Platoon (1986)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writer:

Oliver Stone (written by)

Release Date:

24 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The first casualty of war is innocence.

Plot:

A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Soldier | Combat | Jungle | Village

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Keith David	...	King
Forest Whitaker	...	Big Harold
Francesco Quinn	...	Rhah
Kevin Dillon	...	Bunny
John C. McGinley	...	Sgt. O'Neill
Reggie Johnson	...	Junior
Mark Moses	...	Lt. Wolfe
Corey Glover	...	Francis
Johnny Depp	...	Lerner
Chris Pedersen	...	Crawford
Bob Orwig	...	Gardner
Corkey Ford	...	Manny
David Neidorf	...	Tex
Tom Berenger	...	Sgt. Barnes
Willem Dafoe	...	Sgt. Elias

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Australia:MA (Special Edition DVD) | Brazil:14 | India:A | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R (original rating) | Norway:18 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (PCA #28241) | Vietnam:(Banned) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

During the opening credits, Big Harold (Forest Whitaker) falls and rolls down a hill. Whitaker claims it was a real, unintentional fall.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the soldiers are celebrating in the tent early in the film, they are drinking Budweiser from two-piece stay-tab cans with UPC symbols. Container companies introduced the two-piece can in 1974, the stay-tab in 1975 and the UPC symbol in 1978. Budweiser introduced the can style used in the movie in 1981.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Pvt. Gardner: [seeing body bags] Aw, man, is that what I think it is?
Sergeant: All right, you cheese-dicks, welcome to the 'nam! Follow me.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

Soundtrack:

ADAGIO FOR STRINGS

One of the greatest war films ever produced, an emotionally shattering tribute, makes you sit up and take notice.

One of the few visionaries in contemporary film, Oliver Stone is known for his powerful and often controversial films. Stone's films seem to take our world and throw it right back in our faces. He has worked with a number of great actors, names such as Tom Cruise, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer and Charlie Sheen and in every instance has brought out the best in their explosive talents. Stone a pupil of Hollywood gangster film legend Martian Scorsese studying film under him in 1968 at New York University first entered Hollywood as a scriptwriter and won his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay when, in 1976, he adapted the screenplay of the film Midnight Express. In 1981 Stone directed his first film, The Hand, which starred British film legend Michael Caine and continued in the early 80s as a scriptwriter, writing scripts for a number of films including The Year of the Dragon, 8 Million Ways to Die and Brian DePalma's masterpiece Scarface. However it was in 1986 that Stone found major recognition as a fresh new director when he wrote and directed Salvador, starring James Woods. His first film took a political stance and addressed the real life horrors of war in El Salvador. It was Platoon released the same year, which catapulted Stone into the select list of Hollywood's influential directors, alongside names such as Spielberg, Scorsese and Kubrick. Other credits to Stone's name include Natural Born Killers, The Doors and Wall Street. Platoon is a very personal film for Stone as he experienced the horror of the Vietnam War first hand when in 1967 he landed in Vietnam and served with the second platoon of Bravo Company for 15 months. During his time in Vietnam he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service in the war. Platoon, which was originally written in 1976, was to tell the story of the Vietnam War like never before. With a talented and dark cast, which included Charlie Sheen, Willem Defoe and Tom Berenger Stone's Platoon was hailed as one of the greatest films made about the Vietnam War. It won Stone his first ever Academy Award for Best Director as well as Picture of the Year. Platoon was also a success at the box office grossing $250,000,000 world wide, making it the third highest grossing film of 1986. Writer/Director Oliver Stone creates an emotional tribute dedicated to the memory of the men who fought in the Vietnam War. The story centres around Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen, Wall Street and Hot Shots) a middleclass college drop out who ships out and enlists to Vietnam. He finds himself on the front line and the audience experiences the hell that is war through his eyes. Taylor soon finds that there is a war far closer to home than the one being fought against the Vietnamese. The platoon Taylor enlisted in finds itself divided; on one side is sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger, Gettysburg) a morally corrupt killing machine, hell bent on murder, offering the men a straightforward solution to the problems of war. On the other is sergeant Elias (Willem Defoe, Spiderman) as much a killing machine as Barnes but retains some semblance of humanity and attempts to impose a level of compassion and responsibility on his men. Taylor finds himself between these two men and their personal war and describes it as a `battle for the possession of my soul'. Platoon is one of the best war films ever made. Stone brings all aspects of war to this film and draws on his first hand experience of the Vietnam War to convey the sheer emotion and horror of war. Its greatness lies in the level of detail incorporated in the film. Platoon leaves you emotionally motivated and helps you realise the things those who were actually there went through. The film is an emotionally shattering tribute to the veterans of one of the most horrific wars in history. Refreshingly the film moves away from the patriotic feel of most war epics. The men in the platoon perform great feats of bravery but not for their country, they are motivated by their terror, a kill or be killed scenario. Sheen delivers an inspiring performance as a troubled and somewhat naive soldier fighting to stay alive in the nightmare that is war. Willem Defoe plays sergeant Elias delivering a memorable performance as a brave and compassionate leader, Tom Berenger gives an equally memorable performance as sergeant Barnes, Defoe's nemesis; a ruthless evil murderer who uses war as an excuse for cruelty. Once every twenty years comes a film that touches the heart, Platoon is a truly earth shattering film and a tribute that proudly echoes the memory of those who fought and died in the Vietnam War. Platoon makes you sit up and take notice.