Flat-out harrowing and very unsincere.

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2001)

Flat-out harrowing and very unsincere war epic, director Oliver Stone used his own experience in the battle to create this movie and I really admire for doing just that. What I also admire in the film is the first-rate cast, headed by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe.
The film is seen and told through the eyes of Chris (Sheen), a college dropout who enters the Airborne Division and ultimately gets more than he bargained for.
Chris becomes a close friend to the patron saint-like SGT. Elias (Dafoe), while he despises the scar-faced and bitter Barnes (Berenger), the other SGT. who is a higher ranking officer in the company. The hatred and disrespect that Barnes and Elias show toward each other eventually consumes everybody in both units.
Stone is very smart in setting up most of the shootouts and he does it so where any G.I. goes to for cover, they're always in danger of being hit by anything (enemy or friendly fire, a mortar or long-range shell). To survive a single battle in this war without being shot or witnessing some god-awful sight like seeing a friend dying was very common. That I can understand.
The performances given here are than memorable, it leaves an everlasting (and paralyzing) effect on one. One example would seeing the reaction on Chris's face when he notices that Elias is still on the ground and being shot at by several V.C..
What Oliver Stone has made here is a classic and I was satisfied although Dafoe didn't get a Best Supporting Actor Oscar is a real mystery.