Matthew Modine speaks out against Trump on use of “Full Metal Jacket” clip as his campaign
- Matthew Modine, a key actor in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket,” has criticized Donald Trump.
- Modine, who plays Private J.T. “Joker” Davis, criticizes Trump’s use of the film’s anti-war message as a “perverse.
- Modine compared Trump’s actions to Adolf Hitler, arguing that Trump’s use of the film was similar to the Nazi regime.
Matthew Modine’s performance in Stanley Kubrick’s *Full Metal Jacket* remains one of the most iconic in film history. Recently, the actor criticized Donald Trump for using footage from the iconic film in a military-focused campaign ad.
Modine, who played a crucial character in the 1987 film, condemned the former president for transforming 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. As a soldier in the Vietnam War, Joker carries both a peace symbol and a helmet inscribed with the words “Born to Kill,” symbolizing man’s duality.
The film begins with Joker and his fellow recruits enduring brutal training under Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey. Hartman’s harsh methods push the men to their limits, leading to the tragic downfall of one recruit, Gomer Pyle.
As the story progresses, the army sends Joker to Vietnam to work as a military journalist. Despite his position behind the front lines, Joker ultimately confronts the harsh realities of war during the Battle of Hue.
Recently, Donald Trump’s campaign used clips from “Full Metal Jacket” to showcase his vision of a strong, traditional military while mocking the Biden administration’s embrace of the LGBTQ+ community. The ad contrasts scenes from the film with footage of modern military members performing in drag, and it has been shown at Trump rallies and on social media.
Trump’s campaign featured R. Lee Ermey’s drill sergeant character, Hartman, to symbolize a non-woke military, ending the video with the phrase “Let’s Make Our Military Great Again.”
Despite the film’s strong anti-war message, the ad portrays Hartman as the embodiment of the military Trump envisions, contrasting him with what the ad labels the “Biden-Harris military.”
Matthew Modine spoke out against Trump’s use of “Full Metal Jacket.” In an interview with “Entertainment Weekly”, Modine criticized the campaign ad for distorting Kubrick’s work and 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 discussed the historical role of propaganda, referencing Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi filmmaker behind “Triumph of the Will”.
Modine argued that Trump’s use of the film was similarly manipulative, comparing the former president’s actions to those of the Nazi regime. “It is no exaggeration to see Trump’s reflection in the terrible figure Hitler was,” Modine stated.
While Modine criticized Trump’s usage of “Full Metal Jacket”, not everyone involved with the film shared his view. Vivian Kubrick, Stanley Kubrick’s daughter, defended the campaign’s use of the clip. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), she expressed confidence that her father would have supported 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 promote a political agenda. He argued that Kubrick’s work aimed to criticize war and authoritarianism, not endorse them.
