Platoon Elias is Jesus crossed with Jim Morrison. The largest and most populated island in the country, Luzon was the primary filming location. Just as Barnes is about to kill Taylor, both men are knocked unconscious by an air strike. It started out as a boys suicide note not that I was going to commit suicide, but I was very depressed. In the far-right Washington Times Insight magazine, John Podhoretz castigates it as one of the most repellent movies ever made in this country. The film, he says, blackens the name and belittles the sacrifice of every man and woman who served the United States in the Viet Nam War (including Stone). Politicians are eager to return the salvos. Viet Nam, set in jungles without beginning or end, was a flash of episodic, aleatory explosions; it was modernism brought to war. Platoon makes you feel youve been there and never want to go back. James Woods, who starred in Stones previous film, Salvador, calls him an artist whose vision transcends politics. Although a film with a big reputation, "Platoon" was shot on a relatively modest budget of $6 million (per The Numbers). Another kid hes like Bunny ((Kevin Dillon)) in the movie clubbed this old lady to death and then kind of boasted about it. Facts About Platoon I think the film will become an American classic. He has already considered taking murderous revenge and been told, The only thing that can kill Barnes is Barnes. On his last patrol, Chris suicidal resolve turns him into a mean, obscene fighting machine a rifle with a body attached, as reckless as Barnes, as resourceful as Elias and he leaves half a dozen NVA in his wake. . Thats why Chris killed Barnes. After a scene hed say, You sucked or You nailed it. Thats just my style., Right now Stone is Hollywoods hot new guy. Essentially what I wanted to say was, Remember. Willem Dafoe generally nails it when it comes to playing weirdos, creeps, and psychopaths. With its critical, popular and insider acclaim swelling, Platoon began to shoulder its way toward the front rank of Oscar favorites. Unsurprisingly, the government didnt care for the films unflattering portrayal of the Viet Cong, and wouldnt let it play there.But in March 1988, the Vietnam News Agency reported that tens of thousands of people were watching it on video in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), without noting how the film had been obtained. Platoon Filming Locations Although the story is based in Vietnam, filmmakers actually captured the gritty war scenes in the Philippines. The movie begins with Taylors arrival at Da Nang in September 1967. Oliver stopped writing the book when he was twelve; the family stopped when Oliver was 16. He wouldnt stop smiling, says Stone, and I just got pissed off and lost it. Bolt's rigorous approach rubbed off on Stone. Dale Dye, who played Captain Harris, the commander of Company B, is a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran who also served as the film's technical advisor. With craft, crackle, a little bombast and plenty of residual rage, he has created a time-capsule movie that explodes like a frag bomb in the consciousness of America, showing how it was back then, over there. It is also possible to buy One gets killed, the other lives. [12], Many Vietnamese refugees living in the Philippines at the time were recruited to act in different Vietnamese roles in the film.[13]. Go away.)But Dyes vision matched Stones, and the psychological authenticity they created together was a major factor in Platoons success. The film presents the war through the eyes of new recruit Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen). Platoon - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns During this time, the cast was subjected to an intense military training regime supervised by Vietnam Veteran Dale Dye. Barnes finds Elias alone and shoots him, then tells the others that Elias was killed by the enemy. [7] Filming was done chronologically. Stone also verified in the interview that Keanu Reeves turned down the role of Taylor because of the violence. well, what was it? A real macho man who carried the torture of Viet Nam with him but never talked about it., In 1971 Stone graduated and married a Lebanese woman working at the Moroccan delegation to the United Nations; they divorced five years later. Graybeards on the right may call it a tribute to our fighting men, in whatever foreign adventure. I fell in with the progressives a Yale boy who heard soul music and smoked dope for the first time in his life., Most of Platoons starkest events come from Stones backpack of Viet Nam memories. That Platoon, which hed been trying to make for a decade and which seemed cursed, should be a hit caught him totally off-guard.Elizabeth Cox, his wife at the time, told an interviewer that when theyd drive around L.A., Stone would go out of his way to see it with his own eyes. FILM: THE VIETNAM WAR IN STONE'S Barnes goes after them, and he shoots Elias and later tells Taylor that Elias is dead. To be able to study movies in college, it was any movie buffs dream. Barnes, the staff sergeant, could be Chris legal father; Elias, the romantic renegade, could be a spiritual father, even after his death. scene from Platoon I felt Viet Nam was omitted from history books. Righteous vengeance. The NVA soldiers manage to get close to the sleeping Americans before a brief firefight ensues, which leads to Taylor becoming wounded and sent to the aid station. The prop wash from a landing helicopter blows the tarpaulins off three bodies, their shrouds torn off, their makeshift graves defiled. However, it is imperative to note that the movie was shot at a time when the Philippines was experiencing the People Power Revolution. By the time Sheen auditioned again a few years later, he had grown into the role. This is also his first film about the war, followed by Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth.These three films are often said to form a Der zweite Film ist Geboren am 4. Speaking about the reality, Stone said, And then out of nowhere there was this peoples revolution. 1978 brought three pictures Coming Home, The Boys in Company C and The Deer Hunter that touched on Viet Nam, and the following year Francis Coppola released Apocalypse Now. But financing fell through and the film was shelved. Many conservatives have taken up arms against Platoon. Now Stone, who earned a Bronze Star and a MASH units worth of physical and emotional wounds in the jungles of Viet Nam, has transformed his war experience the bad dream he lived through for 15 months in 1967-68 into a film called Platoon. They were out to survive this bummer with some integrity and a sense of humor. Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, and Johnny Depp. ", Oliver Stone's journey of creating a cinematic piece about his tour of duty in the Vietnam War began almost after it ended in 1968 when he wrote a screenplay called Break, a semi-autobiographical account detailing his experiences with his parents and his time in the Vietnam War. But it jolts the viewer alive to the sensuousness of danger, fear and war lust. Pvt Rhah (Survives): Given command of Elias's squad and seen waving at film end. I saw people die. It was two Tasmanian devils wrestling under a blanket. It was everything I thought it would be: the heat, the green seas, the bloodred sunsets. Dale Dye, who played Captain Harris, also served as a military adviser on the movie, and he put the principal actors through a mock boot camp before filming began. WebPlatoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, and Johnny Depp. Overwhelmed, Taylor breaks down sobbing as he glares down at multiple craters full of corpses. In the village, after the slaughter, the soldiers carry Vietnamese children on their shoulders G.I. In its story line it holds echoes of Attack!, Robert Aldrichs 1956 psychodrama, in which a World War II infantry company is torn by a mortal struggle between two officers one messianic, the other deranged while a young mans loyalty hangs in the balance. We were all put in a foxhole together, had our hair cut and told to take off our normal clothes and put on fatigues, and then immediately sent out on a recon mission.. I hated America. They hit us with about 5,000 troops that night. Platoon But dont expect Stone to direct Indiana Jones III. Finding no clear and honorable path to victory in the booby-trapped underbrush, some grunts focused their gunsights on their comrades. Fascinating Facts About Platoon Oliver [7], James Woods, who had starred in Stone's film Salvador, was offered a part in Platoon. And the tragedy of Viet Nam is seen as this: not that they died, but that we debased ourselves by killing them. In the chaos, Taylor encounters Barnes, who has been seriously wounded. The bunker is booby-trapped, however, and three men are killed. It was a state-of-the-art war on both sides. O'Neil (Survives): 3rd Squad (Charlie): Squad Leader. Platoon But hes still a compulsive worker. Hes not an easy lay. Stone and his second wife, Elizabeth, 37, look the family-album picture of swank domesticity in their Santa Monica home. The film score was by George Delerue. WebThe film appears to have been praised by critics for its personal take on the experience of the soldier as opposed to a more traditional action-oriented war film. Platoon I mean, I was happy for the people in the Philippines, but it really threatened our shoot., PLATOON, shot in the Philippines in 1986. pic.twitter.com/9VWuEjYwbD, Rufino Antonio (@_baruroy) May 22, 2013. The young man lifts his weapon and, when Barnes says, Do it, does the bastard in. The province of Cavite was also utilized for this purpose. Furthermore, the movie was shot chronologically. I was never a religious person I was raised Protestant, the great compromise but I became religious in Viet Nam. But when he returned he was a mess, always leaving things on the floor. Although having written films such as Midnight Express and Scarface, Stone struggled to get the film developed until Hemdale Film Corporation acquired the project along with Salvador. Platoon He had his valet; his closet was immaculate. It made its DVD debut in 1997 through Live Entertainment. It is enough that Stone has devised a drama of palpable realism that is also a metaphor for the uncivil war that raged in the U.S. and can flare up anytime in any family. Its also a fine piece of filmmaking. At five he composed skits for a marionette show, casting his French cousins in the parts. The film stars Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan and Mimosa Willamo.. Promoted to 1st Squad's Sergeant at end of film. [40] Vestron reissued the film twice, in 1991 and 1994. The film is traditional enough to connect with a mass audience. Thats the price you pay. Most critics were impressed, many were impassioned, and even those who trashed the picture helped make it the seasons top conversation piece. Taylor and the other wounded members of the platoon are evacuated, and, in a voiceover, Taylor reflects on what he learned from his experiences. My first day in Viet Nam, Stone says, I realized, like Chris in Platoon, that Id made a terrible mistake. Write about it. Its possible that our high command was using us as bait to draw the ! Barnes orders Taylor to call for a medic but Taylor instead kills Barnes. We respect Olivers passions. Producer Martin Bregman attempted to elicit studio interest in the project, but was not successful. He further went on to criticise the film for perpetuating black stereotypes, stating the film "barely rises above the age-old Hollywood stereotypes of blacks as celluloid savages and coons who do silly things". Dateline: Hell!, Dispatch from Dong Ha, maybe even A Scrambler to the Front . Its the kind of energy he thrives on. Platoons star, Charlie Sheen, 21, found the director brutally honest. [37], In 2011, British television channel Channel 4 voted Platoon as the 6th greatest war film ever made, behind Full Metal Jacket and ahead of A Bridge Too Far. [32][33] Gene Siskel also awarded the film four out of four stars,[34] and observed that Vietnam War veterans greatly identified with the film. My father believed that life was hard. Platoon When the platoon returns to base, company commander Captain Harris declares that if he finds out that an illegal killing took place, a court-martial will ensue, leaving Barnes worried that Elias will testify against him. Barnes, who says of some fresh corpses, Tag em and bag em, has no sentiment at all. By the time they actually shot the scene, a few hours had passed, and everyone had come down. [2] According to Helander, the 1982 American action film First Blood and the real-life Finnish military sniper Simo Hyh served as On the next patrol, the platoon is caught in an ambush. The dichotomy was bred in him. Platoon I knew that Viet Nam was going to be the war of my generation, and I didnt want to miss it. Chris, who feels an irresistible kinship to both men, says they were fighting for possession of my soul. The films most controversial question is, Who won? Platoon All Rights Reserved. He was a different boy., And now an unsolicited testimonial: I know it sounds corny, but I was saved by film school. He enrolled at New York University on the G.I. Their bodies were scraped up by bulldozers, just like in the movie. In the movie theaters, this illegal shooting usually gets a big hand. Though Platoon is a breakthrough, it is not a breakaway. Year of the Dragon was directed by Stone's friend Michael Cimino, who had also helmed The Deer Hunter. He gives them instructions and goes on his own to another position. Platoon He told me that he was heavily in debt. Forget the World War II narrative line of tanks and tactics, which moved with the ponderous sweep of a Golden Age Hollywood plot. Stone said, When the change came, we had to make new deals with the new military. [8] Sheen said that he got the part of Taylor, because of Dafoe's nod of approval. Trouble was, most of these films were not about Viet Nam. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. They laid bombs right on top of us; we dropped bombs right on them. (Dye said: They had been making zillions of dollars making war films for decades, and here was some clown coming in to tell them they had a better mousetrap? BATTLEGROUND - PLATOON, written and directed by Oliver WebPlatoon Filming Locations: The movie was made on location in the Philippines. Soon long lines were forming outside the movies Times Square flagship at lunchtime, on weekdays, in the hawk bite of a January wind and after midnight in early- to-bed Hollywood. The vicinity of Puerto Azul is seen in many scenes that showcase the cliffside, river, and village. One suspects that the old troublemaker will find new trouble spots in the political landscape; the soapbox spieler will continue his spellbinding harangues. The countrys political instability threatened the production, but ended up only delaying it a week.Filming began two days after Marcos and his family vacated the premises. Nobody was motivated, except to get out. And he helped channel the rage in me. Stone made a short film for Scorseses class called Last Year in Viet Nam, about a vet wandering the New York streets; in another, Michael and Marie, Olivers father played the victim. He sees Barnes crawling away. By now it would have to be counted as the front runner, and Hollywood is furrowing its back with self-congratulatory pats for making this big bold message movie. I remember one conversation we had right before he died. Led by Vietnam War veteran Dale Dye, training put the principal actorsincluding Sheen, Dafoe, Depp and Whitakerthrough an immersive 30-day military-style training regimen. Dye had been turned down by other filmmakers, who felt the way Hollywood had been doing ityou hire a consultant to make sure the medals, guns, and uniforms are accurate, and you dont worry about the less tangible detailsseemed to be working just fine. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant - Wikipedia [8] But, based on the strength of his writing in Platoon, Stone was hired to write the screenplay for Midnight Express (1978). It is part of the healing process. Instead, there is the clear sense of danger all around, and the presence of civilians who sometimes enrage the troops just by standing there and looking confused and helpless. [7] Then Stone's script for what would become Salvador was passed to John Daly of British production company Hemdale. Platoon was the first Hollywood film to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War.[3]. It is the kind of movie catharsis that may make Platoon a megahit. They spent two weeks as soldiers in the Philippine jungle, digging holes to live in, eating from ration cans, carrying real weight, and staying in character.