Danger Close

Platoon (1986)


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A lot can (and has) been said about this film. It's one of the very few that might actually achieve the status of "anti-war" film, or at least refrains from glamorizing it. It can't be accused of inaccuracy or overt messaging, because it is admittedly a picture of writer-director Oliver Stone's own experiences volunteering for the American War in Vietnam, fictionalized for the screen, but based on events he saw first hand.

While it's the only film Charlie Sheen has ever been good in (disclaimer: this is solely Dan's opinion, you can @ him directly), Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger are the big stars leading a huge cast of mostly unknown actors who later became famous: Sheen the Younger himself, Johnny Depp, Keith David, John C McGinley, among many others. They portray infantrymen at war in all of its grime, sweat, bugs, confusion, and moral ambiguity. And none of the glory.

The cinematography is claustrophobic and purposefully confusing, the Oscar-winning sound design relentless, the performances indelible. Join us as we discuss the grueling production, emotional impact, and continued legacy of this important American film.

Widely available for streaming.

Next episode:

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

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