Disrespectful to an honorable people

Rating: 2/10 (20 May 2000)

The first scene is of recruits landing in Vietnam. Among them is an enlisted soldier (Charlie Sheen) who we follow throughout the film. Sheen does this because he thinks it's the decent thing to do. When he gets to Vietnam he is in horror. Of course any good war film would show horror, but this one would rather just do that than show some respect. Every word in the film is practically **** and the soldiers' attitudes are terrible. There is a scene when they go through a village and slaughter civilians. Now of course Mey Li is true, but unless your making a movie about that, or only disrespecting some soldiers you should keep your mouth shut. Oliver Stone decides because he was in Nam for a year that all Vietnam War soldiers were a terrible evil force. When the soldiers of Vietnam got home, arrogant, idiot protesters condemed them. This film is a bunch of worthless protesters. A lot of them knew that they were fighting for nothing, yet they still did it anyway because their country asked them to. These honorable men go through so much, and what do they get besides ever lasting respect that they deserve? Trash thrown at them like this movie. Besides being disrespectful it is also depressing beyond belief. Now of course it's okay to have depressing war films, ("Apocalypes Now" was a masterpiece) but this film has empty depressents. Maybe that last scene was suppose to touch people, but it just tried to make something that it was not. When was it ever in the books that Americans fought against themselves viciously? If you want to develop a disrespect for very honorable people and make yourself totally depressed go out and get "Platoon." If you want to see a great version of what Vietnam was I urge you to go out and get Francis Ford Coppalas epic "Apocalypse Now" or for good respect of Vietnam War veterans see "Hamburger Hill." Don't even think that this film has any right to be the least bit near at all to Steven Speilbergs epic "Saving Private Ryan." Platooon definitely didn't deserve that Oscar.