Platoon is a movie that came out the year I was born. Funny how I didn't know anything about the Vietnam War until I started watching IMDb Top 250. As much as I like learning something new, especially when it comes in a form of a movie, I wish there weren't so many war (or anti-war) movies on the list. But these are just some general thoughts on the subject. Now let's get to this specific film.
Platoon tells us about the war through the eyes of Chris Taylor, played by Charlie Sheen. He, and his platoon are torn between two sergeants: Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger). It's sort of a like a battle between good and evil, and it may sound a little bit clichéd, in fact there is a lot of dualty in this film. But it's interesting that the enemy doesn't qualify as either good or bad, it isn't taken into account at all, all that matters in this story is the war between the people who fight on the same side. I think that was a very interesting idea.
As I have already said, I don't know much about the Vietnam War, but I think Oliver Stone created a very realistic atmosphere in this film. Probably it because he's an actual Vietnam veteran. The things that were happening in Apocalypse Now weren't so believable, but here the director, the actors, and everybody who took part in making this film did a great job at capturing the war. It's interesting that Charlie Sheen's father, Maritn Sheen, starred in Apocalypse Now, another Vietnam classic.
The same as in The Deer Hunter, I was excited to see so many famous actors, such as Johny Depp, Forest Whitaker, and Willem Dafoe, back when they were young. The actors did well, but I feel like there was no need to mention it, as good acting is an essential part of any war film. Overall, I think that this is a great film. Not my favorite genre though.
Favorite quote: "I love this place at night. The stars... there's no right or wrong in them. They're just there".
Interesting fact: All of the actors had to endure a harsh 14-day boot camp in the Philippines before the shooting of the film commenced. The actors were given military haircuts, were required to stay in character throughout the camp, ate only military rations, were not allowed to shower, slept in the jungle, and even had rotations for night watch.
Having served in vietnam myself, I thought the movie was pretty darn realistic. There really was an internal battle going on between good and evil (all on our side). Although I really liked the movie, I thought Chalie Sheen sucked horribly. The most realistic thing about the movie was the dialogue. Especially between the enlisted men.
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