Platoon

kristinson

Full Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
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Ok Im a major film buff, however it always take a concerted effort to watch a war movie, for various reasons. However during a discussion my mate begged me to watch platoon, so popcorn at the ready I duly obliged last night and all I can say is


HOLY SHIT, this is an amazing movie, no wonder its a classic.

What a harrowing epic with an amazing cast, too bad Tom Berenger sort off fell of the planet after this performance , he was wicked as was Defoe, Sheen, whitaker and Dr Cox (John C. McGinley). Kevin Dillon threw in a decent performance also. Im still agast as to why there were no acting oscars delivered to any of the cast.

There were some seriously disturbing scenes to say the least, the whole villiage episode was portrayed superbly even if it was quite difficult to watch, however the scene with the mentally deficient viatnamese boy getting his head bashed in after being made "to dance" to a bullet chorus was probably the worst scene for me, aptly followed by the illegal killing scene.

For all you younguns out there who havent seen this movie, go now, go and get it and enjoy it for the masterpiece it is. (oh and just fight to stay awake through the first 20 minutes)
 
Agreed. I first saw Platoon when I was about twelve or thirteen and I also found the village scene to be deeply upsetting. Best war film I've ever seen.
 
Moz said:
Agreed. I first saw Platoon when I was about twelve or thirteen and I also found the village scene to be deeply upsetting. Best war film I've ever seen.
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Along the same lines as this Full Metal Jacket was a good film. Apocalypse Now is a classic but for some its hit or miss and can take quite a bit of watching. I watched it twice and am still not sure I took it in fully. I also liked The Deer Hunter which is an absolute gem of a film and the cast is exceptional.
 
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Hamburger Hill is more realistically accurate, in terms of protraying the GI in Nam. Platoon however is better as a film thanks to its exaggerated nature.
Full Metal Jacket in the first half of the film, the training phase, is an awesome protrayal of how the military, of that time and now, breaks you and then builds you back up into what they want.
 
Good call. Great movie, my favourite scenes are the village shooting scene and the one where Willem Dafoe is shot down. Great shot that last one.
 
The_Red_Hope said:
Good call. Great movie, my favourite scenes are the village shooting scene and the one where Willem Dafoe is shot down. Great shot that last one.
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Yea with adagio for strings by samuel Barbour in the background, just wicked!

I really enjoyed the first 50 minutes of Full Metal, but after that it just deteroriated for me. Apocolypse now and Deer Hunter are thinkin mens movies, people seem to see the oscar nods and expect a gung how shootem up etc, but neither or like that. They are much deeper on a more intellectual level. Thats why I can see why so many people love and hate the movies.

I watch DH expecting the greatest movie of all time and I couldnt get into it and thought it was shite! but I watched it again a bit more open minded and thought it was a masterpiece, much like ApN its only when you see it for what it is and not what you expect it to be do you notice all the intricite details, innuendo's, deeper meanings etc etc.

Also for sheer action and cinematography I though private ryan was outsanding, if a little thin on the reality of the main plot!
 
kristinson said:
Also for sheer action and cinematography I though private ryan was outsanding, if a little thin on the reality of the main plot!
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And was I the only person who thought that Matt Damon was embarrassingly bad in the title role? Awful.

Band of Brothers, the several-hour HBO miniseries based on the books by historian Stephen Ambrose, is also quite good. Very different viewing experience from Platoon, but excellent in my opinion.
 
Platoon was tops. Same as said for Deer Hunter.

For a good war movie, though I would point to my favorite movie ever made. The 1930's production of "All Quiet on the Western Front". Amazing movie. Don't let the somewhat dated acting at the seeming hammyness at the start fool you. The corny nature tails off and mirrors the students coming of age under fire. The cinematics are outstanding, with ingenious points of view (camera climbing through windows, panoramas). Actually one of the only movies I can think of that are better than the book. Some of the scenes are absolutely wrenching. Sharing a shell crater with a dying foe, machine guns knocking over rows of lads like skittles, a pair of boots marching from one death to another.

Anyway, unbelievably good movie and I'm absolutely obsessed with it. Far and away the best thing I've ever seen.
 
I agree about Platoon but I thought Stone's second film of the trilogy "Born on the 4th July" was even better.

It was an epic in the old sense of the word spanning the war, the changing climate at home and a personal journey of discovery by the lead character. Top all that by the fact it was based on a true story.
 
032Devil said:
I agree about Platoon but I thought Stone's second film of the trilogy "Born on the 4th July" was even better.

It was an epic in the old sense of the word spanning the war, the changing climate at home and a personal journey of discovery by the lead character. Top all that by the fact it was based on a true story.
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Platoon was started by Stone in1968,1 year when he returned from Nam. A lot of the plot was based on his experiences. You could say it is the most realistic war movie of all time.
 
Platoon is class.

I never liked Hamburger Hill tbh, cringeworthy stuff at times
 
Chris H said:
And was I the only person who thought that Matt Damon was embarrassingly bad in the title role? Awful.

Band of Brothers, the several-hour HBO miniseries based on the books by historian Stephen Ambrose, is also quite good. Very different viewing experience from Platoon, but excellent in my opinion.
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Band of Brothers is sensational, buy the box set its only £20 in HMV and each episode is an hour long. Buy it, you wont regret it!

:drool:
 
I saw this and Full Metal Jacket in the same week, and must admit I thought they were both fantastic. I've never seen Apolcalypse Now or Deer Hunter, but I'm sure I'll get round to it some day.
 
Great film. Even Charlie Sheen who I despise put in a great performance. The Willem Dafoe scene is a classic.
 
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