Review of Platoon (86)

Plot
A young man faces the many horrors of Vietnam while serving near the Cambodian border.  Deceit, dishonor, and the loss of innocence seem to take more casualties than bullets in this war classic.

Jason's Thoughts
While watching Platoon for the first time recently, I couldn't help but think about how similar this movie was to Goodfellas.  Sure, it deals with complete different subject matter, but just as Goodfellas painted a realistic portrait of organized crime, Platoon captures that realistic feel of soldiers fighting in Vietnam.  Furthermore, both seemed to more about what people went through as opposed to telling a story.

At times, watching Platoon felt like being in the front lines.  This is one aspect that I thoroughly enjoyed of this movie.  Unlike many other war movies, Platoon never changes perspective and shows us what the enemy is up to or what is planning - they are just there hidden in the jungle waiting to strike.  It sets you up to make you feel what the soldier is going through, which is what I think Platoon is ultimately about.

We get to follow a young soldier who had just arrived in Vietnam and follow him through his early days with the hardened "vets," who all seem to have a jaded sense of reality.  Some have been turned into machines who wouldn't think twice about killing either an enemy or a comrade, while others are counting the days to when they can return home, if that day even comes.  As time goes on, the young soldier goes through the struggles that all soldiers go through in a time of war and deals with it in ways that only he can.

I haven't seen too many movies about the Vietnam war, but of the few that I have seen, Platoon would come in a close second to Full Metal Jacket.

Crystal's Thoughts
Perhaps my expectations were a little too high for the movie.  I've always wondered what Vietnam was like, especially since my dad served in it.  I've always respected that he has never spoke much about it.  After seeing this movie, I got a much better sense as to why, though I don't believe this movie did Vietnam justice at all.  I am sure there was a lot of swearing over there, but this film could have tamed it down a bit.  Half the time, I felt like I was trying to comprehend more swear words than anything else.  It took away from getting to know the characters and seeing the whole picture. There were also simply too many characters.  It was hard to realize who the story was about and would have been more powerful had it focused in on a few instead of the whole platoon (yes, hence the name, I know).

I will say that for a film made in the 80s, the filming and camera work was very well done.  The environment was well portrayed, and for the most part, the bombings and shootings didn't come off as a film.  The injuries and pain were truly felt through the camera lens.

A little more than years after Vietnam really ended, I am sure the film was also very controversial at its time.  Not only did it depict some of the harsh realities of what our men encountered over there, it also made a debut to a country that was still arguing (and will always) whether we ever had any right to be over there.  Unfortunately, for me, this film only added to that argument.  It didn't highlight that many of those men didn't have much of a choice, and even if they did, it was our country that sent them there.  A bunch of men didn't simply take up arms and decide to go over there.  For me, this film I think did more damage to the veterans of Vietnam than it did good.  I am thankful that many other films are out there to give those vets the credit and honor they deserve.

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