Platoon (1986)
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A young American soldier's conscience is tested as his unit navigates the brutal realities and moral ambiguities of the Vietnam War.
The story
In 1967, a new U.S. Army volunteer named Chris Taylor arrives in South Vietnam and is assigned to an infantry platoon of the 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border. The platoon is commanded by the young and inexperienced Lieutenant Wolfe, who relies on two experienced non-commissioned officers: the ruthless Staff Sergeant Barnes and the more compassionate Sergeant Elias. As the unit navigates the dangers of the jungle, Taylor finds himself caught in the middle of a growing ideological and moral divide between his superiors. The conflict intensifies as the soldiers face the brutal reality of combat and the moral complexities of the war.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1967, Chris Taylor joins an infantry platoon in South Vietnam. He is caught between the ruthless Staff Sergeant Barnes and the compassionate Sergeant Elias. After being wounded in an ambush and bonding with Elias's circle of 'heads,' Taylor witnesses Barnes's brutal actions, including the murder of a villager's wife. Tensions peak when Elias is betrayed and killed by Barnes. Following a series of brutal engagements and a devastating night assault where many are killed, Taylor finds a wounded Barnes in a foxhole. In a final confrontation, Taylor chooses to shoot Barnes dead. The film ends with Taylor and a wounded Francis being evacuated by helicopter, reflecting on the lasting impact of the war.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Oliver Stone
- Writers
- Oliver Stone · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tom Berenger · platoon sergeant; Willem Dafoe · squad leader; Charlie Sheen · Chris Taylor; Forest Whitaker; Francesco Quinn; John C. McGinley; Richard Edson; Kevin Dillon · Bunny
- Genres
- war drama; anti-war
- Themes
- morality of war; loss of innocence; brotherhood; war crimes
- Tone and mood
- harrowing; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- war; Vietnam War; military; survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- Stone's experience from the war
- Franchise connections
- trilogy of Vietnam War films
- Content notes
- violence; drug use
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its realism, performances, and direction, and was a significant box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.7 · scale: 10 · review count: 122; Metacritic · score: 92 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · won; Academy Award · Best Director · won; Academy Award · Best Sound · won; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · won
- Production trivia
- First Hollywood film written and directed by a Vietnam War veteran.; Included a cameo by director Oliver Stone.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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