I spend a lot of time up in the air these days and, as a
result, I’ve usually got an audiobook on the go. Alan Partridge’s I, Partridge and Nomad are as exceptional as one would expect. Bruce Robinson’s
exhaustive They All Love Jack may
well be the definitive investigation of the Jack The Ripper murders and is an
absolutely essential listen.
The one audiobook I keep going back to, however, is Full
Metal Jacket Diary which is Matthew Modine’s recounting of his time on the
titular film directed by Stanley Kubrick. I’ve got a thing for Mr. Kubrick.
Firstly his films are meticulously constructed and transcend the film genre.
They are works of art.
Secondly, the manner in which Kubrick constructs his movies
and his dedication to perfection are the stuff of legend. I recognise some of these
blinkered qualities in myself when it comes to music, which is probably why my
band now just consists of my brother and me.
A few weeks ago it was Matthew Modine’s birthday. I sent him
my best wishes via Twitter and advised that I found his audiobook riveting. He
responded by expressing thanks and suggested I write a review. So here goes…
I bought a physical copy of the limited edition, very metal Full Metal Jacket Diary back when it was first released in 2005
(mine is number 09492 of the 20,000 released). As a coffee table book it’s
stunning and I often find myself dipping into it. The behind the scenes photos
are spectacular as is the glimpse at the celebrated wizard behind the green
velvet curtain and the creative process that resulted in “the best war film
ever made”.
The difference with the audiobook is that, shorn of the
photos it very much becomes a story. A human story. One of warmth and affection
for a man we will truly never know, Stanley Kubrick. What surprises you is how
collaborative Kubrick was as a filmmaker, regularly asking Mr. Modine and the
rest of the cast how the film should end and taking on Modine’s suggestion that
there should be a ‘sex’ scene.
The audiobook is so engaging that I recently listened to it
three times on the bounce, and then watched Full
Metal Jacket twice followed by Paths
of Glory and Barry Lyndon. Modine’s
friendly narration and the smatterings of a shockingly awful, but strangely endearing,
Cock-er-ney accent (imagine a less
OTT Dick Van Dyke) make it feel as if he’s leading you by the hand on a journey
which unexpectedly becomes an adventure, an at times arduous, soul-sapping
adventure.
If you’re a fan of Kubrick, or even vaguely interested in filmmaking,
then this is an essential listen. It charts and delineates Modine’s experience
from first hearing about the movie via an awkward conversation with a
competitive Val Kilmer to wrapping the film nearly 2 years later. We learn how
Kubrick wants him to play the role of
Private Joker and the pressures the shoot puts on his friendship with Vincent D’Onofrio.
There are anecdotes aplenty (such as Modine telling jokes
about Stanley Kubrick. To Kubrick himself. and having to beg him to be at his
wife’s bedside when she’s giving birth) and personal reflections that reveal
much about Modine the man and the actor. And Stanley Kubrick.
Because this film consumed his life for an extended period
of time we are also party to Modine’s ruminations on love, war, fatherhood and
life itself. He was in his early twenties when he was cast so we get a snapshot
of a young man placed in extraordinary circumstances. I love that there’s no
hindsight employed, no rearview mirror context to wrap things up in a pretty
pink bow. Just what it meant to him at the time. Perfect.
In fact it’s so good I’m going to put it on and listen to it
again. Again.
Thank you, Mr. Modine.
