This film is really something ***SPOILERS***

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2002)

Even after 16 years, "Platoon" still is something that is wondrous to behold. Directed by Oliver Stone, whose personal experiences in the Vietnam War were inspirations for the film's script, makes this movie simply stunning.
The four Oscars that this movie won including Best Picture and Best Director - Oliver Stone just goes to show how amazing this movie is. The musical score is also one of the best I've ever heard.
Evidently, some people today, don't really think that this movie is as great as it used to be. "Platoon" over the years has received quite a bit of criticism. For example, some people have attacked the possibility of a civil war ever erupting between two groups of soldiers in a platoon. I agree it is hard to imagine something like that happening, but that doesn't mean it isn't likely. The tension that grows between Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Elias (Willem Dafoe) has been growing for some time. Barnes believes that the Vietnamese should be wiped off the face of the earth. Elias, who is slightly more humanitarian, believes that the war is already lost and has deeply immersed himself in drugs just to escape the grim realities of Vietnam. Elias' demise at the hands of Barnes goes to show how far down the path he has gone. Two things to watch out for between these two: Elias' in his final climatic scene and Barnes' burning red eyes at the end of the movie.
Another criticism people seem to have with this movie, is its special effects, namely explosions, gunfire, etc. People have attacked the effects because to them, they say that they're dated. Well of course they are, this movie was made in 1986. Compared to today's war movies such as "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan", it's no wonder that it will seem out-dated.
But the effects in this film were pretty state-of-art when this movie was released.
The performances here are excellent. I've never seen Tom Berenger or Willem Dafoe in better performances. Of course, this is really Charlie Sheen's movie, as this is his best role yet. The supporting performances from Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Depp, John C. McGinley and Kevin Dillon are amongst some of their finest performances as well.
This is Oliver Stone's finest directorial effort to date. He's never matched it but has come pretty close especially with "JFK" and "Born on the Fourth of July" under his belt.
10/10