The recruits are led by the tyrannical Gunnery Sergeant Hartman , who uses psychological and physical abuse to strip them of their individuality.
The first half is set at Parris Island, South Carolina, where a group of Marine recruits undergoes harrowing basic training.
The primary focus is on Leonard "Pyle" Lawrence , an overweight and clumsy recruit who becomes the target of Hartman's relentless cruelty.
After being hazed by his own platoon, Pyle "snaps." He transforms into a disciplined but psychotic marksman.