Analysis Of The Film Platoon

"My conscious won 't let me go shoot … some poor, hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger; they never lynched me.” Antagonistic, yet honest words from World Boxing Champion Muhammed Ali at his refusal to be enlisted in the U.S Army in 1967. Unlike the previous World Wars that were unquestioned as to America’s involvement; the Vietnam war, even from its onset is one that has held a contentious point of division among many in America. Platoon is a film that that attempts to give an accurate depiction of the Vietnam conflict to a largely unknowing and divided audience, both at the time of the war and during the period of the film’s release in 1986. Platoon uses the narration of …show more content…
Volunteering for the war out of his patriotic duty as his father and grandfather before him, Taylor quickly becomes disillusioned with the truths of warfare, and ultimately, its purpose. From the film’s onset, Stone thrusts the audience into a newly arriving Taylor’s boots near the borders of Cambodia. Taylor, along with the other “new meat,” amidst the noise and sulfuric dust are hastily confronted with their new reality and likely for many, their future outcomes. As actual death in body-bags are being nonchalantly tossed in piles for transportation, the new recruits happen to exchange glances of those of the walking dead. The aged and torn faces of their fellow veteran soldiers peering back at their former gullible selves suggests a William Blake-like example of Innocence and Experience. As one soldier sarcastically remarks, “You’re gonna love the ‘Nam.” This opening scene sets the tone for division throughout the film, ultimately portraying the confrontations of those ideas faced by an American pluralist society. As the narrator in Platoon’s promotional trailer suggests, “The first real casualty of war is innocence. The first real movie about the war in Vietnam is …show more content…
As famed movie critic Roger Ebert notes, “There is rarely a clear, unequivocal shot of an enemy soldier,” and in most cases, Stone limits them to shadows and outlines. Although, fear of the NVA is felt and expressed throughout the film, especially those of battles in the jungle. The lack of screen time maintains the attention on the conflict that is happening within the platoon. Ultimately, this is Stone’s intent for the audience in 1986 to come to terms with and is quite successful in its