In one of the many startling and morally jagged moments that propel Jarhead, a Marine squad readies for combat by watching the ”Ride of the Valkyries” attack sequence from Apocalypse Now. As the choppers lay waste to a Vietnamese village, the Marines erupt in cheers, imitating the soldiers on screen — the tapping of a rifle magazine on a helmet. These Marines were hungry to kill, to ”get some.” Yet for any civilian who has watched that helicopter raid, it’s a shock to encounter young soldiers getting off on the thrill and dismissing the horror.

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