Platoon Review
Oliver Stone’s Platoon is a superb depiction of the Vietnam War unlike that of any other in its class. Many other war films doting on the romantic promise of brotherhood in arms during war times, or the heroism of battle. Some rely on the gritty truth of war and death amidst the almost comical amount of bloodshed. Platoon is none of these things, while still managing to show Vietnam like never before.
In an effort to show what Vietnam’s infantrymen experienced on the ground, Platoon begins immediately with the violence, hostility, fear, and exhaustion of war. There is no boot camp or tearful family goodbye. Just war as the men travel back to base and relative safety. Throughout the film, the viewer learns the infantrymen have become divided; they are grunts, and they are fighting the Vietnamese, known as gooks. There is intense rage, and deep fear against this unseen enemy, often known only by the word, “Gook.” The division gives the men enough reason to kill to survive.
The film’s director, Stone, is a Vietnam Vet, and thus was able to give it a unique vision only available through firsthand experience. I thought it added an element of authenticity other films lacked. For example, the men looked more vulnerable and erratic at times than in comparable films. Moreover, they were calmed by what may be considered unusual things, like a shave, or a dry cigarette. Comforts were sanity to the men, and while this has been displayed in other films, the infantrymen in Platoon showed a different vulnerability and need for these things.
Furthermore, while the term, “Gook,” is considered offensive today, the film’s division between the two groups and the use of the word could be considered highly historically relevant. Vietnamese fighters were often invisible during the war; this is also exemplified in the film. In essence, American soldiers were fighting an unseen enemy that went by this word. While they sound incredibly prejudice uttering this word onscreen, one is able to see what they are really doing is solidifying the presence of an enemy in their mind. They are trying to survive; this word represents the enemy. They must, therefore, kill people that represent this word. What is mistaken for outright prejudice is actually a group of soldiers trying to cope with the severe psychological damage inflicted upon them by an unseen enemy in their own territory during the war.
The historical relevance of Platoon is only made stronger by the fact that the incessant psychological games inflicted upon men in Vietnam stick with them forever. The impact is observable in real life. The films stands as a testament to all of the men who did not fully come home, but instead left a piece of themselves in Vietnam or, conversely, brought a piece of Vietnam home with them. It is a testament to all of the men who still think “Gooks” are out to get them, who still have an us versus them mentality, and who still are hard-wired to do anything to survive, even when the situation is not threatening their survival. Platoon did not capitalize on war, romanticize it, or make a caricature of it. Stone showed what it is like to fight for your life, kill, die, and watch your friends lose their lives. While there may be more relevant historical films, it is one of better films related to war.
