Elite Portrayal of War's Hideous Realities

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2019)

In 1986, former Vietnam War infantry man Oliver Stone brought "Platoon" to the screen, and with it all the brutal realities of war that Hollywood had recently shunned in favor of the vulgarities of Rambo-tinted fireworks. By so many accounts of those that served our country, this is a stunningly accurate and authentic depiction of boots-on-the-ground wartime in Vietnam, in equal parts aching and unvarnished.
The film leans heavily on the tale of the progressively lost innocence of an infantryman in a role that saw Charlie Sheen emerge from under his father Martin's legendary performance in "Apocalypse Now," particularly as Charlie's voiceover is evoked as he reads letters of acute introspection to his grandmother back home (this is an exceedingly well-acted film from top to bottom). As the platoon takes on a largely unseen enemy, the combat scenes are wholly immersive yet alarmingly difficult to watch, and as well they should be -- yet they're also beautifully executed in the context of expert filmmaking, as a dark, faceless claustrophobia permeates throughout.
"Platoon" remains in that small group of films -- regardless of subject matter -- which manage to tell whatever their specific story is with a far greater depth of nuance than others who fall short of the mark. In our current environment -- in which our one-time thirst for wartime truths has arguably been suppressed by a sheer exhaustion with endless conflicts -- "Platoon" may not be front-of-mind for our escapist consumer population. Yet here it waits, immortalized with great storytelling and great performances, and with a message destined to reemerge at our current expense of selectively looking the other way. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)