"Private Joker, why did you join my beloved Corps?" 

"Sir, to kill sir!"

"So you're a killer?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Let me see your war face."

"Sir?"

"You got a war face? AHHHHHHHH! That's a war face. Now let me see your war face."

 

Full Metal Jacket is a war film described as "Intense, tightly constructed, and darkly comic at times" and is an unquestionable Kubrick classic. 

 

The screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasfordwas based on Hasford's novel The Short-Timers (1979). The storyline follows a platoon of U.S. Marines through their boot camp training in Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. It primarily focuses on two privates; Joker and Pyle, who struggle under their abusive drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The film's title refers to the full metal jacket bullet used by military servicemen. The film was released in the United States on June 26, 1987 and critics have claimed that "Full Metal Jacket ranks with Dr. Strangelove as one of Kubrick's very best."

 

This poster was designed by illustrator and airbrush artist Philip Castle who played a key part in creating the visual identity of A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. For this poster Castle apparently had a canvas coloured steel helmet on his drawing board and added the 'Born to Kill' scrawl himself... Castle redesigned the poster for the Asain market, using an image less associated with American soldiers...

 

This poster is a US one-sheet, folded as posters from this period should be. Crucially, this is an 'Advanced One-Sheet', published and displayed prior to the film's release - this design differs to the posters displayed after it's release (which is the majority of them) as it doesn't have the critics reviews written out across the top half of the poster. This is a much cleaner, more visually grabbing design that really shows off Castle's work to it's full and subsequently is the more sought after version of this poster. 

The poster remains in excellent condition with only very minor wear along the fold lines - inevitably with the glossy paper stock that posters of this period were printed on. It has been professionally framed using conservation grade backing paper and is ready to hang. 

 

Including the frame the poster measures 108cm high x 71.5cm wide and is 2.4cm deep.