The GREATEST war movie ever

Rating: Null/10 (29 March 1999)

I've seen them all. Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Das Boot, Deer Hunter...and the list goes on. Platoon is, by far, the greatest war movie ever made. It affected me the very first time I saw it in 1988, and still affects me even today. Oliver Stone has created one of the great cinematic masterpieces of all-time.
The praise for Saving Private Ryan is very distressing mostly because most of the good things being said of it are all done better in Platoon (perhaps that's why Platoon WON for Best Picture). While it wasn't as grisly or graphic as Saving Private Ryan, I felt utterly more appalled by the violence and reality of war in Platoon. For the first time, I felt as if I was actually IN the movie, experiencing war as the soldiers experienced it. And it was horrifying. I was constantly afraid that the next step would set off a trap, or there were Viet Cong soldiers lurking somewhere in the trees. It was the most nerve-wracking experience I've ever had in a movie. It scared me more than any horror film I've ever seen, yet, it's that very fear that makes the ultimate statement in the movie.
Stone paints a gruesome picture of war through they eyes of one soldier. Charlie Sheen's subdued performance is perfect for this film. We can literally see his tranformation from a clueless green soldier to a gritty, experienced veteran of war. It's a transformation that we as viewers can follow and understand. We all experience his emotions, fears, and curiosity about war. And we are taken along for the ride without any veils pulled over our eyes.
This film is far and away the greatest war movie ever. It illustrates both the good and bad about American soldiers and war in general. War can sometimes turn grown men into monsters. It can sometimes turn monsters into grown men. Oliver Stone does a brilliant job in illustrating this. his decision to narrate the story through Charlie Sheen's character is both effective and brilliant. It provides the audience with an understanding and a face to attach the horror to.
In so many ways this movie is superior to Private Ryan. Its story is universal and broad while its focus is perfectly condensed and realized.
Bravo to Platoon!