Where was Full Metal Jacket filmed?

One of the most memorable scenes in movie history is the sequence where the recruits undergo brutal basic training preparation from Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The camp scene displays the rigorous nature of Marine Corps boot camp and the extremely difficult physical and mental obstacles that recruits must overcome to become Marines.

Hartman assigns nicknames to the Marines, including "Joker" for a practical recruit who talks negatively about him behind his back (Matthew Modine), "Cowboy" for a recruit from Texas (Arliss Howard), and "Gomer Pyle" for Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), a recruit who is six-foot-three and 280 pounds, lacks intelligence and ambition, and is the subject of Hartman's cruelty due to being unable to keep up with the physically fitter recruits during challenging obstacle courses.

The scene was filmed at the Former Bassingbourn Barracks, located north of Royston on the A505 between Cambridge and Letchworth in Cambridgeshire. This former RAF Bassingbourn airfield was established in 1970, but had been an RAF station since WWII when it served as a bomber airfield for the Eighth Air Force, United States Army Air Forces. It was home to the famous Memphis Belle, a B17 Flying Fortress bomber that flew on bombing raids from 1942-1943. Unfortunately, the site is no longer open to tourists as it is currently being used as an army base for infantry training.

To get to Bassingbourn Barracks, travelers can take a train to either Royston or nearby Letchworth Garden City and then take a taxi or bus from there.

Search Surrey Filming Locations

During a routine evening inspection, Hartman notices that Pyle's foot locker is unlocked. Upon searching it, he finds a jelly donut. Food is prohibited in the barracks, and Pyle, who is overweight, is not allowed to eat donuts. Hartman is enraged and decides to punish all the other recruits in the platoon instead of solely punishing Pyle for his transgression. A few nights later, some of the angry recruits attack Pyle while Cowboy gags him, and a few others hold him down on his bed with a blanket.

The scene was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire County, England. Pinewood Studios, established in 1936, has a total of 23 sound stages ranging from as small as 3,000 sq ft to as large as 59,000 sq ft. Some of the biggest Hollywood productions, such as The Dark Knight, No Time to Die, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, were also shot at this location.

To get to Pinewood Studios, you can take the train from London Paddington Railway Station to Slough, then take a bus to Swallow Street bus stop and walk around 20 minutes to the Pinewood Studios. Please note that Pinewood Studios is not open for public tours. However, they do offer an onsite cinema that is open to the public.

Locate Filming Locations

Joker and Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard), who is a combat photographer, are in Da Nang, reporting on the Vietnam War for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes after a year has passed. While they are walking on the streets, they meet a prostitute (Papillon Soo), and unfortunately, Rafterman's camera gets stolen by a thief (Nguyen Hue Phong). From the streets lined with Vietnamese flags to the chaos and violence of war, it perfectly portrays the tumultuous atmosphere and tone of the Vietnam War.

The Da Nang scenes were filmed at the Isle of Dogs in London, a neighborhood located on the former docklands area just east of Canary Wharf. Over time, the site underwent significant changes but still retains its distinctive architecture, including old warehouses, industrial buildings, and red-brick terraced houses with vibrant colors. The northern area of the Isle of Dogs resembles a contemporary American business district rather than any other region in London.

To reach the Isle of Dogs from central London, you can take either a train or bus from Liverpool Street Station or Fenchurch Street Station. Alternatively, you can board a Thames Clipper river boat at Greenwich Pier for an exciting journey along the Thames with fantastic views along the way.

Browse London Filming Locations

In Stanley Kubrick's iconic war film, the battle scenes were filmed in and around Cliffe, a village in Kent County. The production crew brought in 200 palm trees from Spain and 100,000 plastic tropical plants from Hong Kong to recreate the Vietnam jungle setting for the movie. These scenes feature a memorable montage of tanks barreling through mud and soldiers quickly coming under enemy fire from an adjacent building.

The filming was primarily centered around Cliffe Pools, an area of marshland and coastal shallows along the River Thames in Kent County. With its open horizons, the stunning landscape is a good spot for long summer walks and spectacular views of wintering waders on their migration routes. Several trails offer a picturesque view of the local wildlife as well as to the river itself.

Visitors can easily access Cliffe Pools by car or train; the closest station is Strood, which is a little over five miles away.

Discover Brighton Filming Locations

The squad goes on patrol in factory ruins north of the Perfume River, believed to be a hiding place for enemy forces. Crazy Earl (Kieron Jecchinis) finds a toy rabbit in a ruined building, triggering a booby trap that kills him. As a result, Cowboy becomes the squad leader. The squad then gets lost in more ruins and is targeted by an unseen sniper (Ngoc Le), who wounds two of their comrades, Eightball (Dorian Harewood) and Doc Jay (Jon Stafford).

The filming location for the bombed-out city of Hue was the abandoned gasworks at Beckton, located on the north bank of the Thames near London City Airport. Designer Anton Furst dressed up the industrial site with palm trees to give it a Far Eastern feel. The Beckton Gasworks in London was a large facility that produced coal gas and various products such as coke from coal.

Visitors can get to this location by taking public transportation from Central London. You can also take a bus from Canning Town Station or Stratford Station to reach Beckton Gasworks within 20 minutes.

London Video Shoot Locations Exploration

The helicopter ride scene is a gripping and intense moment in the film. From the safety of the chopper, Joker and Rafterman observe the insanity of war through the sights of an unhinged door gunner. The door gunner proudly boasts about his ability to kill innocent Vietnamese civilians on the ground below, with no regard for their lives. This scene demonstrates the senselessness of war, showing how easily life can be taken away.

The helicopter scenes were shot in Norfolk Broads, located in East Anglia in England’s east. The vast expanse of rivers and lakes known as the broads was used to double as the Mekong River near Vietnam. The Broads were originally peat diggings in medieval times, but they flooded in the 14th century, creating the beautiful waterways we see today. Nowadays, the area is a popular tourist spot, with boaters exploring its natural beauty by boat or canoe.

From London, it takes the best part of three hours by car to get to The Broads National Park, although you can take public transport via rail or bus if you'd prefer not to drive. From Norwich city center itself, it takes just 20 minutes by car.

Video Shoot Locations Guide