Depressing and Raw

Rating: Null/10 (17 August 2012)

Platoon (1986)
**** (out of 4)
Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam film has a new soldier (Charlie Sheen) arriving in the jungle not fully knowing what to expect and for the next year we follow his platoon as they lose one man after another. I really don't think PLATOON is one of the greatest films ever made and I'm not certain I'd even place it among the best films of the decade but you have to admire a war film that doesn't try to be manly or fun. This is one of the most depressing, dark and somber films you're ever going to see about the war and I think this is its strongest aspect. It's even more raw when you know that Stone went through this stuff and is basically sharing his memories of what it was like serving in Vietnam. I wasn't even born yet so I'm not going to sit here and say which film most realistically captured the war but when I hear people say this is the closest it's easy to see why. Stone's direction is certainly the star here because he really makes the viewer feel like they were in a platoon and there's no question that the director gets his points across without preaching. The film is ultra intense during certain scenes and brutally sad in others and especially during a scene where villagers are attacked and we're not even sure if they're guilty or not. The entire thing does make you wonder why such violence was needed and if it accomplishes anything. Of course, looking back on the film today you are amazed at how many great performers are here. Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Sheen are all excellent in their leading bits but we get terrific support from the likes of Forest Whitaker, Keith David, Francesco Quinn, John C. McGinley, Kevin Dillon, Tony Todd and Johnny Depp. PLATOON isn't a fun film to watch but then again should a film like this be "fun" to watch?