Oliver Stone's 1986 war epic Platoon will air on BBC Two tonight, September 27, at 10pm. Widely regarded by critics and audiences as one of the greatest films ever made within the war genre, the cult classic holds the distinction of being the first Hollywood production written and directed by a Vietnam War veteran.
Stone, himself a veteran of the Vietnam War, wrote and directed the film. Platoon is the first instalment in a trilogy of Vietnam War films by Stone, followed by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth (1993).
Plot and Cast
The drama stars Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor, with a supporting 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.
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."
Box Office and Awards
Platoon was released in cinemas on 19 December 1986 and became a box-office hit, grossing 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.
The film won four of the eight Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. It holds a 93% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audience and Critical Reception
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 states: "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."
Yet another viewer said: "A masterful and emotionally charged war movie about the Vietnam War, Platoon brings many young actors' careers into the light as well as several veteran actors. Platoon has made its way to the very top of the convoluted category of war movies with its storytelling and its revolutionary moral compass."
One viewer wrote: "An outrageously great war film with top notch acting from everyone and offering fast pace and unique war elements."
Another viewer posted on IMDb claiming Platoon surpassed 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 reviewer said: "One of the most visceral and authentic war films ever made. It's a powerful, painful, must-see film -- an impassioned and riveting dispatch from the front that's at once a battle cry and a lamentation."
A third critic 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.
