Emotional look at the war in Vietnam, seen through the eyes of a young man who discovers that the Viet Cong are not the only enemies he has to fight. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Rating: R Release Date: 11-JAN-2005 Media Type: DVD
Platoon put writer-turned-director Oliver Stone on the Hollywood map; it is still his most acclaimed and effective film, probably because it is based on Stone's firsthand experience as an American soldier in Vietnam. Chris (Charlie Sheen) is an infantryman whose loyalty is tested by two superior officers: Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), a former hippie humanist who really cares about his men (this was a few years before he played Jesus in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ), and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a moody, macho soldier who may have gone over to the dark side. The personalities of the two sergeants correspond to their combat drugs of choice--pot for Elias and booze for Barnes. Stone has become known for his sledgehammer visual style, but in this film it seems perfectly appropriate. His violent and disorienting images have a terrifying immediacy, a you-are-there quality that gives you a sense of how things may have felt to an infantryman in the jungles of Vietnam. Platoon won Oscars for best picture and director. --Jim Emerson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Truly Essential for War flick buffs.:
Actually, a must have for anyone who enjoys a good picture. All star cast, great story, truly moving in an emotional sense (watch the Bunker Scene, with Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears"). WATCH THIS MOVIE!! Gonzo
A Must See...:
Its an Oliver Stone Semi-Autobiographical of his time in Vietnam. Throw in Dale Dye as a Technical Advisor a man that served 3 tours in Nam with 31 engagements and you can bet the film is as real as it gets in its accounts on man vs everything thrown at him. This is my favorite movie and has been since I seen it. God Bless everyone that served in Vietnam.
The stars... there's no right or wrong in them. They're just there:
Oliver Stone directed this powerful film about the Viet Nam War. It is dedicated to the soldiers who fought there, but it depicts a horrible morass, a moral quagmire, that questions the mission, and our whole involvement in that sorry chapter in our nation's history. I saw the Viet Nam memorial in Washington, D.C., and it is very moving, and a fitting monument to that war. It is just a black stone wall with lots of names, the numerous soldiers who died there. Why is that so fitting? It is a black wall,... more info
Make sure you have a box of Kleenex by you.:
I remember I was still rather young when this came out.
I remember seeing Vietnam vets on tv coming out of the theater crying.
I was too young to understand.
Fast forward a few years, I watched it, and didn't stop crying for I don't remember how long.
A powerful and disturbing view of the Vietnam War.
The script, acting, directing, everything is masterful.
One of the few movies I'm glad won the academy for best picture.
It's not the usual anti war stuff either, it... more info
