Just another Oliver Stone Flick

Rating: 4/10 (19 September 2006)

I remember watching this film about ten years ago and not being impressed. I have since been plagued by people insisting that it is the greatest film of its genre so I decided to watch it again and give it another chance. My original impressions were correct. Some of the acting in this film is truly awful (John C. McGinley, for example, is consistently weak throughout). Also there are some serious questions to be asked of the dialogue. The major problem with the film, however, is the the plot in general and the characters that are central to it. The blatant juxtaposition of Sgt. Barnes with Sgt. Grodin trivialises the atrocities that are committed in war. The gross simplification of the issues by Stone here is actually quite irritating. If one wants to look at a war film that deals with the horrors without being overly sentimental (note Barber's Adagio!) then I would suggest The Deer Hunter.