It goes without saying that this film and "Apocalypse Now" (1979) are the greatest Nam war flicks. The true debate would be which is superior. While "Apocalypse Now" perhaps delivers stronger performances and is more impressive from a cinematic standpoint, "Platoon" is a more accurate depiction of the war itself. The director, Oliver Stone, served in Vietnam, and uses his experiences within the film. Overall, it is my opinion that "Platoon" is the superior film.
Chris Taylor has volunteered to fight in the war, because he wants to carry on his family legacy (father and grandfather had fought in previous wars). He is put in a platoon with a handful of unique characters, who have all in one way or another been damaged by Nam. He meets Sergeant Barnes, who is hell-bent on winning the war by any means necessary. He also meets Sergeant Elias, who couldn't be more different than Barnes. As the war progresses, these three men develop relationships that result in murder and betrayal.
The shining performance of the film is Willem Dafoe as Elias. He is a truly phenomenal actor, and this may be his great performance (either this or Last Temptation of Christ). Tom Berenger also delivers a solid performance; a cold, calculating antagonist that you can't decide is wrong or right.
Say what you want about Charlie Sheen, but his performance in this film is quite exceptional. Following in his father's footsteps (who starred in Apocalypse Now), Sheen showed much promise as Christ Taylor. Unfortunately, after his success in "Wall Street" (1987), Sheen disappeared into comedic trash.
The best part of this film, however, is its beautiful direction at the hands of Oliver Stone. This is the type of film that, while watching it, you can't help but think how beautiful and tragic a film can look. Creating beauty out of violence is incredibly difficult (visual beauty, not beauty in subject matter). Stone delivered his best film with "Platoon". It was very deserving of its Best Picture win that year.
No comments:
Post a Comment