Film Analysis Of Platoon

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The Vietnam War was the result of anti-colonialism, and George F. Kennan’s policy of Containment regarding the spread of communism. The fabric of the living room war known as Vietnam would be shattered by the anti-war political atmosphere in the United States as there was no clear justification to be in Vietnam in the minds of most. Oliver Stone the director and writer of Platoon served In Vietnam from September 1967 to April 1968 being apart of the First Cavalry Division and motorized Division. Oliver Stone’s service in Vietnam allowed him to encompass a lot of his personal experiences, his own mental mindset and the behavior of others around him into the characters of Platoon to create a compelling fictional narrative for film goers and causing …show more content…

Even though through the majority of Platoon it 's confined to a small group of individuals through the depiction of the setting around them and the subtle hints revealed through the dialogue between the characters causes it to recreate the varied attitudes on the war, several historical events impacting the war, and the overall Zeitgeist of the Vietnam War. The spirit of an era can only be adequately addressed by accurately illustrating the social structure, dress, architecture, language, psychology, and family relations of the era if it doesn’t the historical authenticity of film is diluted. Family relations in Platoon are illuminated through the usage of sending letters home, camaraderie between fellow soldiers, burning of villages and items taken from home making them moral boosters as they remind soldiers of what they have waiting for them. Pvt Gardner is one of the primary visualizations of the effect the Vietnam War had on the Family Structure. Pvt Gardner shows Chris a picture of his girlfriend who is waiting for him to get back from the war, but since Gardner ends up dying in the following patrol this scene ends up showcasing the sentiments of fear individuals back home must have had at the prospects of …show more content…

The Vietnamese are on the bottom of the totem pole during the Vietnam War which is showcased by the village scene in the movie where the Americans are allowed to destroy the village then round up and displace the Vietnamese without any objection being allowed by the inhabitants. The burning of the village is seemingly justified as a necessity because of the weapons and food being stored on location, however the actions taken by the characters within this process is the real indicator of Vietnamese placement in Society. Sgt. Barnes murders the wife of an innocent vietnamese and then threatens to kill the daughter to pressure the Father to confess that he is Viet Cong, and the other issue is the raping of a vietnamese girl by the US Soldiers illustrating the lack of humanity that some US Soldiers attributed to the Vietnamese displaying the horrors experienced at the Mai Lai Massacre “As they roll her over, like excited dogs in heat.” and “she 's a dink.” -Tony, Platoon and script

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