A Vietnam war drama starring Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and directed by Oliver Stone, Platoon is certainly worthy of its oscar recognition. I am constantly in search of a good war movie, and i was more than satisfied by this one. Its depiction of the Vietnam war is horrifying without disregarding realism. Its illustration of the effect that this war had on the men fighting it is profound. To the soldier, the vietnam war is not a war against the Gooks. It is a fight for survival, both mentally and physically. WWII movies seem to say: "war sucks, but sometimes it's worth it." Vietnam war movies seem to say: "war sucks, but the Vietnam war sucked even harder."
The sucess of a movie is greatly dependent on the acting. In action movies though (and this is an action movie), sometimes the acting is deemed to be less important than special effects or shocking images. In Platoon, the acting is phenomenal. Charlie Sheen (who's father starred in my other favorite Vietnam movie, Apocalypse Now) is perfect for his role as Chris Taylor, a young rich kid who volunteers for the army in an attempt to be sort of an unsung hero of America by breaking down the stereotype that only poor kids go to war. Sheen does a good job of losing his innocence and wrestling with the evils of war. The duality of man is represented by two sergeants protrayed by Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Willem is morally sound, and well-loved by the rest of the platoon, while Berenger is strong and fierce, willing to do anything for the "machine" that is fighting the war. Both Dafoe and Berenger perfectly represent their roles. Their foil even subtly extends to their physical stature. Their contrast though, may i emphasize, is realistic and believable.
Other notable performances include Keith David as King, the man who realizes that the only thing he can do is survive, day by day. John C. McGinley (a favorite of mine due to his role as Dr. Cox on Scrubs) plays Sergeant O'Neil, an outwardly tough man's man who ends up revealing a more fear-driven desire to go home. A single look on McGinley's face when he thinks he is going to be relieved of duty but instead is put in charge of the platoon, that look made his performance. It was also interesting to see Johnny Depp in a normal minor role.
Platoon is supposed to be based off of the real life experiences of Oliver Stone, who both wrote and directed the movie. I think this is why the movie is so real and believable. And the believability is what makes even more horrible. The Vietnam war really was an evil thing, and the effect that it had on these men is incredible. Seeing this movie makes me thankful that I myself did not have to go through such an experience.
More believable and realistic than Apocalypse Now, but not quite as good.
Rating: 9 stars out of 10.
The sucess of a movie is greatly dependent on the acting. In action movies though (and this is an action movie), sometimes the acting is deemed to be less important than special effects or shocking images. In Platoon, the acting is phenomenal. Charlie Sheen (who's father starred in my other favorite Vietnam movie, Apocalypse Now) is perfect for his role as Chris Taylor, a young rich kid who volunteers for the army in an attempt to be sort of an unsung hero of America by breaking down the stereotype that only poor kids go to war. Sheen does a good job of losing his innocence and wrestling with the evils of war. The duality of man is represented by two sergeants protrayed by Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Willem is morally sound, and well-loved by the rest of the platoon, while Berenger is strong and fierce, willing to do anything for the "machine" that is fighting the war. Both Dafoe and Berenger perfectly represent their roles. Their foil even subtly extends to their physical stature. Their contrast though, may i emphasize, is realistic and believable.
Other notable performances include Keith David as King, the man who realizes that the only thing he can do is survive, day by day. John C. McGinley (a favorite of mine due to his role as Dr. Cox on Scrubs) plays Sergeant O'Neil, an outwardly tough man's man who ends up revealing a more fear-driven desire to go home. A single look on McGinley's face when he thinks he is going to be relieved of duty but instead is put in charge of the platoon, that look made his performance. It was also interesting to see Johnny Depp in a normal minor role.
Platoon is supposed to be based off of the real life experiences of Oliver Stone, who both wrote and directed the movie. I think this is why the movie is so real and believable. And the believability is what makes even more horrible. The Vietnam war really was an evil thing, and the effect that it had on these men is incredible. Seeing this movie makes me thankful that I myself did not have to go through such an experience.
More believable and realistic than Apocalypse Now, but not quite as good.
Rating: 9 stars out of 10.
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