Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam war epic Platoon, hailed by critics and audiences as one of the greatest films ever made, airs on BBC Two tonight at 10pm. The film is the first Hollywood movie to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War, offering a harrowing look at the brutal reality of combat.
Stone's Vietnam trilogy
Written and directed by Stone, a Vietnam veteran, Platoon is the first in a trilogy of Vietnam War films he directed, followed by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth (1993).
The war drama stars Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor, alongside a star-studded cast including Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn, John C McGinley, Richard Edson, Keith David, Reggie Johnson, Mark Moses, Chris Pedersen and Tony Todd.
Plot and box office success
The film's official plot states: “Chris Taylor leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes, who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias, who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.”
Platoon was released in cinemas on December 19, 1986, and grossed over $138 million domestically in the US and Canada against a production budget of $6 million. Filming took place on location in the Philippines in February 1986 and spanned 54 days.
Critical acclaim and fan reaction
The film won four out of its eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. It holds a 93% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
One fan said: “Platoon is the best Vietnam War movie ever made. It captures the grittiness of the war through its characters, atmosphere, and narrative. The characters are flawed, which makes them all the more human, and the dialogue feels very natural. The film is like a time capsule from that era, especially in the authenticity of its details.”
Another audience review reads: “A harrowing watch from beginning to end. Some scenes in this film will haunt me for life. It’s what I feel a realistic depiction of the horrors of war are.” One viewer wrote: “An outrageously great war film with top notch acting from everyone and offering fast pace and unique war elements.”
A viewer on IMDb said Platoon was better than Saving Private Ryan: “This is a great movie and possibly the greatest war movie of all time, yes maybe even better then Saving Private Ryan. If you like war movies then this is a must see.”
Critics have been equally impressed, with one writing: “Oliver Stone's harrowing war picture was the first movie that felt like a genuine depiction of that terrible war, and brought collective catharsis for America's tragedy in Vietnam.” Another noted: “Platoon is so good, in fact, that it is not only one of the best war films ever made but also one of the best anti-war films as well.”
Platoon airs on BBC Two tonight, September 27, at 10pm.
