The horrors of the war

Rating: Null/10 (27 December 2009)

Chris Taylor is a young, naive American who gives up college and volunteers for combat in Vietnam. Upon arrival, he quickly discovers that his presence is quite nonessential, and is considered insignificant to the other soldiers, as he has not fought for as long as the rest of them and felt the effects of combat. Chris has two commanding officers, the ill-tempered and indestructible Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes and the more pleasant and cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin. A line is drawn between the two officers and a number of men in the platoon when an illegal killing occurs during a village raid. As the war continues, Chris himself draws towards psychological meltdown... Oliver Stone's Platoon is an epic film that depicts the Vietnam War and the horrific things that some men did and witnessed, it also shows the insanity of war, the terrible conditions the soldiers fought under, and perhaps more importantly, the psychological element that wore down so many men. Stone used some of his own experiences of being in Vietnam to write this story and the result is what seems to be a very authentic and realistic film. It's a gritty and emotional look at this terrible conflict, mostly seen through the perspective of the young recruit Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). The main storyline and possible the most interesting aspect of the film is the realization by Taylor, that he is fighting two battles, the conflict with the enemy and the conflict between the men within his platoon. In terms of the story I thought it was terrific and it feels/looks authentic, however, with the exception of Sheen, the acting was a bit over the top and quite a distraction. The musical score is very effective with the "Adagio for Strings" composition really bringing all the emotion out of the scenes. In conclusion, Platoon is a great war film, it might be disturbing but it's also necessary. On a side note, I watched a version with not so great quality, so I might enjoy the film a little more upon a second viewing.
7.5/10