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A classic war film hailed as one of the greatest ever made is streaming now in the UK. Platoon (1986) is set in 1967 and focuses on young, naive US Army volunteer Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen) who has joined up to serve in the Vietnam War.
But amid all the killing and brutality the conflict was notorious for, a deep debate rages between Chris’ Platoon hardened Sergeant Staff Sgt. Barnes (played by Tom Bergenger) and the more empathetic Squad Leader Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe). The pair are divided on how the war should be prosecuted, and whether it should be happening at all, and Chris is torn between the two conflicting philosophies.
The film was directed by Oliver Stone and took inspiration from his own experiences as an infantryman in the war.
Some fans believe it’s the best film about the conflict in a competitive field. A comment on r/movie subreddit previously suggested Platoon “has to be the best war film out there”.
“It shows how the unit of soldiers feel about the war, each other and the main goal of getting home alive,” the Reddit user wrote.
“It also talks about taboo subjects such as war crimes, soldiers dying, revenge and villagers getting their homes burned by the American forces.
“In my opinion, it is the best Vietnam war film compared to FMJ [Full Metal Jacket], Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now. Over all, it’s better than any film in the subgenre.”
Fans also showered the film with praise on IMDb, with one calling it the “quintessential Vietnam war movie”.
“Oliver Stone has recreated the jungle combat and placed a morality tale in the middle of it. It is possibly Charlie Sheen’s greatest performance.
“His innocence at the beginning evolves into a grizzled veteran fighter. The combat is so realistic, and the story is so compelling. It is a must see for all movie goers.”
A second added: “Once we’re in Vietnam and you hear that soundtrack music, you know something is coming. Nothing, however, can prepare you for the next two hours.
They said while Apocalypse Now may have “darker atmosphere” Platoon is “pretty grim”. “A clean-cut boy loses his innocence like shedding layers of skin as he is immersed into a situation where surviving is the only thing that matters,” they added.
“A number of shocking moments in this film. Oliver Stone will never make a better film than this.”
A third said: “No doubt about it…. this is one of the greatest movies made. History besides, Stone covers the Vietnam experience better than all other attempts combined. This is a movie with an impact.”
The film has 15 certificate and contains strong violence, so viewer discretion is advised.
Platoon returned to Netflix on Thursday, December 4.
