Tom Beringer's Platoon

The Vietnam War was on everyone 's mind in 1960s and 1970s in our country. It was the center of much of America 's troubles during this time, but only the soldier 's who fought in that war knew the true madness that was Vietnam. Oliver Stone began writing Platoon because the Vietnam War was "a pocket of our history nobody understands." (Schuer t24) Platoon is a movie which should be viewed by everyone, not only for its cinematic qualities but for its historic insight as well.

Platoon is an Orion Pictures production, filmed in 1986. Written and directed by Oliver Stone it tells the gruesome story of a Vietnam War not known by the American public. Tom Beringer, who plays the experienced Sergeant Barnes, was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor
The film shows the Vietnam experience from the average soldier 's point of view. In the beginning Chris Taylor is very ignorant and his chances of survival are slim. The movie went beyond just showing battles, with the showing of the moral dilemmas that the soldiers faced. The film does not in any way glorify the war in Vietnam. It is a gritty look at what the soldiers endured while serving their country. The men in the platoon come from all walks of life and all over the country. However they all share the same desire to serve their time and get as far away from the fighting as possible. There is not one soldier in the jungle whose mind is not irrevocably warped by the ravages of war. Some critics complain that the character development in the story is weak and there is no plot. J.P. Stern of U S News and World Report states that "The Central Plot tension - the battle for a young private 's soul between a "good" sergeant who has retained humanity and a "bad" sergeant who has become a killing machine is not very tense." However, the introduction of the entire cast in the film is what sets the film apart from others like it. There are no real heroes in this movie and no real villains. There is just a group of frightened men fighting for survival in their own ways and counting the days until they can leave the
It was nominated for many academy awards including, best picture, best film editing, best sound, best director, best cinematography, best writing, and best supporting actor. The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best film editing, best sound, and best director. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine states that "Stone 's film is a document written in blood that after almost 20 years refuses to dry." Yet behind all of the prestige and awards it was given, Platoon holds an underlining message. "Charlie Sheen is America in its innocence, and the jungle is the dark, confused mystery that the war remains for us twenty years later" (Evans 78). Platoon is more than just a gory war movie; it is a realistic look at world that we would never want to