Right, I might also be misremembering, but up until this scene the opening sequence was presented as a little light hearted. Which I took as a way to communicate how young and innocent the people who fight our wars tend to be before showcasing the result of the mental anguish caused by just their training.
The film is kind of like this slow descent into hell in a lot of ways. Chuds fondly love the boot camp segment but that was clearly meant to show audiences how the military begins to destroy you. Like I said the first real soldier to become a soldier was Pyle then at the end of the film it's the protagonist when he executes the woman sniper, so it completes both arcs of the character's descent into hell.
I'd have to re-watch it, but I thought the protagonist didn't so much execute the woman sniper so much as he put her out of her misery. As I recall, she was badly wounded and asking for one of them to shoot her. I don't have a good take on what that scene is supposed to communicate, but I don't think the best reading is the protagonist finally becoming a mindless killing machine/"real soldier."
Yeah, I definitely think that it was out of compassion but then whatever remorse he might have felt over it didn’t last long. Not long after he’s joining along gleefully with the Micky Mouse song.
Right, I might also be misremembering, but up until this scene the opening sequence was presented as a little light hearted. Which I took as a way to communicate how young and innocent the people who fight our wars tend to be before showcasing the result of the mental anguish caused by just their training.
The film is kind of like this slow descent into hell in a lot of ways. Chuds fondly love the boot camp segment but that was clearly meant to show audiences how the military begins to destroy you. Like I said the first real soldier to become a soldier was Pyle then at the end of the film it's the protagonist when he executes the woman sniper, so it completes both arcs of the character's descent into hell.
I'd have to re-watch it, but I thought the protagonist didn't so much execute the woman sniper so much as he put her out of her misery. As I recall, she was badly wounded and asking for one of them to shoot her. I don't have a good take on what that scene is supposed to communicate, but I don't think the best reading is the protagonist finally becoming a mindless killing machine/"real soldier."
Could be, but that's my take.
Yeah, I definitely think that it was out of compassion but then whatever remorse he might have felt over it didn’t last long. Not long after he’s joining along gleefully with the Micky Mouse song.