Recent films portray war as a chaotic endeavor, costing men their sanity and often their lives. Filmmakers contrast the seeming anarchy of war with the viewers’ knowledge of society, while demonstrating the honor and bravery of war. More contemporary films offer a very patriotic view of what can be readily termed as slaughter.  I examine the film Full Metal Jacket focusing on the implications it brings to the sphere of law. The film begins with the training of one group and follows Private Joker in Vietnam. Throughout the film, characters encounter different manifestations of law. Law, in the military sense, is issued without question from the top down without regard to individual circumstances. This type of unsympathetic and unresponsive law dehumanizes, assimilates, and numbs individuals. On the other hand, the film questions the ability of any institution to initiate sympathetic, responsive law without jeopardizing those governed by the law.

Laws to the Lawless
 Full Metal Jacket portrays war as rigidly structured. On day one of boot camp, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (Lee Ermy) explains to the men the “laws” by which they will live:

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 unorganized 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 Corps! Do you maggots understand that?

This crude introduction lays down a procedural rule, but more importantly it lays down two key ideological concepts. Hartman is fair. Hartman interprets fairness as Aristotle would in treating equals equally and unequals unequally. On the other hand, in his dealings with the men he often leans more toward harsh punishment than what the audience might deem fair. In this light, because he has power, he is able to decide what is fair, skewing the meaning of his words. The second concept is that each man is “equally worthless.” In essence, they are equal under the “law.” While this, again, is similar to our own legal system, Hartman’s training pushes it to the extreme. Equality becomes sameness. I will later address how the extremes of these concepts deny the men’s’ humanity rather than affirm it.
 Hartman maintains his power by keeping the men at a level lower than him. He initially has power over the men because he has been appointed by higher officers. The men recognize and respect this authority. On one hand, his power derives justly from the consent of his men. They have all chosen to be marines (or been drafted). On the other hand, his use of slander serves to perpetuate his authority over the men.
 Later in the movie, a group has come across a problem in combat. A sniper has shot one of the squad members. The squad leader, Cowboy (Arliss Howard), has taken over command due to casualties to other officers. He orders the men to wait for reinforcements, fearing a larger attack. In response, another soldier runs to aid the first and is also shot. This prompts a confrontation between Cowboy and Animal Mother (another member of the squad – played by Adam Baldwin):
ANIMAL MOTHER
Wait a minute! Hold it! Hold it! Nobody's pulling out! There's only one fucking sniper out there!

COWBOY
Back off, Mother! I'm calling the plays! I say we're pulling out!

ANIMAL MOTHER
Yeah, well, what about Doc Jay and Eightball?

COWBOY
I know it's a shitty thing to do, but we can't refuse to accept the situation.

ANIMAL MOTHER
Yeah, well, we're not leaving Doc Jay and Eightball out there!

COWBOY
Doc Jay and Eightball are wasted! You know that!

ANIMAL MOTHER
Bullshit! Come on, you guys! We gotta go bring'em back! Let's go get 'em! Let's do it!

COWBOY
Stand down, Mother! That's a direct order!

ANIMAL MOTHER
Fuck you, Cowboy! Fuck all you assholes!

ANIMAL MOTHER jumps over the wall and runs screaming and firing his M-60. The squad fires to cover him, blasting chunks of mortar and concrete from the buildings.

 David V. J. Bell distinguishes between three leadership communication terms that:
(a) threaten or promise in order to induce an audience to do what otherwise they would not do [power]; (b) command based on position and expectation of being obeyed [authority]; and/or (c) persuade by revealing to an audience where their own interests lie [influence].

Influence is the most preferred of these forms of communication. Influence draws on individuals’ abilities, empowering them to do what they may not have known or thought to be possible. Authority is slightly less desirable. Implicit in authority is hierarchical structure. When one challenges authority, there must by a response by the party wielding the authority in order for it to be maintained. “Emergencies may call for power, but overt manipulation of sanctions menaces followers and leaders alike. Use of power shades into abuse so quickly that leaders may not perceive their transmogrification into tyrants.”  When leaders have no success with influence or authority, they must rely on power. The problem is that power alienates those against whom it is used. They often dislike their own lack of control of circumstances or resent the physical oppression power casts.
 When Animal Mother questions Cowboy’s order, Cowboy relies simply on his authority to resolve the dispute. Animal Mother instantly invokes influence, encouraging the men in their abilities, then jumps into the fray before Cowboy can respond. In the end, Animal Mother succeeds. His use of influence overtook Cowboy’s authority. Part of this was because Cowboy had not achieved his position in the hierarchy through legitimate means. He simply pronounced himself commander without dissent. Additionally, Cowboy was not confident in his leadership ability. Earlier in the scene, Cowboy asks another soldier how to solve the group’s problem. These factors, along with the charisma and strength of Animal Mother, made it impossible for Cowboy to exercise power. Similarly, these factors made the influence of Animal Mother all the more convincing.
The portrait of Animal Mother as the individualistic hero is far from accurate. He is portrayed as a rough-around-the-edges killing machine that is one step away from being a “Section Eight.”  Perhaps this is a more skeptical look at how influence is exercised in military. Even when the entire squad commits to Animal Mother’s attack, more were still wounded and killed. The squad was lucky that it was only a lone sniper and not an entire force as Cowboy had envisioned. This scene underscores a fundamental problem in war: the injustice of leadership. The men could either be empowered by a madman or governed without consent.
Power and the Powerless
 Hartman, however, was able to exercise authority very easily. He had gained his position legitimately and had much confidence in his ability. Hartman also supported his authority with the use of force. This force often blurred the line of power and began to cross it in his dealings with Private Pyle (Vincent D’Onofrio).
HARTMAN
You are dumb, Private Pyle, but do you expect me to believe that you don't know left from right?

PYLE
Sir, no, sir!

HARTMAN
Then you did that on purpose! You want to be different!

PYLE
Sir, no, sir.

HARTMAN slaps PYLE hard across the left cheek.

The audience also sees Hartman slap Private Joker because Joker will not acknowledge the Virgin Mary. The implicit part of this dialogue is that Pyle was punished for being different, as was Joker. On many occasions, Pyle is scorned because he can not be like the other soldiers. The simple message is that war requires uniformity. The men must act as one cohesive unit, rather than as a set of individuals. ). In order for that to occur, they must sacrifice the qualities that make them unique. This strips them of something that we closely associate with humanity: their individualism. Their similarity is punctuated by their difference from their superiors (as Hartman points out in the opening scene. This hierarchy makes influence impossible. Any intra-class influence would constitute difference or rebellion among the ranks. Orders that issue from Hartman are not influence-based, but rather authority-based or power-based.
 Throughout the beginning of the film, Pyle continues to be a burden to his group and to Hartman. Pyle can not navigate the obstacles, does not know how to assemble his rifle, and even struggles in properly lacing his boots. He is often seen running behind the group with his pants around his ankles, sucking his thumb. Hartman makes every effort to embarrass him as much as possible. He interprets this as fairness. It is important to make sure that Pyle is an apt soldier. None of these efforts succeed. When Hartman finds Pyle’s foot locker unlocked with a jelly doughnut stashed inside, he then invokes power. Instead of punishing Pyle, he punishes the men in Pyle’s group. He gives them PT (Physical Training) until Pyle finishes the doughnut. He uses this punishment to induce them to punish Pyle themselves. This type of ideal seems like influence, but by using means such as PT and other types of punishment, it is instead an exercise of power – it coerces them to do something they would not otherwise do.
We see a towel on a bed. A bar of soap is tossed on the towel. The towel is folded over the soap forming a weapon. A hand picks up the towel-weapon and bangs it on the mattress making a dull thud. PYLE is asleep in his bunk. The platoon silently slip out of their beds and form up around PYLE. A blanket is thrown over PYLE, each corner held down by a recruit, pinning PYLE to the bed.

COWBOY shoves a gag in PYLE's mouth. PYLE is helpless. The platoon files past beating PYLE with the bars of soap wrapped in towels. PYLE's screams are muffled by the gag. JOKER is the last one. He stands back from the bed.

COWBOY
(to JOKER)
Do it! Do it!

JOKER hesitates, then moves forward and hits PYLE hard several times. Then JOKER jumps into his bunk. The recruits yank the restraining blanket of PYLE and run back to their bunks.

COWBOY
(removing gag)
Remember, it's just a bad dream, fatboy.

PYLE sobs loudly and sits up, holding himself in pain. Lying in, his bunk, JOKER covers his ears.

 The response of Joker to the men is particularly important. Though he had been a friend to Pyle, he joined in beating him. The message of conformity and uniformity was so prevalent that he feared going against it. Edward B. McLean explains:
Reaffirmation of the value of liberty and its importance for human living is needed for successive generations.  Although events indicate that the desire for liberty can never be completely expunged from human valuing, its attainment may impose such a high cost that it will no longer be sought actively, or it may be pursued with a terrible cost.

In this situation, Joker turns aside his liberty in the name of the group. Afterwards, he feels remorse, as he covers his ears to keep out Pyle’s sobs. His own need for power overrode his moral sensibilities and his individualism. Pyle chooses the opposite road (pursues liberty at a high cost). As the group is ready to graduate, Joker finds Pyle in the restroom in the middle of the night with his loaded rifle. Hartman tries to use his power over Pyle to make him drop his weapon, but Pyle shoots Hartman, then himself. His exercise of liberty brought a much higher cost. This has a broader connotation: power degrades other necessary moral constructs, such as justice, liberty, and individualism. Power causes further harm in that it is self-perpetuating. Whereas authority is very static, power grows quickly. Because the men resented Hartman’s use of power, they responded with their own display. Because Pyle resented being the brunt of all displays of power, he enacted all of his power against Hartman, the one who first wielded power.
 The second half of the film is littered with the atrocities that the first half breeds. As the men became accustomed to these power/authority relationships, they let a piece of their humanity slip away.
The DOORGUNNER laughs and yells as he fires his M-60 machine gun. We see Vietnamese below running and falling.

DOORGUNNER
Get some ... get some ... get some ... get some ... yeah ... yeah ... get some ... get some.
After a while the DOORGUNNER stops firing and grins at JOKER.

DOORGUNNER
(shouting to be heard)
Anyone who runs is a V.C. Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined V.C.
(laughs)
You guys oughtta do a story about me sometime.

JOKER
Why should we do a story about you?

DOORGUNNER
'Cause I'm so fucking good! That ain't no shit neither. I've done got me one hundred and fifty-seven dead gooks killed. And fifty water buffaloes, too. Them're all certified.

 RAFTERMAN gags.

JOKER
Any women or children?

DOORGUNNER
Sometimes.

JOKER
How can you shoot women and children?

RAFTERMAN gags.

DOORGUNNER
Easy. You just don't lead 'em so much.
(laughs)
Ain't war hell?

This is just one of many unfathomable transformations that occurs throughout the film. The characters become totally numb to the ideas of killing and death. Women become nothing more than sexual objects or targets to them. They turn their back on what we would consider civilized in exchange for a conditioned usage of power and deadly force.

Power, Authority, Influence and Social Institutions
 Full Metal Jacket demonstrates that numbness, conformity, and a lesser humanity are needed in order to survive in war. At the same time, the film questions the manner in which soldiers internalize these ideas. It demonstrates how power-centered relations are not fitted to individuals and do not respond to individuals’ needs. Instead the use of power often translates into abuse and spurs even more wielding of power, often with more deadly force. Similarly, authority has several glitches. First, one must command respect before authority can be used. If there is no respect, then authority either corrupts or can quickly shift to power. Influence is not presented as much of an alternative. While the film portrays influence as victorious, the commentary is more implicit. The problem with influence is that it often may be too easy for “madmen” to use it to mislead the weak.
 These types of concepts have relevance to our own social order. Full Metal Jacket exposes the problem in devising power structures in our own legal system. If the law exhibits power and coerces, it will cause backlash, revolt, and conformity. If the law is simply a set of dictates from on high that individuals are expected to internalize, it will breed conformity and the law will be distant from the people. The individuals can not affect the law itself, so it becomes unsympathetic and unresponsive to them. Furthermore, if those imposing the law are unable to support it, or do not derive their authority legitimately, then a shift to power may be necessary. As law exhibits authority, it tends to shift to a more coercive law. Finally, while empowering law that relies on the moral sensibilities of each individual seems most preferable, Full Metal Jacket would contend that the one imparting the influence may not always be trustworthy. People could easily be influenced by a madman.
 In war, it is necessary to have some sort of hierarchy to maintain order. Full Metal Jacket demonstrates that authority is a much better method than power for running a military regimen. At the same time, Donald Black argues that social stratification affects systems of justice. He argues that within societies there is a social hierarchy. Those who have the most power/authority/influence are at the top of the structure, while those with the least are on the bottom. Black concludes that those at the top gain a legal advantage from their place in the social strata. If the justice system works within a form of hierarchy, then it must not be an empowering, influential system of law. Black would argue that our own system of law is based around authority, forcing conformity and punishing those on the lower end of the social strata.
Full Metal Jacket not only questions how military and social structures should work, but it also makes a dangerous statement about our legal system. While we condemn Hartman for his use of power and his lack of response to the needs of his men, we ignore our own legal system as it wields authority, and sometimes power. While we question how Joker could conform to the group against his moral sensibilities, we ignore that our own law may encourage our conformity. Full Metal Jacket makes telling statements about the use of power, authority, and influence, that when applied to our legal system, give us more reasons to fear than to applaud.
 Works Cited
(1998, March 8). Full Metal Jacket Screenplay [online]. Available: http://www.krug.org/unit/scripts/fullmetal.html
Haltom, William. Laws of God, Laws of Man: Power, Authority, and Influence in Cool Hand Luke. Legal Studies Forum, 22, 233-256.
McLean, Edward B. (1998). Natural Law, The Rule of Law, and Liberty. Modern Age, 40, 205.

Donald Black. (1976) The Behavior of Law. Connecticut: Academic Press.