10 Times Movie Directors Went Too Far To Get A Scene

Stanley Kubrick was known for putting his actors through the wringer. Shelley Duvall famously suffered a nervous breakdown while working with Kubrick on The Shining (1980) and Mathew Modine threatened to cut himself on the set of Full Metal Jacket (1987) after Kubrick was adamant he shouldn't miss work just because his wife was going into labour.

But Kubrick's abuse extended beyond verbal and emotional. One of the more memorable performances from Full Metal Jacket came from former Marine drill instructor R. Lee Ermey, who channeled his real life experiences into the role of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The tirade of abuse he hurled at the cadets was equal parts amusing and terrifying. From lambasting them verbally to physically assaulting them, Hartman was one mean son of a bitch.

Kubrick shot the scenes of Hartman (Ermy) slapping Pvt. Joker (Modine) from a variety of angles to hide the fact no contact was being made. But Kubrick was never satisfied with the results. When it came to shooting the scene when Hartman administers a similar punishment to Pvt. Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio), Kubrick made the decision to do it for real. At one point D'Onofrio was hit so hard that his hat flew from his head, a take used in the final film.