One of the best Vietnam-films ever made

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2002)

In this great film Oliver Stone paints a nice but realistic (and therefore sometimes shocking) picture of what the Vietnam War must have been like in those days. In a brilliant way, Stone shows us how the Americans were rather fighting amongst themselves than against the 'real' enemy out there. He also points out that this must have been one of the main reasons why America didn't win the war. This piece of information is what the film is all about. Besides the actual Vietnam War you can see the development of another 'personal' war that starts with a stupid incident but becomes just as strong and dangerous as the real war. Good men were killed when they could have been saved.
In this film, Charlie Sheen is a young soldier who's just started out in Vietnam. He's caught between two superiors who (as he said so himself) fight for the possession of their souls. There's the morally corrupt, merciless 'killer machine' Sgt. Barnes and the much more humane Sgt. Elias who wants to teach his men a sense of compassion and responsibility.
"Platoon" is a great film, in particular because Oliver Stone creates such a thrilling and realistic atmosphere throughout the entire picture. The camera-work is great but unusual as Stone becomes a part of his own film by acting as if he were one of those soldiers. This technique is often used to create a rather claustrophobic and panicky atmosphere and it's best-known as 'subjective camera shots'.
Most of the film takes place in the jungle, but this so-called lack of variation is never boring. The scenes in the jungle are really nerve-wracking, as you never know what could happen next. One moment you have piece and quiet where you can literally hear the birds singing; it's almost as if the war has suddenly ended ... and then there's the ear-deafening noise of gunfire and grenades which, to anyone's surprise, immediately follows in the scene hereafter.
Because of an interesting story with great acting performances, Oliver Stone manages to keep you emotionally involved for the whole time being. Both Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe do a good job, but the most notable performance comes from Charlie Sheen. Interesting to know is that Charlie Sheen's father Martin has also starred in a Vietnam movie many years ago.
Personally, I think "Platoon" is a very good film that gives the viewer an insightful representation of how the Americans may have lost the Vietnam War.