The Original Ending of Full Metal Jacket Was Supposed to be BRUTAL

Joker kills the sniper at the end of Full Metal Jacket in an act of mercy, but the original ending was intended to much more brutal. In the first script, Animal Mother decapitates the sniper, using the machete we see on his back throughout Full Metal Jacket as a way to one up Joker. Was Kubrick right to cut the scene from the movie, or was Animal Mother's brutality appropriate given what we know about his character? Leave your thoughts below...
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[@doodmonkey]

Joker shooting the female sniper was pretty brutal, but this would have been a whole nudder level.

[@LifeIsAStory]

That is for sure haha

[@first3numbers]

Didnt he shoot her out of mercy?

[@doodmonkey]

@@first3numbers basically yes, Animal Mother wanted to leave her lying there.

[@JohnSmith-yr6je]

@@first3numbers that’s kinda what I thought too. Since she said shoot me a bunch of times. She was in pain.

[@first3numbers]

@@JohnSmith-yr6je yeah I thought Joker was trying to be humane and animal mother wanted to let her suffer.

[@JamesCraigHeath007]

How do you shoot women and children?! “It’s easy! You just don’t lead them as much! GET SOME!!!! GET SOME!”

[@connormcmurphy4276]

One of the most cold blooded and shocking lines of all time. So good!!

[@alwignot3584]

One of the best lines in the movie..easy..just don’t lead them as much…hahaha,yeah..get some!!👍🏻

[@conorfeldman]

What does lead them mean?

[@adamkuestner2961]

Anyone who runs is a VC. Anyone who stands still, is a well disciplined VC!

[@TheSkinnay1]

⁠@@conorfeldmanwhen a target is moving fast and your shot is from a distance you aim in front of the target, that what ‘leading’ is. Women and children are naturally not as fast runners as men, hence the line ‘you just don’t lead them as much’, ie you don’t shoot in front of them as far. He answers in the literal sense when the original question was clearly posed in a moral sense. Totally cold blooded!

[@Theeditor2828]

The ending we got was perfect, all of them talked the talk, but Joker was the only would who could walk the walk. He was the only one with enough humanity to mercy kill the sniper

[@michaelsims1160]

Joker became a killer - precisely what the Marine training at the start was designed to condition him for. People say FMJ is two films. The training half and the Vietnam half. It’s Jokers kill that links the two side. There was nothing humane about it.

[@jacknguyen5677]

Like he said during the interview. He was the first one on the block with a confirmed killed.

[@TriCop]

⁠@@michaelsims1160So you think the humane thing to do was let her suffer for minutes to an hour like that? No one else wanted to kill her cause they wanted to see her suffer

[@warrennicholsony.fernando4513]

Nope. Animal made him walk. Before that he was all talk.

[@cherokeefit4248]

Better not having this ending. Animal telling Joker how hardcore he is is truly badass

[@doodmonkey]

Agreed, its a true arc for Joker

[@teflondave7823]

I agree. The audience knows Animal is badass, it would have not been nescessary to hammer that point further. And it would steal a significant scene from Joker. By handing Joker the reins in this scene, maybe Kubrick wanted to make a point about Joker and continue to tell his story. He is the main character after all. Now the outspoken Joker can follow through on his principles. Having succeded in this Joker earned the respect and trust from Animal and his pack.

[@jb7483]

He was basically calling joker a pussy in this scene.

[@c7261]

Lol. Yeah. He's such a badass being a tool of colonialism, coming to a foreign land and shooting children. Big win 🎖🎖

[@warrennicholsony.fernando4513]

Nah. It was more like sarcasm.

[@camacaze199]

It should have stayed in. Animal Mother was there to represent the brutal animalistic side of modern war. During the middle ages towns would regularly put stakes of criminals heads on pikes for the town to show their brutality. I think that, brought into the "modern age" even if only for a moment before him throwing it down in shock at what he did would have been a fantasric edition to the film.

[@LifeIsAStory]

I get that for sure. It also sort of emphasizes the "animal" in animal mother and how he’s desperate to be the Alpha. The more I think about it, the harder it is for me pick which route I would have taken.

[@Patriot7476]

I agree. This is a war movie, and exposing the horror of war may very well make one think twice about engaging in senseless warfare. Not saying all war is unjust, but it seems like we've had a few examples of senseless war in the last 60 years.

[@connormcmurphy4276]

@@Patriot7476 last 60? Humans have been wantonly and needlessly killing eachother in DROVES for the last 2000 years, in the form of war, and the last 500,000 years, in the form of tribal warfare amongst families, villas, and nomadic groups.

[@abramslion1]

​​​​@@Patriot7476 Humanity have been at War form the Tribal Era to the Medieval Era to Early Modern Era. It's now in the modern period were mostly people have the most peaceful time though out history. Otherwise we would be at warfare.

[@davidhannant451]

Should have done head cut . Shows reall world

[@jerryschramm4399]

This alternative ending would give a whole new meaning to the phrase, "In your face!"

[@Verilee1970]

The slow concealment of Joker's peace symbol as he kills the sniper is brilliant. I can't imagine the film ending any other way. If you didn't notice this before, watch the movie again and check it out.

[@luketimewalker]

oooh

[@canerguener8664]

"Duality"

[@fishlog8133]

It happens in the book the movie is based on

[@AJ1990.]

The ending was perfect. It kept with the whole duality of man theme that was shown throughout the ENTIRE film. Joker even looks up afterward, with half his face black, and half lit up by fire burning in the background. Perfect enemy. Then they trail off singing Mickey mouse after every single one of them being severely traumatized.

[@teflondave7823]

I don't think chopping off heads would be fitting for AN. It was not indicated in the movie that he is a mad man. He came across as brutal but respected veteran member of a wolf pack.

[@LifeIsAStory]

That’s where I lean as well. It would have been a little much. I don’t think the others would have admired him for that.

[@kennethduke8914]

I believe It is a fitting end indeed, since his name is literally "Animal Mother" which means he will rip your head off like a mother bear if you look at his cubs the wrong way.. I appreciate your thoughts though because I'd never have thought about this the same way if you didn't question it.

[@Nat3_H1gg3rs]

it would have been more realistic

[@frankmueller2781]

Madman? No, just brought back to the level all men in war. That level of brutality lies in all of us, and losing so many who are dear to him at one man's (woman's) hand is certainly enough to bring it out, but in short, we all have that kind of monster inside us. Anyone who doesn't, isn't survivor material.

[@teflondave7823]

@@frankmueller2781 I have not read the book. In this scene having Animal tell Joker how badass he is and letting Joker decide what to do and not doing gory stuff, tells a story about them both.

[@Muggashyte]

Good cut. The book this movie comes from is called Short timers. The film is a dead match for the book, with one exception only. Gunnery Sergeant gets shot by Pyle, in the latrine scene, but says to Pyle: “Out fucking standing, you’re finally a Marine.”

[@jamo3776]

That would be so Apocalypse now

[@kevinavila4866]

Pile blew his brains out in the beginning so I don't think it was that gruesome

[@Screwby_Jones6200]

Raptorman was meant to be flattened by a tank,there was alot of things were changed from film compared to the Short Timers book it was based on.

[@davidhomerding1563]

If you thought that was too grisly, be glad Alice and his blue shopping bag were totally cut.

[@earthdate3495]

I never heard of that. Do tell.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

​@@earthdate3495 Alice would cut the feet off of Vietnamese as trophies and carry them around in a shopping bag. The book was far more brutal.

[@ortancold]

In the original book the character that becomes 8-ball (he has a different name in the book) collects the feet of killed enemies including her

[@nicholasmuro1742]

I think he carried them in a shopping bag

[@estevanortiaz5402]

That would have been epic!

[@Delmarvafishing]

There are no squadrons out side of flight operations. It's just squad and teams in a platoon.

[@Cheevis91]

Yes. Thats too much for public television. Its discrediting to the United States Naval Service, as well as the USMC.

[@durden2480]

We all need a badass walking around like animal mother

[@tun-tunninc.6492]

I read the guy who hung out with joker becomes a cannibal.

[@kennethduke8914]

I feel like it's the perfect resonance between pvt pile and his own end It would've been a good ending..

[@nerdothn892]

Would have loved to see this in a deleted seen format

[@ComicWriter-ml3qt]

I don’t think it’s over the top but it would’ve overshadowed jokers mercy killing which established the cruelty of the war better I think

[@wastehazey6468]

"Hardcore man. Fucking hardcore."

[@johnblais2065]

That was the whole point,

[@shreyanspanwar3271]

Honestly I liked the changed ending better, Shows duality of man.

[@chopin65]

That's a very interesting question. It's personal.

[@pourattitude4206]

If this is true I say that it was a bad call to delete it. I mean, it wouldn't have been necessary to show the entire decapitation - think Eddard Stark - but I doubt it's possible to over-represent the brutality of that war and the way it changed the people who fought it.

[@robertmcroberts1550]

Oh they definitely need to re-release with this ending & any cut footage of Drill Sergeant too👌🏼

[@chrisS19019]

I read that twice as “& cut any scenes of the drill sergeant” like who doesn’t like those scenes then I realized.

[@EricBehaviorAnalyst]

The cannon ending is better because it better portrays the duality of man

[@bogdonukrainer7174]

Mashetee was used to clear way in jungle.

[@mitch4527]

Should’ve stayed in. I can see why Kubrick changed it - gave Joker the opportunity to kill. But Eightball had said that Animal Mother was incredible in combat, but he was more than that - he was absolutely fearless and a good tactician. It was he who decided to use the smoke grenades to hide the advancing Marines so they could get to the building. As filmed, Animal was too soft at the end. Even if Joker had killed her, he still should have chopped her head off and thrown it outside for the VC to find.

[@creekandseminole]

What happens in the actual book?

[@nicholasmuro1742]

Animal Mother chopped off her head like the script.

[@tjm11015]

It was the right call, Joker coming to terms with the reality he was in was more important than Animal doing something for shock value.

[@rickeyb8812]

WHAT??? Given the brutality of war depicted in this movie? We lost Gunny, Pyle, Hill Street Blues (The Black Dude who shot hoops with KA Jabbar at UCLA NCAA X4 Champs) Cowboy, The host for the "guest of honor", the medic and anyone I missed. Sniper chic loses her head! They could lose the line because Animal mother was the hardest! The question of his hardness was not the issue. It was understood when they bought a piece of snatch, nobody challenged AM when he wanted 1st dibbs.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

A scene in the book that wasn't in the movie already proved how hard AM was... Joker saluted AM in the field to make AM look like an officer. A big no-no because now he's exposed to any snipers. Instead of diving for cover, AM salutes Joker back.

[@rickeyb8812]

@@nicholasmuro1742 WHAT??? Yes! That's a huge NO-NO! WHOA! If that was in the movie, that scene would been as iconic as Gunny's introduction and the door gunner's revelation. But it would have taken away from Joke's role even though joker saluted the Colonel at the NVA execution pit, it could have been a death sentence for AM and ruined the final scene over the sniper girl's body. Thank you for your post 👍. I did not know this. I'm sure other's who loved this movie will enjoy your comment. 👍

[@nicholasmuro1742]

@rickeyb8812 Lotsa stuff in the book that's not in the movie. The whole sniper scene in the movie is a fusion of 2 completely different scenes in the book. Cowboy doesn't die like in the movie. Pvt Pyle is skinny, not fat. The book is far more brutal. I always wanted to read the sequel "The Phantom Blooper" It's out of print, but was available on the author's website for free. It's no longer available last time I checked.

[@Redhairedviking09]

I mean, it sure was in line with his character. So I think I wouldn't have cut it from the film had I been in Kubrik's shoes.

[@palestallion_tm]

We all know the first half of the film was the best (which was boot camp) This would've brought more interest to the second half; which wasn't so bad, but after deployment, the movie goes downhill

[@robertlandrum1971]

I believe that the ending we got was the best we could get. This alternate ending would have distracted from what we saw Joker did.

[@clownpaint20]

He should have shot it anyway and included it as an alternative ending when it was released for vhs

[@henrywight4057]

I think it was the right choice. It doesn’t add to the character. Animal Mother was already the baddest ass in the company. It didn’t need to be reiterated.

[@cosmicshadowgaming344]

i feel it would’ve been more historically accurate if it was left in

[@johnw8984]

In combat nobody wants to become a pariah. Just read about My Lai a lot of the soldiers involved in that didn't come home they were KIAs later and those who did make it home had severe psychological problems.

[@LockedOnMLB]

Joker MUST be the one to kill her at the end

[@lesanders3491]

Kubrick was right to cut that out, it completely sidelines jokers character arc and wouldn't really add much to the story

[@benzebub6519]

That was part of the novel the movie's based on - that's what Animal Mother does to the sniper in the book. Highly recommend anyone who hasn't read it to give it a go. Called "The Short Timers"

[@alexjohnson6069]

I like the one we saw. Everyone being fucking horrified. Really hits home.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

That scene was in the book the movie is based on.

[@brianplunkett4002]

Animal Mother got Cowboy killed by defying orders.

[@timothyhines7845]

There's a reason he's called "animal mother". It would show how far one can slip.

[@chrisramos7482]

For a movie that would've been too savage, good thing it wasnt shown

[@Glitch-Gremlin]

100% think it should have been left in. it was in his character to do that, AND it wouldn't have been that much worse than the entire movie as a whole anyway. btw what is the story behind him being called Animal MOTHER? do they ever mention why he uses that nickname?

[@RoxsyLeee]

I think ending it with that would’ve drawn the viewers out of jokers story, Kubrick made the right move.

[@jamtoast6660]

Was that scene filmed?

[@guybrushgetchell2945]

Given the nature of the novel it’s based on “The Short Timers” it would’ve been fitting but it would’ve seemed out of place for this movie

[@wowfubar]

Ain't war hell, haha

[@ronaldthompson9815]

Good call it was a shock that the sniper was a very young girl animal mother already wounded her with a large machine gun joker finished her while she was praying that was enough.

[@petervenkman1154]

Love Animal coz he wasn't gonna leave 8 ball and doc. Even though he seems to hate people, he was gonna give his life for 8 ball. As a former RANGER I would too for one of my teammates!!!

[@CINEMADISPENSER]

If the movie has a full moment where a deranged man puts a gun in his mouth and shoots himself I think it not to over the top and it would help show how messed up some parts of the Vietnam war were

[@Ashphinchtersayswhat]

That looked like the chick from full metal jacket. At the end the sniper

[@maxmt4325]

Cleon did it in dead presidents..

[@darylhopkins9796]

Gunny Hartman did a good job training Joker.

[@danzig73079]

They shoulda left it in.

[@joeymanson2222]

When you see Animal Mother first , you are like ' f you' ! Cos Joker is your boy, you know him. As the story goes along you see that Animal Mother is the man you want to have your back! You are rooting for him as the film goes. I feel the ending was perfect! He already had that thousand yard stare and mean as fuck. I'm glad they made him a real villain.

[@1naoll]

I had many friends go to Vietnam and what they saw was brutal. Many times body parts were cut off and kept. You want to get real, then be real.

[@jerry7956]

War ain't pretty,, and it ain't civil. Some GI's in Nam did behead, and used the heads as bowling balls with limbs as pins. But hey, that's show business.

[@Deo12345Redhead]

It's cool and all but doesn't have the same impact you have when the idea of the movie was the loss of innocence

[@localbod]

They weren't in the airforce, hence they weren't in a Squadron. They were in a squad.

[@missme9802]

Should of kept that scene 😮

[@charlesbard2331]

A small correction there joker did not shoot the sniper raptor man did and save Jokers A.. ....

[@nicholasmuro1742]

Rafterman(not raptorman) shot the sniper first. Joker finished her off.

[@thecelt471]

As a historical point. My brother who was in the 10 1st airborne in vietnam in 1969, cut the head off of a vietcong with his Kabar knife. Those things do happen.

[@amcd85]

I don't think animal would have been doing it for "shock value" if they shot it correctly. Keeping focus on Jokers emotions and reactions, it could have further cemented Jokers arc, by pinpointing it's juxtaposition between Pyle's arc and Animals lack of arc. Pyle and Animal were extreme foils. What Pyle could not become without destroying himself, Animal has already been. And Joker, beginning closer to the state of Pyle, is now closer to Animal, placing him in the middle. It still speaks to the duality of man, just in an even more nuanced way, which leaves the viewer to question (and feel anxious about), not just duality, but the potential and consequences of moving in between. Edit: But in saying this I kind of realize this was portrayed by Animals reaction to Jokers action and then the close out marching. Just not as gruesomly as that act would have. It didn't actually add to the message, just make it more graphic, which in a book you would want more of, and in a film, possibly less detail of, so it was kept out.

[@jesswebb5261]

it's just the way it was.

[@buzzmeanytime]

Kubrick made the right choice by letting Joker convey the horrors of war through revenge and brutality. Animal mother was there to convey the rebirth of Private Pyle. Notice the resemblance between Vincent, D’Onofrio, and Adam Baldwin. Animal mother is what private Pyle would have been, if he had survived Boot Camp.

[@joemccauley3856]

I think animal mother is what gomer pile would’ve been if he could hack it.

[@jimfinigan1681]

This whole movie is over the top. I don't think there is any way the deleted scene would have made it any more grisly than it was. I would say that, if anything, it would have been overkill (no pun intended).

[@monkelad420]

I think it would’ve worked if it was done well, but idk how audiences would feel abt it

[@generalmanager9979]

Absolutely the correct script change…our brother’s in Vietnam faced enough s#!t to last 3 lifetimes upon their return.

[@HumbertoSqualavarez42069]

It would have made the realism of anger more real. I can see pissed off salty marines cutting her head off.

[@sulufest]

Supposedly they were also going to play soccer/futbol with her decapitated head as a form of revenge for having killed their brethren. 😮

[@apokatastasian2831]

animal mother is like a bear....the symbol of how true love is absolute, tribal, and can be bloody and without hesitation or complicating ethic Animal Mother loves his tribe, and the fact that he cuts off a head, to parade yo his brothers then disdain, isn't senseless. instead it's like Pax Romana. be peaceful until it's time for war, and then so ferocious and brutal, you end the next fight, battle, and war before it starts. Animal Mother is the Love that extincted the guinea worm he knows a secret, that all peace comes from overwhelming strength from the men-who-rather-be-peaceful, not balance, and not utopian hopes

[@shreyanspanwar3271]

where are the comments

[@Lightbeam0000]

It's appropriate, it goes to show that some of these young men where on the brink of insanity!! The whole thing of it was insanity!! We shouldn't be doing this to each other period! Thats why these vets suffer so much after they're sent back home. The horrors they had to endure! I can't even imagine??!?!? No matter what side of the field your on, we shouldn't be doing this to other humans! And they know it and thry suffer greatly from it! God bless our vets! And god bless them as well! They to were following orders in a mad mens game.

[@KangarooMonkey]

I’m glad it was changed. 1. I think it would’ve been a little too over the top, though I’m sure Kubrick would’ve made it work. 2. The ending we got was great for Jokers character.

[@genes.3285]

I felt sorry for the little girl. She was fighting for her country. What were we doing there?

[@nicholasmuro1742]

Making defense contractors rich af.

[@TheCaptScarlett]

Attempting to fix the mess the French left, after they took over from the Brits (with Japanese PoWs) who'd nearly fixed the post-war power vacuum

[@sufenta67]

appropriate

[@thegadflygang5381]

Would have been great especially if they still went with the Mickey Mouse scene after contrasting the brutality and insanity of nostalgia used to stay sane

[@frankberwick6434]

Who is first guy narration

[@BobbyBrewers]

It'd be reality

[@toothlessvideos]

The original ending would have been good on the director's cut of the movie.

[@abgodsson1585]

This is the difference between Kubrick and Tarantino

[@ianmartinez3601]

If animale would have done that would have been real

[@williambuchanan77]

I think it may have been censored, but it would have made the brutality more in your face to the audience. We live in a society that hides a lot from itself, with war movies hiding the horrors is a mistake. War movies should be graphic by nature, this makes sure people have absolutely no illusions about the subject. Even in video games a lot of the horrors isn't included, the developers don't want to waste time and money on a game for it to be banned like MANHUNT was.

[@stl1321]

Better without it. It wasn't another gore movie, it was trying to simulate the American experience in Vietnam, which it did fairly well. It dragged in conscripts and made them potential killers and Joker being the last killer was appropriate.

[@Ahmedfuckbby]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🎭😎

[@Madmun357]

War is horrible. But it's not for the movies. I think they did the right thing not ending it that way.

[@michaelspruill1673]

Na they should've fuckin kept that in there

[@wintonhudelson2252]

No, that wouldn't have "Hard" just hacking her head off and such. If he was "Hard", he would have just started hacking off body parts while she's still alive, one chunk at a time.

[@facuuu2809]

I think that Kubrick's choice to cut it was right, the ending is interesting since the sniper dies in a sort of "heroic" way since she was willing to fight and die for something (her country since she has the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam), not like them who didn't even know why they were there and basically fought not for their interests or even a common interest...like joker pretty much shows this during his interview

[@taffy2979]

Did anyone actually understand on a deeper level as to what was happening? Weren't they doing it as a heroic gesture to protect another nation "She was willing to fight and die for something" That's most people in any war How would her death be any less heroic just because she was decapitated? If you truly think someone did a heroic act you wouldn't care what happened to them in the end

[@facuuu2809]

@@taffy2979 in the movie the U.S soldiers aren't actually motivated to fight in the war, look at the scene where they speak about the guy who died

[@skankhunt434]

That should've definitely been the ending