Our hero that tells us
this is Chris Taylor, played by Charlie Sheen, a young American who quit
college to enlist in the army because he was tired of the burden of fighting
being on the poor and uneducated. The film starts just as he is put in Vietnam.
He’s definitely a diamond in the rough, but he adds himself with his fellow
men, especially Elias, played by Willem Dafoe, a free-spirited leader of the
platoon. Elias finds himself up against Barnes, played by Tom Berenger, Elias’
no-nonsense equivalent. After a part where Barnes superfluously kills a
villager and almost murders a child, the tension between the two men really
heats us, and the platoon is divided in two.
This is a film filled
with unforgettable characters and moments. Everyone knows the slow-motion
shooting kills of one of the characters, but maybe the most memorable scene is
the one where Barnes shows how he really is at the village. It’s here that you
see how deadly conflict can be. If Barnes has humanity in him is questionable,
but if he was, it’s clear the war has sucked all of that out of him.
The fight scenes in “Platoon”
are also really awesome. Gilpatrick said, “Everything feels incredibly
chaotic—not in a shaky-cam sort of way, but rather the characters don’t know
what’s going on. The final confrontation with the Viet Cong in particular
demonstrates not only how much the characters have changed, but also how little
they know about what’s going on around them.” When a plan doesn’t go the way you
want, what is the alternative? Just run around and shoot people, sounds like
the right solution.
The film also has one
of the best ensemble casts ever. Charlie Sheen leads the way with a great
performance, one of the best of his career. Gilpatrick noted, “Chris is full of
philosophy and optimism when his tour begins. By the end, he’s a shell of a
human being.” He no longer cares of himself, he just wants to kill.
The two best performances
of the great ensemble were nominated for Oscars. Tom Berenger is a portrayal of
evil as Barnes. Willem Dafoe plays a little more complicated character. Elias
earns our sympathy, just by going against Barnes. He earns our respect for
stopping a violent murder. However, he can still murder, and when the worst
comes his way, he does exactly that.
The rest of the cast is
consisted of Johnny Depp (blink and you’ll miss him), Forest Whitaker, Keith
David, John C. McGinley and Kevin Dillon. Gilpatrick noted, “David and Dillon
have the meatiest roles. The former plays a happy-go-lucky soldier who is lucky
enough to get out. The latter is a bloodthirsty disciple of Barnes.”
Gilpatrick admitted, “Platoon
is quite simply one of the most powerful motion pictures I’ve ever seen.” War
films are not made very much, but they don’t make them like this a lot. There’s
nothing completely unique about it. It’s just an extremely well-told story.
Since “Platoon,” Oliver Stone has been hit or mess. However, he’ll always be
able to retire on this masterpiece, which is as good a film as any.
You should definitely
see this movie, it is a must. If you loved all the other Vietnam War movies,
this one you will love as well. Charlie Sheen’s character was portrayed through
Oliver Stone’s experience of being in the Vietnam War. Sheen was Stone
throughout that movie. Sheen also does note that Stone was really rough with
the cast. This is one that is not to be missed and you should not skip over.
See it for yourself, and be in for one heck of an experience that you have
never been on before.
People may or may not
know this, but this movie is the first in Oliver Stone’s “Vietnam Trilogy.” To
know how the others were, stay tuned next week when I look at the second
installment in “Vietnam War Movie Month.”
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