Platoon
Platoon (1986)
Writer: Oliver Stone
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Reggie Johnson, Mark Moses, Corey Glover, Johnny Depp, Chris Pedersen, Bob Orwig, Corkey Ford, David Neidorf, Richard Edson, Tony Todd
Synopsis:
In 1967, Chris Taylor (Sheen) opts to drop out of university to volunteer for combat in the Vietnam War. However, things aren't as he imagined they would be as he is ostracized by the rest of his platoonmates because he hasn't put his time in yet. The platoon is led by two non-commissioned officers, the intense and ill-tempered SSgt. Barnes (Berenger) and the more pleasant Sgt. Elias (Dafoe), who often butt heads when it comes to leading them men. The conflict between the two NCOs is intensified when Barnes commits an illegal killing during the raid of a Vietnamese village pulling the whole platoon into conflict. As the war drags on, Chris is pulled by the influence of both men, leading him to have a near psychological breakdown as he realizes that he if fighting both the VC and the men in his own platoon.
First Impressions:
I was 10 years old when this film released, so I wasn't able to see it in theaters but I did catch several years later thanks to the magic of home video. As a teenager, I thought it was a cool war film that had lots of shooting, blood, cursing and all that stuff one tends to find in a war movie. It wasn't until later viewings that I really began to appreciate the point Stone was trying to make with the movie. All that stuff that I was drawn to as a young man was just the backdrop and the film was really about the impact of war on a young man's psyche. That elevated it to one of my favorite films in the genre. It's one I don't go back to often because it's an intense experience but I'm excited to view it with a more critical eye. Let's dive in.
*** Please Note: This film is a frank exploration of war and depicts a less-enlightened period of time. As a result, it contains language and depicts activities that are often avoided in modern movies. You have been warned. ***
"Somebody once wrote, 'Hell is the impossibility of reason.' That's what this place feels like. Hell."
It's well known that director Oliver Stone drew from his own experiences during Vietnam when writing the script for this film. I think that's why, to me anyway, this film seems more like a personal journey than many other films in the genre. It starts with a title card with a bible verse from the book of Ecclesiastes - "Rejoice O young man in thy youth..." That's something that caught me on this most recent viewing that I didn't really pay much heed to in previous viewings. Maybe it did because I'm not a young man anymore so it hit a little closer to home but it boils down an often unmentioned casualty of war. Of course the death of thousands of young men and innocents in these conflicts (particularly in 'Nam) dominates conversations about war (rightfully so) as does laments for the physical and mental injuries brought back by many of the survivors. However, we often forget that most of the men asked to fight in these conflicts are barely men at all. Most are boys, fresh out of high school and most are from underprivileged backgrounds. These men didn't have the opportunity to be young adults like they're supposed to and instead were exposed to all manner of heinous shit and then were dumped back into the world after their tour was over to fend for themselves. I guess, this rang true with me because I grew up during a time of relative peace and I was afforded the privilege to waste my youth as I saw fit (and boy, did I). Anyhoo, that's enough musings from an old man for now, let's talk more about the film's story.
Unlike many modern war movies that tend to emphasize the bond formed between soldiers during war, this film takes the opposite approach as Chris' journey is filled with a lot of animosity from those he served with. However, in essence, I think the film's story is best summed up by the famous quote by, I think Sitting Bull, "Inside of me there are two dogs. One is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all of the time. When asked which one wins I answer, the one I feed the most." In the case of Platoon, it's Barnes and Elias battling over Chris' soul and in the end, neither one wins and only Chris loses. The focus on the internal struggle was certainly unusual for a war movie during the mid-80s as most movies being produced were very patriotic in nature and had a very "America kicks ass!" sensibility about them. Anyways, I really appreciated what Stone did with the story and I think it inspired a lot of subsequent films in the genre to veer away from the overtly patriotic to focus more on the men fighting than who they're fighting for.
Acting/Characters:
So, this film was produced relatively early in Charlie Sheen's career and long before he had Tiger Blood (well, maybe he did and just didn't know it yet). It's interesting to see him in this type of role because it's very subdued and isn't at all like many of the roles he's played since. Chris is just a typical middle class kid that's completely out of his element and is terrified 24/7. Honestly, it was refreshing to see Sheen take on that type of role and I think he did a good job. There's a particular scene during the raid on the Vietnamese village where Barnes is interrogating the Honcho and the look on Taylor's face is haunting because he knows he should speak up, he knows he should stop Barnes but no words come when he opens his mouth. This si the power that men like Barnes can hold over us, they're just so terrifying.
Speaking of Barnes, by far the best performance in the film was that of Tom Berenger's, which was nominated for Best Supporting actor in that year's Academy Awards. Barnes is an absolutely terrifying character. He is a man of singular purpose and will accomplish his mission at any cost. From a certain perspective, one could almost admire that trait, but Barnes has been in combat for so long that his mind has been twisted and he sees VC everywhere even in the average Vietnamese villager he's actually sent there to protect. He is the epitome of why so many people protested against the Vietnam War. Berenger plays the role with such a fierce intensity and certainty that it's easy to belive why so many men in the platoon would follow him. Great performance.
While we're on the subject of Academy Award-nominated performances, let's talk about Willem Dafoe's turn as Sgt. Elias, the good dog to Barnes' evil one. Elias is one of those types of leaders that the world needs more of. He's compassionate, understanding and while he's served since the beginning of the war, he's been able to maintain a proper perspective on the whole thing. It's an interesting casting choice as Dafoe is often (certainly these days) as evil or at least ambiguous characters. That's why it's such a great performance because it's so against type and those, in my mind, are the most fun to watch when the actor subverts all expectations, which Dafoe did.
Visuals/Action:
Being a film about the Vietnam War, there's obviously going to be quite a bit of action. However, it's not typical 80s movie-style action. It's more technical rather than bombastic and it's depicted with more respect than you'd find in a standard action film of the day. It's loud, it's chaotic and really helps immerse the audience in what combat was like during that war.
Because Stone wanted to depict the horrors of war as accurately as possible, there is a fair amount graphic imagery. Whether its explosions, bullet-wounds or blown-off limbs the practical effects department did their jobs well. Whenever the film needs to depict this type of stuff, it does so with a great deal of respect and doesn't play it off for shock value or for laughs. In comparison to many modern films, the gore is actually pretty subdued but it's still effective in getting the point across and that point is that war sucks.
Score/Soundtrack:
The score in this film was composed by George Delerue and is really one of the more iconic war film scores in cinema history. Again, the film goes against type by opting to go with quieter, more introspective music, rather than the more typical snare and brass-heavy music associated with the genre. In particular, the theme that plays during the helicopter escape (no spoilers from me, just in case you haven't seen it) has become a classic piece of music and has, sadly, been used in a fair few parodies, which may diminish its effectiveness for those who haven't seen it yet.
Taking place in the 60s, the film also makes use of some contemporary (for the time anyway) hits, including Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit (guess what they're doing when that song plays), Merel Haggard's Okie from Muskogee and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' Tracks of My Tears. As usual these period songs help the audience immerse themselves in the time the film was set. Top marks for the music.
Final Verdict:
This is still a great film and it will continue to maintain a spot near the top of my list of favorite war movies. However, it's an intense experience and not for the faint of heart. If you enjoy war films and are maybe looking for a different experience check it out if you can find it on streaming (or better yet, pop in a DVD or Blu-ray of it).
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