew Modine's performance in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is still one of the most iconic in history. Recently, the actor spoke out against Donald Trump's use of footage from the iconic film in a military-focused campaign ad.

Modine, who played a crucial character in the 1987 film, criticized the former president for turning Kubrick's anti-war message into a "perverse, homophobic, and manipulative tool of propaganda."

Full Metal Jacket stars Matthew Modine as Private J.T. 'Joker' Davis, the film's protagonist and narrator. Joker is a soldier in the Vietnam War who is seen with both a peace symbol and a helmet with the words "Born to Kill," representing man's duality.

The film begins with Joker and his fellow recruits going through brutal training under Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey. Hartman's harsh methods push the men to their limits, resulting in the tragic downfall of one recruit, Gomer Pyle.

As the story progresses, Joker is sent to Vietnam to work as a military journalist. Despite his position behind the front lines, Joker eventually confronts the realities of war during the Battle of Hue.

Recently, Donald Trump's campaign used Full Metal Jacket clips to highlight his vision of a strong, traditional military while mocking the Biden administration's embrace of the LGBTQ+ community.

The ad, which contrasts scenes from the film with footage of modern military members performing in drag, was shown at Trump rallies and on social media.

Trump's campaign used R. Lee Ermey's drill sergeant character, Hartman, to represent a non-woke military, with the phrase "Let's Make Our Military Great Again" appearing at the end of the video.

Despite the film's strong anti-war message, the ad shows Hartman as a representative of the type of military Trump wants to see, contrasting him with what the ad refers to as the "Biden-Harris military."

Matthew Modine did not remain silent on Trump's use of the Full Metal Jacket. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Modine criticized the campaign ad for distorting Kubrick's work and he compared Trump to Adolf Hitler.

"Ironically, Trump has twisted and profoundly distorted Kubrick's powerful anti-war film into a perverse, homophobic, and manipulative tool of propaganda," Modine said. He talked about the historical role of propaganda, referencing Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi filmmaker who filmed Triumph of the Will.

Modine claimed that Trump's usage of the film was similarly manipulative, comparing the former president's acts to those of the Nazi regime. "It is no exaggeration to see Trump's reflection in the terrible figure Hitler was," Modine said.

While Modine criticized Trump's usage of Full Metal Jacket, not everyone involved with the film agreed. Vivian Kubrick, Stanley Kubrick's daughter, defended the campaign's use of the clip. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), she said she was confident her father would have backed Trump's decision to use clips from the film, despite its anti-war themes.

However, Modine stood by his interpretation of the film’s intent, insisting that it should not be used to promote a political agenda. According to him, Kubrick’s work was meant to criticize war and authoritarianism, not endorse it.

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