A Critical analysis of The film “Platoon” Essay

The Vietnam War was on everyones mind in 1960s and 1970s in our country. It was the center of some(prenominal) of Americas troubles during this time, only when only the soldiers who fought in that state of war knew the true madness that was Vietnam. Oliver rock candy began writing Platoon because the Vietnam War was a pocket of our history nobody understands. (Schuer t24) Platoon is a movie which should be viewed by everyone, not only for its cinematic qualities but for its historic insight as well.Platoon is an Orion Pictures production, learned in 1986. Written and directed by Oliver Stone it tells the gruesome story of a Vietnam War not kn profess by the American public. Tom Beringer, who plays the set outd Sergeant Barnes, was nominated in the beat out Supporting Actor category along with Willem Defoe who plays Sergeant Elias. Charlie Sheen plays Chris Taylor, an proud student who had dropped out of college, joined the army, and volunteered for Vietnam. His idealism and v iew of war in general rapidly change during the course of the film. The character is based absent the director Oliver Stone, who dropped out of Yale to join the war effort.Chris and the rest of the soldiers argon unmindful(predicate) of what they are getting into and are given little time to prepare. pin down in the cage of front-line life, living (if theyre luck) from moment to moment, values that follow out elsewhere fade out for Barnes and others (Kauffman 24). While serving his time Taylor experience the war in its full spectrum, from the homesickness and the comradery of the men to the nightmares of battle.Read to a faultCritical Evaluation Essay TopicsThe enemy is the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong but you rarely view them except as shadowy figures in the jungle or momentarily illuminated by the light of a flare. in that respect are no defined battle lines and the combat scenes lead you to consider that the enemy is everywhere. The line between good and evil is blurr ed or nonexistent in this film. Sergeant Elias is portrayed as a caring, happy leader who escapes reality through the use of drugs. His nemesis, Sergeant Barnes, is portrayed as an efficient fighting machine who will stop at naught to get the job done. You soon realize that he, too, is salutary doing everything to ensure his own survival.Platoon shows how the War affected the soldiers, and how none of them feltthat they were fighting for a reason. The film shows the Vietnam experience from the average soldiers point of view. In the scratch line Chris Taylor is very ignorant and his chances of survival are slim. The movie went beyond incisively showing battles, with the showing of the moral dilemmas that the soldiers faced. The film does not in whatsoever trend glorify the war in Vietnam. It is a gritty give ear at what the soldiers endured while serving their country. The men in the platoon come from all(a) walks of life and all over the country. However they all share the alike desire to serve their time and get as far aside from the fighting as possible. There is not one soldier in the jungle whose mind is not irrevocably warped by the ravages of war. nigh critics complain that the character development in the story is weak and at that place is no plot. J.P. Stern of U S News and World writing states that The Central Plot tension the battle for a young one-on-ones soul between a good sergeant who has carry humanity and a bad sergeant who has become a sidesplitting machine is not very tense. However, the introduction of the entire cast in the film is what sets the film apart from others like it. There are no real heroes in this movie and no real villains. There is unspoiled a group of frightened men fighting for survival in their own ways and counting the days until they can leave the country. closely the entire film is set in a very thick-skulled jungle with tall grass and a beautiful landscape. All of the soldiers are forced to walk throug h thick jungle with biting insects, and mystical trip wires. The camera is always moving to give a common sense of confusion and disorientation. Shots of wounded men screaming and constant gunfire makes you olfactory perception like you are in the middle of it all. The violence and paranoia that plagued the soldiers are ever evident.Complaints about the violent nature of his work elicit from Stone what talent be called the journalists defense thats just the way it is. (Ansen 56) In order to accurately tell the story Stone could rip no punches.Platoon was instantly acclaimed upon its release as the first real authentic numerate at Vietnam since the end of the war. It was nominated for many academy awards including, lift out picture, best film editing, best sound, best director, best cinematography, best writing, and best supporting actor. The film won Academy Awards for surmount Picture, Best film editing, best sound,and best director. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine stat es that Stones film is a document written in blood that after(prenominal) almost 20 years refuses to dry. Yet behind all of the prestige and awards it was given, Platoon holds an underlining message. Charlie Sheen is America in its innocence, and the jungle is the dark, confused mystery that the war remains for us twenty years later (Evans 78). Platoon is more than just a gory war movie it is a realistic look at world that we would never want to experience.Works Cited1. Ansen, David. A bowelless Vietnam Frenzy Newsweek 5 Jan. 1987 57.2. Corliss, Richard Platoon Time Magazine 26 Jan. 198754-61.3. Kauffmann, Stanley. An American disaster The New Republic 19 Jan. 1987 24-25.4. Schuers, Fred. Soldiers Story gyre Stone 29 Jan. 1987 22+.5. Stern, J.P.. Parable in the Jungle U S News and World Report 2 March 1987 78.