An unique experience about the effects of war

Rating: 10/10 (6 June 2015)

This is my first review on IMDb - Hope you find it helpful
Oliver Stone's career speaks for itself to anyone interested in what this man has to say. His view of the U.S. politics and his realist touch is present in any of his films (and screenplays, look up Scarface-1983). So, when talking about this director, it's either you love him or you're not interested in his message. But he has voice, he has the raw energy and the impulse to make a change, be it social, political or in the film industry.
"Platoon" is a very personal movie. Simply put, it's a must watch. The reasons for me saying this are : I am very fond of war-movies placed in the 20th Century since all the major conflicts of the modern era created the world as it is today, and you will find this one to change your perception about the Vietnam-War that you thought you knew; if you want to see Charlie Sheen's best portrayal of his life you might want to check out this movie; there are a lot of young actors (at the time) in incredibly convincing roles; you have Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger as opposite archetypes; you have intense fight scenes with an outstanding cinematography; the movie is filled with likable characters and even some funny moments and, to top it all - there is compassion, realism and a true sense of revelation through insight present in the story!
The fact that the director himself was a soldier in Vietnam (his first film - in 1971, is about his experience) provides a knowledgeable geometry of feelings about the subject - War in all its vast, vicious and vulgar "splendor". The good guy Chris (Sheen's character) is transformed by the horrors he witnesses, by the people he meets and most of all, by the decisions his fate seems to have taken for him - to be a part of this infernal conflict that seems to consume the spirits of everyone involved.
This is a movie best watched alone, for you to analyze it in detail and to allow it to "leave its mark" upon your perception, because that is what it does. I would compare it to "The Deer Hunter" or "Full Metal Jacket" in its nerve-shattering effect of how a man, noble in thought and kind in action, is a participant in an abominable, absurd yet absolute conflict that will forever change his universe.
For a mature viewer, with plenty of time to digest and discuss it, "Platoon" is one of those rare films that show us the true extent of our violence, vanity and visceral impulses. Man cannot conquer the world if he can't even conquer himself.
I give it a 9.8 out of 10. Enjoy!