What a war

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2016)

The only military conflict that was in the American experience similar to Vietnam was the Phillipine Insurrection. I doubt that any of the characters whom Oliver Stone created for Platoon would even have known we were in a five year war in the Phillipines battling elements wanting independence after the Spanish-American War made the territory our's.
This was a war without uniforms or battle lines. No one knew who was friend or foe. That bred callousness of an extreme kind into our troops. They learned to shoot first then fake a story for the official report. This is what we see in Platoon.
Charlie Sheen is a newly arrived private in Vietnam and through him Oliver Stone the director/writer of Platoon tells the story of his war. He gets caught in a power struggle between Sergeants Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger who are presented as good versus evil. Dafoe is a professional soldier who has managed to keep some semblance of humanity. Berenger has totally lost it. A Yin and Yang of personal valor.
Other films like Casualties Of War and Apocalypse Now have given their Vietnam stories. I like Casualties Of War as a favorite Vietnam film of mine, but Platoon certainly has its merits. I think an awful lot who were there will say Platoon is the real deal.
Some familiar people are scattered through the supporting cast. One that stands out is Matt's younger brother Kevin who plays a kind of Berenger in training. I doubt this kid from small town USA ever imagined himself doing the brutal things he does. He learned his lessons from Vietnam well and Berenger was a good teacher.
Platoon got several Oscar nominations. Not my favorite Vietnam war film, but a very good one.