Which Kubrick film is a war film set during the Vietnam War?

Full Metal Jacket is the Kubrick film that depicts a war set during the Vietnam War. Released in 1987, the film follows U.S. Marines from brutal recruit training at Parris Island to combat in Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Its unusual two-part structure is central to the film’s meaning. The first half examines military conditioning through Private Joker, Private Pyle, and Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second half moves to Da Nang and Huế, where Joker works as a military journalist before becoming involved in urban combat.

Kubrick based the screenplay on Gustav Hasford’s 1979 novel The Short-Timers, with contributions from war correspondent Michael Herr. The title refers to ammunition whose lead core is enclosed in a harder metal jacket. The Killing, Spartacus, and Paths of Glory are also associated with war or violence, but none is Kubrick’s Vietnam War film.