Platoon (1986)

“First real casualty of war is innocents; the first real movie on the war in Vietnam is Platoon” That is a quote from the trailer that I felt encompassed what I felt about Platoon to a T. What makes Platoon so realistic is that it is part of those rare occasions where you have a story born from a director’s firsthand experience, but that’s what you get with Oliver stone, who served as an infantry soldier in Vietnam, allowing him to create an almost autobiographical account, and in some instances a documentary into the under belly and less glamour side of war – and by glamorous I mean not a place where you shot bad guys, then come home to a giant marching band and a handshake from the president, but instead it’s actually a place where real and sometimes innocent people die. With so much realism it should be no surprise that Platoon won four Oscars in 86 in the best director, picture, sound and cinematography categories. Platoon tells the story of a student named Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) in the late 60’s who joins up for the army believing in his heart that he is fulfilling his patriotic duty, and I feel in some part that deep down he believes that he will go to Vietnam fire a few bullets and return as a hero. But upon reaching, he joins up with a diverse platoon of men, in the outside world would probably never rub shoulders with, but here they move as one, lead by two men; Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) a man with a scared appearance, that adds to his mystical aura of being a man that cannot be killed and the other Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) who through the use of mind altering drugs is able to maintain an air of calm. But Chris Taylor’s dreams of heroism are quickly obliterated as they delve deeper into enemy territory, witnessing acts of despicable evil towards his fellow man by the very same men he serves within the same platoon, making him quickly realizes how naive his ideas of war as they are not a rite of passage he once thought but instead war is actually hell on earth where no side wins, captured perfectly in dark and sinister cinematography. Reading of the credits was like a who’s who of Hollywood icons, it was probably one of the most successful bringing together of star names up until then, with the likes of; tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe (Born on the Fourth of July), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Keith David (The Thing), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Kevin Dillon. You are guaranteed to find a name amongst them that is one of your favourite actors. But in a sea of big names and future big names, I still felt Charlie Sheen (Hot Shots) was able to stand out and deliver a convincing portrayal of a conflicted man, caught up in the ultimate battle with himself as he has to choose between what’s right and doing whatever it takes to survive, so basically choosing between safety of the body or safety of the mind. I also felt with such complex emotions he had to show at a drop of a hat, and doing them so well that it was a surprise and travesty that he wasn't nominated for a single big award. I really do feel that a man’s innocents is truly lost in a war, and it is a shamed you don't get to see it played out on film, but that is what also makes Platoon so special because unlike previous films based on the war in Vietnam such as; Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter or Coming Home. Platoon is the very first not to look at the war from the wide perspective, and not get caught up in the big budget special effects. Instead it takes a profound and uncompromising leap into the very depths of the human condition; never shying away from exposing the sinister side to us such is in the case of Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) and penetrating through the sense of false bravado to leaving a film offering a sincere exploration of self.