Review of Platoon (1986) by George H — 03 Mar 2013

Stars: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe.

Writer: Oliver Stone.

Director: Oliver Stone.

I've developed a fascination with war films lately for some odd reason, so I figured I would look in my DVD book and see what war films I owned but had yet to see. I stumbled across Platoon; I knew Platoon was a good film because many critics rank it among the greatest films of all time, and it won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1986. However, the one thing I didn't know is exactly how good it was; if Schindler's List wasn't considered a war film, this would be the best war movie I have ever seen. It has the action that you'd expect from a war film, but the drama and haunting story are what build on Platoon's greatness. Oliver Stone was actually an infantryman in the Vietnam War, and he based much of the film on many of his experiences during his time in Vietnam. I have heard from some people that this is the most accurate interpretation of the life and struggles of soldiers during war, and if it is, it further backs up the idea that truth is more frightful than fiction.

Platoon follows Chris Taylor through his experiences during his duration in Vietnam. Taylor dropped out of college to join combat forces in Vietnam which shocks several of Taylor's fellow soldiers. While on watch duty one night, he falls asleep along with a few other soldiers; the group is attacked by a group of North Vietnamese soldiers due to this irresponsibility. In the conflict, one of the recruits is killed by a rogue grenade. Although other more experienced soldiers were responsible for the attack, the blame falls on Taylor. This decision displays a schism in the platoon's two chief sergeants, Elias and Barnes. Sergeant Elias is compassionate toward the newer soldiers while Staff Sergeant Barnes is harsh and cruel to them. Several conflicts including a horrific scene involving a group of Vietnamese villagers leads to a "civil war" within the platoon with several soldiers siding with Elias and the others siding with Barnes. The film's drama oozes from the conflict within the platoon rather than the conflict with the Vietnamese; this is what separates it from most war films. Many war films display an opposing force as the main antagonist such as Nazi Germany in World War II films or the British in movies about the American Revolution. Although the assumption is that the soldiers fighting on a certain side are united in war films, Platoon challenges this idea and shows that the most dangerous enemies of a soldier in war may be his or her own bunk mates.The cast of Platoon features many high profile names, and this film can attribute to some of the earliest movie roles of several members including Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, and Keith David. The film's lead role belongs to Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor. As I stated in the Wall Street, the film was Sheen's breakout performance as a dramatic actor, and he backs up this claim handsomely. Initially, Taylor is shown as an innocent guy who draws the shortest straw in many of the situations he faces; however, by the film's end, his personality makes a 180 degree turn as he becomes defiant toward Barnes' ruthless attitude toward his fellow soldiers. The conflict within the platoon is outstanding to watch because of the performances of the two sergeants, Willem Dafoe as Elias and Tom Berenger as Barnes. The personalities of these two men couldn't be more different. Dafoe portrays Elias as the calm, cool, and collected official within the platoon; he interacts peacefully with the group and offers help to those who ask. On the other hand, Berenger portrays Barnes as the rough, careless soldier whose own agenda is the main focus of his actions. He wants to kill as many Vietnamese people as he can whether it be morally or immorally, and he stops at nothing to achieve his goals. Dafoe and Berenger's portrayal of their respective characters adds a new dimension of drama and hostility to the film that war movies had not yet shown, and this facet alone can attribute to why many film critics consider Platoon one of the greatest films ever.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography in this film. Stone captures some of the most unique and hauntingly realistic scenes of warfare in this movie. I particularly enjoyed the ambush scene near the beginning of the film and the Vietnamese attack near the end of the film. Both occur at night and parallel each other, but as similar as they are, they seem oddly different because of the way Taylor behaves in each. He is asleep and startled in the early ambush showing his lack of experience in war, but in the final battle, you see how much he has changed from the imperfect college dropout that he initially was. The setting is also very convincing with soldiers having to watch their every step as they trek through the jungles near the Cambodian border. The way these scenes are shot inject tension into the audience due to the fear of what may be lying in the grass directly in front of the platoon. The film's brilliance can be attributed to the story and acting, but the wonderful cinematography sure didn't hurt anything either.Platoon is arguably the best work of Oliver Stone. By inserting his own horrific experiences into this film, he made a cinematic piece of art and one of the best war movies ever. Platoon is quite an experience that makes you respect soldiers for what they go through even more than you initially did. It is well written, well acted, and well shot with very few technical mistakes. This is another one of those American film classics that you have to see. With an honest take on an unpopular war, Platoon will certainly leave a lasting impression.