The horror of war

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 2001)

Unlike the more ponderous APOCALYPSE NOW, this film is more concise in revealing the horror of war. Oliver Stone uses two allusions to get his point across. One is Sergeant Barnes as "our Captain Ahab" leading the platoon on a doomed mission into the hell of the wartime jungle. The other is Sergeant Elias as a Christ figure.
The battle is for the soul of the naive Chris Taylor. Chris goes through the classic American journey of initiation into evil. The events are harrowing and the film leaves the viewer stunned by the savagery that human being can create. The film can also leave the viewer enlightened about the potential for goodness in human beings.