Review Of Platoon

519 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of violent films essay

I wasn’t expecting it, I just looked up and there it was: the disgusting, bloody, mauled body of a dead soldier. The shot was brief and I do not remember if he was strung up on a tree, if he was hanging, or what not. I was not in class the day prior due to a sleepless night led to sickness, so I was not able to watch the first part of the movie. I remembered that our class was supposed to watch a war movie; Ms.

Klein was deciding between “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Platoon”. I vaguely remember her saying something about one of the movies being a slight bit, well, gruesomely horrifying. Due to a number of things that were due in my classes that day, when I walked into my English room, I was not thinking about the warnings that I was given. Then I looked up. Shocked I guess you could say was my first reaction. I was a little too surprised to be disgusted.

Don’t sound so disappointed, I became sick to my stomach all too soon. It was hard for me to concentrate on a lot of “Platoon” during the first day of class. I looked at the screen only half of the time; I buried my head in current work so as to hide my eyes from the disasters on TV. I would occasionally look up and sure enough, each time I proceeded to lift my head, I squealed, and put it back down. I remember scenes of teenage boys being tortures with bullets, old women and men being killed, girls being raped, and children being put in front of a firing squad. That night, I couldn’t control the terrible scenes that flooded my head as I tried to sleep.

The next day, I had learned to deal with the violence a little more than the previous day. I watched almost all of it, having to turn away only occasionally. The emotions that the violence expressed held me taut; it no longer turned me away from the screen, but drew me in, showing me further the horrible nature of war. Even though director Oliver Stone may have exaggerated situations in the war, he presented Vietnam like no one before. War is not shown as an event worthy of glory or praise, we are no longer shown as a brave force of victims.

Show More
Related

  • A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo

    2312 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...f the innocent is what captured my attention the most. Hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians were killed for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Caputo mourns not only for the dead, but also for the men that are now emotionally and psychologically scarred for life. The images and sounds of death will forever be carved into their minds. Throughout this history class, I have been able to learn and understand new vocabulary and apply it to my reading. I would not have been able to understand the book, as well as I do, without becoming familiar with the terminology. A Rumor of War changed by view on the Vietnam War. Before reading this narrative, I did not realize the number of lives lost or the poor environments soldiers were subjected to. Philip Caputo was extremely detailed in his descriptions and painted a brilliant picture of the war.

    Read More

  • Midterm Exam: Analysis of “The Wounded Platoon”

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Philip Caputo's A Rumor Of War

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Vietnam War has become a focal point of the Sixties. Known as the first televised war, American citizens quickly became consumed with every aspect of the war. In a sense, they could not simply “turn off” the war. A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo is a firsthand account of this horrific war that tore our nation apart. Throughout this autobiography, there were several sections that grabbed my attention. I found Caputo’s use of stark comparisons and vivid imagery, particularly captivating in that, those scenes forced me to reflect on my own feelings about the war. These scenes also caused me to look at the Vietnam War from the perspective of a soldier, which is not a perspective I had previously considered. In particular, Caputo’s account of

    Read More

  • Summary Of Michael W Mcconnell's 'Don' T Neglect The Little Platoon

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the essay “Don’t Neglect the Little Platoon,” Michael W. McConnell defends the following thesis: Children who have the most respect for other cultures, and the highest attachment to their own, will not learn this through abstract cosmopolitanism. Rather the best form of moral education, is taught through learning to love the good in relationships and small communities. Expanding until you have love for your nation, and from there it is then possible to love the similarities other nations and cultures have to your own.

    Read More

  • FAHRENHEIT 911

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    In its best moments, the movie is a strong, anti-war documentary. It has truly moving moments of bereaved loved ones, mangled bodies in the streets, incredulous soldiers in Iraq, angry Iraqis and innocent teenagers being manipulated into enlisting. In this way, the movie presents a version of the war on Iraq that isn't shown much in the media. It improves our understanding of the war by giving it a human face.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The Vurger Hill And Hamburger Hill

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Vietnam War and how it has been viewed in history has changed drastically over time. At first, during the early parts of the war the American Public was deceived by the government to think that the Viet Cong were monsters and American troops were there for the greater good and to stop the spread of communism. American Soldiers were portrayed as Heroes fighting for the common good and each was good inside. American technology and weapons were seen as superior to the enemy and the film showed battles where American’s earned victories. However, as the American public began to become aware of what really happened in Vietnam a very different narrative began to take shape. Hamburger Hill represents what America thought of the Vietnam War after

    Read More

  • The Role of Storytelling in The Things They Carried

    2570 Words  | 6 Pages

    The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in the war that he wrote the book “The Things They Carried,” that showed how important the role of story telling was to soldiers. The role of stories was important because it gave them an outlet and that outlet was needed both inside and outside the war in order to keep their metal state in check.

    Read More

  • Problems Of Reality The Vietnam War

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    The reality of war changed many soldiers' lives because of nightmares from firefights and small skirmishes to bombings and atrocities. Many places from Saigon to Khe Sanh are filled with stories from many veterans. A letter from a marine fighting in Khe Sanh said to his Parents "Since we began, we have lost 14 KIA and 44 men WIA. Our company is cut down to half strength, and I think we will be going to Okinawa to regroup. I hope so anyway because I have seen enough of war and its destruction." From the death of close friends any person's emotions would crumble. A normal everyday business person in the shoes of this soldier wouldn't last a day. The experience a soldier goes through will change his view on life forever. This is just showing how it affects people. Seeing death and killing on a daily basis. The random occurrence of death would truly disturb any person. Seeing the death of friends and mangled bodies of South Vietnamese villagers left by Vietcong guerillas, the soldiers were left with the vivid visions of the bodies.

    Read More

  • Movie Analysis: The Green Berets In Vietnam

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Platoon is and might be consider the most influential example of the Vietnam War. Director Oliver stone, who served two tours in Vietnam, adds some of his personal experiences to the film. Stone portrays the war as more of an conflict between American soldiers internally rather than a conflict with the Vietcong. Platoon tells the story of Vietnam from the point of view of a naïve young soldier, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). The first thing he sees when arriving is rows of bodies being readied to be ship back to the United States. He finds out that other soldies don’t associate with the new guys because they haven’t put in their time. After only a week, Chris realizes he made a mistake by volunteering. The Platoon is led by two men, Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Beringer). Sergeant Elias is portrayed as a caring leader who does what he believes is right and likes to use drugs to get away from the war. His enemy in the Platoon though is Sergeant Barnes, who is portrayed as a war machine that won’t stop till the job is complete. As the film progresses, friction develops between Barnes and Elias which causes two groups to form within the platoon. As Taylor gains experience in Vietnam, he realizes that war is not only regulated to fighting the known enemy, the NVA/Vietcong, but his fellow comrades as well. When searching a local village for Vietcong and weapons, Taylor goes through a dramatic change from what he sees and does. For instance, you see Taylor, who has mentally change, beat a disabled boy to death with is gun. He also witnesses a mother get murder by his superior officer, Sergeant Barnes. In addition sees and stops the attempted rape of a village girl by the American Soldiers, which causes those soldiers to resent him. Throughout the film you see the physical and mental changes of all the soldiers with in the Platoon go through. Platoon, unlike other

    Read More

  • Loss of soldier identity

    2537 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...ust deal with similar pains. Through the authors of these stories, we gain a better sense of what soldiers go through and the connection war has on the psyche of these men. While it is true, and known, that the Vietnam War was bloody and many soldiers died in vain, it is often forgotten what occurred to those who returned home. We overlook what became of those men and of the pain they, and their families, were left coping with. Some were left with physical scars, a constant reminder of a horrible time in their lives, while some were left with emotional, and mental, scarring. The universal fact found in all soldiers is the dramatic transformation they all undergo. No longer do any of these men have a chance to create their own identity, or continue with the aspirations they once held as young men. They become, and will forever be, soldiers of the Vietnam War.

    Read More

  • Coping Mechanisms Used for Survival in The Things They Carried

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion the soldiers use dark humor, daydreaming, and violent actions which all allow an escape from the horrors they had to go through in Vietnam. These coping mechanisms allowed the men to continue to fight and survive the war. They wouldn’t have been able to carry on if it wasn’t for the outlets these methods provided. Without humor, daydreaming, and violent actions, the war would have been unbearable for the men, and detrimental to their lives going forward.

    Read More

  • Sweetheart of the Song of Tra Bong as Metaphor

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ut the hidden thoughts and feelings of the narrator are the real things that need to be examined. The Vietnam War is so colluded with uncertainties that it's meaning and questions of why are still lingering in the minds of citizens of the United States.

    Read More

  • Becoming A Platoon Soldier

    430 Words  | 1 Pages

    *Punctuality: Over the last month you ave been on time to all required formations. Ensure that you continue to arrive for formations at least ten min prior.

    Read More

  • Platoon Sergeant

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    Regardless of the career you choose in your life, whether it be an accountant or a Soldier in the United States Army, someone, somewhere most likely had an influence to bring you to that decision. The Army defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (JP, p. 1). Now imagine you are a young Private, in one of the most dangerous places in Iraq and you have constant leadership changes, and not much support from your direct leadership. I am sure at this point you can imagine, it is not the best scenario to be in. Throughout the duration of this essay you will read about Sergeant First Class Rob Gallagher and Sergeant First Class Jeff Fenlason, their leadership abilities, and the techniques they attempted to use to resolve the issues in this Platoon that was in a downward spiral after losing many leaders to the hell of war.

    Read More

  • Short Summary of Vietnam

    470 Words  | 1 Pages

    As we got further and further into the Vietnam War, few lives were untouched by grief, anger and fear. The Vietnamese suffered the worst hardship; children lay dead in the street, villages remained nothing but charred ashes, and bombs destroyed thousands of innocent civilians. Soldiers were scarred emotionally as well as physically, as

    Read More

More about Review Of Platoon

Open Document