Ummm….. holy shit.
I took the day off of work today, and after a trip to Door County I decided I would spin the wheel and see what movie I could squeeze in from my list today. The wheel decided to scar me for life and punish me for thinking I could have a peaceful Friday.
Number 56 on the Top 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list is 1986’s ‘Platoon’, staring Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and Tom Berenger among a huge list of stars. Before I get into the horror that is this film, it’s worth mentioning that I realized the list that I am referencing was created in 2012. I’m slightly disappointed because there have been some incredible movies to come out of the last decade, but I’m no quitter so I shall stick with this list. Maybe a part two, or a “redeux” (Charlie Sheen pun) is in order for the future…..
Anyway, I have never been interested in seeing ‘Platoon’, and when it came up I told a few people in my life that I was definitely not going to like it. I usually do enjoy war movies, but I had always envisioned ‘Platoon’ to be slow and too artsy. Man, when I say I was wrong I am not kidding. This movie is anything but slow. I felt like 2 hours flew by. I can’t believe how immersed into the world of the horrible Vietnam War I felt. I did some research on the making of this film, and to say the production of it was grueling is an understatement. While I’m glad the era of emotionally abusing your actors when making a movie is over for the most part, these guys really act like they have seen some shit. I have only ever known Chalie Sheen as Mr. Tiger’s Blood cocaine-addict, but he is really great in this film. Even his great performance is overshadowed by both Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. They play sort of the good-cop/bad-cop and both play to their dynamics incredibly well. There is a scene with close ups of just the eyes of those two, and the way the audience can completely read every thought going through both of their heads by a few looks is amazing.
I seem to be gushing about this movie right now, but please remember that I called it a horror in the beginning of this review. This is absolutely not an easy watch. In fact, I would never watch it again. I feel for the soldiers that endured anything like this in their real lives, but there is some imagery and scenes that I will never forget. Specifically, there is a scene that takes place in a Vietnam village that really made me almost physically sick. No only from gore (which there is plenty in this movie), but just the way the villagers are treated and react to things is traumatizing.
To wrap this up, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I feel like it subverted my expectations in the best and worst of ways, and it is truly a piece of art. While I don’t know that I could recommend this movie to anyone without a huge disclaimer, I do think that it is an important watch. As for my ranking thus far:
- ‘Platoon’
- ‘Chinatown’
- ‘An American in Paris’
CinemAddikted 