Element: Ironic Music

Text: Full Metal Jacket (Feature Film)

Film elements played a pivotal role in making Stanley Kubrick’s films the brilliant and universally acclaimed movies they are today. Kubrick was a visionary and was the first to use ironic music and in his master piece – Full Metal Jacket he clearly flaunts it for all to see. He creates unforgettable moments in his movies by contrasting the picture and the music, by explicitly emphasising the contrast, by creating a beautiful juxtaposition of music and picture; he has forever nailed himself in the pages of history of great directors.

Kubrick uses ironic music in the film Full Metal Jacket. Kubrick endeavours to do this to create a feeling in his audience; he uses the contrast between music and film to affect his audience on a subconscious level. He makes the audience uncomfortable or absolutely comfortable to a scene, even though the appropriate feeling should be otherwise.

In Full Metal Jacket the song ‘Mickey Mouse’ is sung at the end of the movie to create a feeling of somewhat happiness and a feeling of optimism. The music distracts the audience from the previous scene and setting that they are currently in – a war torn country with the threat of imminent death. In the previous scene, Kubrick attaches the audience to the emotion of sadness where a young girl soldier is killed out of mercy because she was not dying quick enough. This begs the audience to question: why are we even in Vietnam? Then like a great puppet master he pulls a string and suddenly despite the grim circumstance, a moment of childlike happiness appears.

Kubrick uses the ‘Mickey Mouse’ song not only for its uplifting melody and childlike traits but also for its other meaning to the military. Marines often use ‘Mickey Mouse’ to describe something that is stupid or useless, Kubrick does this to put claim to the insanity of the situation, to the insanity of war. In effect, the soldiers are saying that they are part of a stupid and useless Mickey Mouse club, also known to them as the military. Kubrick relays these sublime messages through his choice of ironic music.

Kubrick was a visionary; the use of ironic music in film was first used by him, usually directors would play music which would complement a scene, the general effect of music was used as a catalyst, an amplifier of a scene, such as Alfred Hitchcocks famous bath scene from the Psycho. The music in Hitchcock’s film creates a sense of fear, the intended emotion for the scene, which is contrary to what Kubrick intends to do with his Ironic music, which is to distance himself from the scene, to make everything that is, not. Although Hitchcock’s scene is very famous, how many other scenes that play normal appropriate music are as impactful as the scene at the end of Full Metal Jacket which plays ironic music? Not many. Kubrick’s films leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Kubrick uses ironic music to another great effect in another scene in Full Metal Jacket. The scene where a prostitute walks up to Joker and Rafter man is accompanied by the song “These boots are made for walking”. The song is about the power of the woman, it is the ability to leave a man who is cheating on her, however, the scene portrays a woman subjecting herself to be objectified as an item to be haggled over. This is clearly a calculated choice by Kubrick. The irony presented in this scene helps amplify the meaning to the audience. It creates a scene that is unforgettable and memorable to the viewers.

The ironic music of the scene also shadows the previous scene in which Private Pyle has killed himself and Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, the audience, was suppose to feel deep sadness because of the previous scene, but, with the next scene being played, with the ironic music “these boots are made for walkin” being played created an uplifting scene instead, it provided a scenario where the music turned a scene that actually is suppose to be utterly disgusting and revolting into a beautiful scene of comedy gold. This scene where a woman was bought for $5 and her “dignity” so openly being cheapened is widely praised, if one clearly thinks about it without the ironic music in context. This scene would definitely not been appropriate and instead of being famous for being brilliant it will be infamous. The sadness of the previous scene was undoubtedly suppose to be continued over, but the use of ironic music allowed Kubrick, to create an uplifting humour, and allowed the audience to instantly forget the previous scene.

The success of ironic music is seen in many movies, with the obvious popularity among the scenes of which Kubrick has used ironic music, many other directors have followed in his footsteps and used this film element to great effect. An example of this face/off directed by John Woo. Woo created an intense fight scene with the song “Somewhere over the rainbow” playing in the background, the scene instantly became memorable. This scene is called “an unforgettable scene” by John Berardinelli a famous online film critic, without the music this scene would be like any other fight scene with guns blazing and macho tendencies all on display, but, when somewhere over the rainbow, the irony of the beautiful land far away beyond the rainbow and the blood bath happening at the same time, allows this scene to be one of the most impactful scenes in the history of Hollywood. Kubrick created the idea of ironic music, and it has influenced Hollywood and the film elements that directors use in all great films.

Kubrick’s use of Ironic music has set the standard for amazing scenes in film. Kubrick is hailed by many as an amazing director and a visionary. Kubrick’s films almost always have ironic music in them, it has become somewhat of a trademark on his work and it has allowed him to do many wonderful things in his films. The film element of ironic music has allowed Kubrick “Unique among filmmakers today” – Jason Ankeny.