This was a devastating blow to the American cause and morale, as North Vietnamese soldiers hit so many targets simultaneously and unexpectedly. During this half of the movie we see newly graduated Sergeant Joker covering the Tet Offensive for Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper created to boost the morale of the soldiers overseas. Private Joker takes on an "apprentice," Private Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard), another young soldier working for the newspaper. Private Joker and Rafterman meet up with troops out in the field, including the company that Joker's friend from boot camp, Private Cowboy (Arliss Howard) is now in. The film ends with Private Joker eventually shooting a sniper that has shot and killed nearly all of the remaining members of the troop. One of the surprises in this battle is that the lone sniper is a young Vietnamese girl. This is a shock after watching a film that portrays men as dominant beings and powerful violent personalities. Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987) uses the stereotypes of race, class, gender, and sexuality and race to convey his thoughts on the duality of man and the psychological effects of war on the role of traditional masculinity.
One of the disturbing aspects of the film is its constant use of stereotypes in depicting not only the people of Vietnam, but also the soldiers themselves. Racial stereotypes are present in many scenes of the movie. For example, the Vietnamese people are constantly referred to as "gooks" or "gookers." The Vietnamese soldiers and people that are interacted with during the movie are all either pimps or prostitutes with the exception of the female sniper who fights alone in the final "battle" of the film. The Vietnamese thief who steals Rafterman's camera during the opening scenes in Vietnam mocks the American racist attitude toward Asian cultures by executing a few martial arts moves in the style of Bruce Lee before leaving on the back of a motorcycle.
