Platoon (1986)

Platoon, the Oscar winner for Best Picture of 1986, is Oliver Stone's examination of the nature of humanity. Through the eyes of a newly arrived soldier, a "grunt" played by Charlie Sheen, Stone's film attempts to show the two paths that Private Chris Taylor could take during the Vietnam War. He could turn out to be so hardened by the war that killing and destruction seem almost second nature to him, as in the case of Sergeant Barnes, played by Tom Berenger. Or he could become a man who has not yet lost his sensitivity, who still seems to harbor some sort of concern for his fellow human beings, as in the case of Sergeant Elias, played by Willem Defoe.

This morality tale plays itself out in the jungles of Vietnam, as a troop of soldiers makes its way along the border with Cambodia. There are several skirmishes with the Vietnamese soldiers and their allies. Many American soldiers are killed or wounded. Many villagers are harassed and beaten and killed in graphic, brutal fashion during the course of the movie as well. Platoon has numerous scenes that are incredibly uncomfortable to watch. Unlike several of Stone's other films, the narrative is relatively straightforward and easy to follow. As with all good war movies, this film suggests that the emotional and physical and psychological cost of war is just too great. It is, unsurprisingly, an anti-war film (as most of the good ones are).

There is perhaps a bit too obvious a choice that Stone makes in the fight for Taylor's soul between the two sergeants. One of them is quite clearly depicted as a Christ figure at one point. And the other has a series of jagged scars running down his face as if to suggest that he is torn on the inside as well, that he is "not whole." However, even if the choice is obvious, that doesn't mean that the struggle between the two men is any less realistic. This film features some harrowing scenes involving the two sergeants, and their conflict is what drives much of the dramatic tension throughout the movie.

A lot of people who would become famous later on in their careers appear in this film: Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, John McGinley, Kevin Dillon. They're all good here, as are the three lead actors. This is an ensemble film, despite what the billing might suggest. Stone himself even makes a cameo appearance. (What he does to his own character is somewhat ironic, I think.)

If you haven't experienced or studied what the Vietnam era was like, this film can at least give you some perspective of how and why soldiers returned from the war changed. You can't go through what these men saw and did without being different from the way you arrived. Sheen's voice-over narration attempts to capture this sentiment, but I think that's the weakest part of the film. You don't really need words to tell you how much he sees and what he's thinking as the movie progresses. It's pretty obvious and clear.