US Marines, and ex-Marines: How accurate is the first half of 'Full Metal Jacket'?

Question

Apologies if you've been asked this question about 100 times already.

Answer 1

For the time of the movie it was pretty accurate; as a guide to Marine Basic now it would not be.  Yes remember the thinking position but our DI's favorite was bends and mothers until he was tired of it; he never got tired.

Answer 2

theres no abuse though, but lee ermy was a real us marine drill instructor.  Not the same obsticles.  Just a movie.  But it puts the fear of god in you if you decide to join.

Answer 3

its been said full metal jacket has nothing on the real thing, except the physical abuse

Answer 4

Very accurate for those times..The intensity was there and the emotion was also present..

But things have changed and today it is just as tough but with no abuse..and the SDI tries not to be as mean as he was in that movie.

Answer 5

Reasonably close to what I went through in 1966. We didn't talk in the squad bay as they did. The mental stress came close but not quite as bad as real thing. When I was going through, they needed paople so bad that boot camp was lowered to 8 weeks. Everything was done ****** to elbow and on the double.

Answer 6

R Lee Ermy was hired to train the actor how to act like a DI. The Director decided R Lee should have the part. I will guess all he had to do was the same thing he did in the late 60's.

The "choke yourself" trick was not exclusive to the Marines either. I watched a display like that in person.

Did anyone else have to do the "thinking postion"? Front leaning rest with your hands under your chin and all the weight on your elbows. That was f ing murder and only done on hard top.

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 7

The guy playing the DI was a real Marine DI.

Answer 8

it is very accurate

Answer 9

other then the drill instructor being a marine in real life. the abuse then isn't as bad as it is today even though we are just as tough.