With devastating effects, and an undoubtedly grim approach to the war in Vietnam, Platoon takes a close-up look at the politically-catastrophic, and pathologically insane, attempt to take control of an unsafe and frenzied foreign territory.
Charlie Sheen stands out as the mentally scarred and unprepared rookie soldier, but a strong cast is able to flesh out what is a largely placid film. Whilst the film was no doubt a huge film in its day, it is hard to truly invest in any of the film’s characters, a major flaw within cinema. Although the film does portray the spontaneous, gritty and manic nature of war, it never really hits home in the way it should.
7/10
4 comments:
how do you think the film compares with apocalypse now? from what i remember this was a great Vietnam action film with some fantastic emotional scenes in it. what did you think of William Defoe in it by the way? and what have you learnt about the Vietnam war from watching this film that you didn't already know beforehand.
what i find interesting about the Vietnam war is that very few people who watch Vietnam war films like Platoon and others actually understand why America went to war in Vietnam in the first place. which in many ways is funny, because many of the characters portrayed in films like Platoon don't really know themselves why they're fighting in Vietnam. In many ways it's one of the most misunderstood wars, yet despite this it still provokes very strong reactions and emotions in America, with the general consensus being it was a mistake, and the American soldiers that died there, in the end, died for nothing. Just wondered if you got that impression from watching Platoon?
I won't comment on Dafoe because my memories of the film are hazy let alone remembering any specific performance.
However, the general consensus (in most war films) from soldiers is more a sense of duty, rather than purpose. They feel that they're there on duty to provide an attacking front for the US, rather than protecting their assets or protecting locals.
Soldiers have a very laissé faire attitude, shall we say?
You make a good point with regard to soldiers and their sense of duty over purpose. I think there is some truth in that. Your comment about soldiers protecting locals is ironic, considering American soldiers in Vietnam committed some horrific war crimes against the Vietnamese.
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