Tom Berenger absolutely killed it as Barnes. Such a cold-blooded, sinister, soulless beast. He made you truly hate the character yet fear him at the same time. He really doesn’t get enough credit for the role.
My dad was in Phan Rang, 2 squadron RAAF. He never really talked about it much unless he had a few scotches. He suffered occasional nightmares later on in life and had mild PTSD. Shortly before his death, when mum and I went in with him to see the psychiatrist when he had cancer, he started talking about things he had seen in vietnam. The memories were buried so deep he had never mentioned it to anyone until then. My dad was fairly stoic. So when I saw him sobbing like a baby, I was shocked. He was 68 and he was 21 when he was in vietnam. That's how long the horrors had lasted in his mind. Love you dad, miss you heaps.
Rest in peace....the price those young men paid...unreal....we will never know the deep cost alot of the men paid....I can't imagine carrying around those sort of things...I have a few bad memories in life that pick at me but in no way could i carry some of things I hear the vets talking about...I don't know if I would be able to smile or fully enjoy anything ..my respect to the veterans...peace
I have someone I knew that was there. He would get up in the middle of the night and take his rifle outside and roll around on the ground going crazy talking about the "gooks". That war messed alot of people up im sure. Hopefully he can rest now. RIP to your father.
I was lucky enough to witness a vietnamese veteran and US veteran that served in Vietnam talk about it over a poker table at a casino in Biloxi. I will never forget what they said: “war sucks.. only people who don’t know war want war”.
Not trolling at all. I thought you’re story was profound. I’ve been privy to conversations like the one you mentioned and I was “#retweeting” it because it’s absolutely mind blowing what war vets have been through and are willing to share. Especially around a game of poker or at the coffee shop.
Thank you, just an amazing interview. I was in Nam 68/69 with the Marines. When I saw Platoon I was by my self and I would guess 25 other guys my age in the theater, when the movie ended there was not a sound, other than a few quiet sobs, no one moved. Oliver Stone told his story which was and is our story. May we all find peace with our demons. Namaste Sokuze 🙏🏻
I didn’t think the movie resembled the combat environment one bit. I realize Stone was there but I have a hard time believing things were like that at all. I have 5 tours in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan. Very different wars. But there are some similarities. The casualty count is much different. But what’s misunderstood is the level of battle intensity. There as many if not MORE wounded during OIF. Thanks to modern medicine the number of dead was drastically reduced. Iraq was actually on a scale 3 times larger that the Vietnam conflict. And the combat was very different. House to house fighting, roadside bombs, etc. mortars, mortars and more mortars. I found that combat brings men together but it also has a dynamic that pulls out their alpha side. Not like some emo teenager whose confused about his life. Which is what I saw in the movie. It was far too poetic and conceptualized for me to think it even resembled the combat battle mind. It seems to be written by someone who was never in the shit. Oliver Stone was obviously in Vietnam. And he SAYS he has two Purple Hearts. But he has never provided his DD214. Someone should use the FOIA to pull it. I know admin people who have Purple Hearts. They were in the rear with the gear and maybe a mortar landed on the FOB and they got hit with flying debris. Oliver Stone can be completely legit. But the demeanor of the soldiers depicted didn’t strike me as military at all.
Temper T You’re comparing two different wars though, Let alone one that happened back in the 60s. Yes there were many similarities between the wars, but you can’t use your experiences to critique a movie based on something that you weren’t there for. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way but that’s just weird to me. And the demeanor of guys in Vietnam was much different compared to now. Everyone during OIF were volunteers. Plus people who served during Vietnam still praise it for how accurate it is. My grandfather (Nam Combat Vet) still tells me this was the most realistic depiction of war he saw to his experiences.
Aidan Southall I get what you are saying. And part of me agrees. But if you served, there is something called “Military Bearing,” which is simply the way a Soldier carries himself. After serving in a couple of units who also have a history serving in Vietnam, I have become part of an Alumni with those units. Meaning, we have annual get-togethers with Vets from different eras. And having contact with, and even making friends with many of our Vietnam Vets, the dialog of the movie just strikes me as off. Mind you, Oliver Stone is a film maker. He is considerate to the idea that most of his audience are not veterans. So he has to tailor his films to the widest audience. I think there are things about the film that make a point. And he chose an artsie way to do it. Put speaking purely from the perception of how soldiers can be represented on film - I feel that the movie misses the mark. Yes, Vietnam had many draftees who didn’t want to be there. Apparently, I was standing in the wrong line when they were handing out all that white privilege. But when I grew up my family lived in a car for months at a time on more than one occasion. That’s what happens when your parents spend their rent money on dope. I’m not looking for sympathy. But as a young guy recognizing that my parents are full of shit; I started looking for a way out. I was SOOOO desperate to escape and not end up like my parents that I was willing to go fight in a war to lift myself up the social ladder. To go to college, etc. and that’s exactly what I did. When I was in basic training one of our Drill Sergeants went around to room asking why each person joined. Everyone mostly said “to serve my country.” I just said “to break the cycle and do something with my life.” It wasn’t the answer the DS was looking for but he thought for a second and replied. “That’s fair. I can respect that.” My point is ...I had no other opportunities in life. In a way - that’s like a draft. The draft still exists and is out in action. Only now, it’s an economic draft. And everyone pretends us poor kids were there because of a choice. Geezer Butler wrote: “Politicians hide themselves away. They only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor.” So to me, draftees in Vietnam are not as different as modern soldiers as you might think. In combat I had to address many issues with my guys that took their head out of the game. Private Snuffy gets a Dear John letter from his prom date back home, Private Timmy’s mom was diagnosed with Cancer, Private Joey discovered his girlfriend cleaned out his bank account and was banging his bestie. All those things mess their head right up. And as their platoon sergeant, I needed them to be able to perform. Because I bloody well wanted to make it home too. And we all had to do the heavy lifting to make that happen. I remember telling one of my soldiers who got the Dear John. I simply said: “Bro, you are in the best shape of your life. You are going to have 40 stacks just waiting in your bank account when you get home. You’ve got the medals to prove you have the balls. You got the bragging rights that no one else in the club is going to have. You are here joining the fraternity of the BAMF’s. (The Bad Ass Mother Fuckers.) Boy you are going to be pulling so much tail when you get home that you are going to need to sleep with an ice pack on your junk.” And the heartache messed with him for awhile. But in time his head was right back in the game and he was motivated to motivate his brothers. I think most draftees probably found themselves in a similar head space. You’re right when you suggest that many draftees just didn’t want to be there and couldn’t adapt to the battle mindset. So they wouldn’t have the demeanor of a professional soldier. But I bet a whole lot of them adopted the: “we’re in this together” mindset. In fact, I have met draftees who are very proud of their service. As they should be. So I don’t think today’s economic draftees are much different than those lottery draftees of the 60s. At least the majorities. It’s the poetics Oliver Stone puts in the dialog that makes me question his real experience. Because there is a dark humor, a seriousness and a mentality that comes out that doesn’t resemble any of the actors in Platoon. In my personal opinion, the worst military movie ever made was about Recon Marines. And that’s “Heartbreak Ridge.” The premise of the story is that Clint Eastwood inherits a busload of Marines who just can’t stop getting in trouble and who just can’t perform as Marines - so the Marine’s solution is to send them to the hardest training the Marines have to offer. Presumably to “straighten them out.” I found that movie to be insulting. Marine Force Recon is comparable to my US Army Rangers. I was a Ranger and I gotta give it to my Force Recon brothers. They were tougher than us. But both of us were considered “Special Operations.” Not claiming Special Forces. That’s different. But the Rangers and Force are above-par warriors. They don’t accept shit bags. You compete just to get in. Heartbreak Ridge portrayed Force Recon in a disgusting light. In my opinion, the most accurate military war movie ever made was also about Force Recon Marines. It was an HBO Miniseries called “Generation Kill.” I think what comes out of the male mind in combat is the same no matter what the war. It’s human nature. What doesn’t come out of their minds is William DeFoe repeating mindless, artistic phrases that don’t actually mean anything. Sorry for the long rant. Get a veteran going and that’s what happens.
Thanks for your service Sokuze ! I'm sorry for the completely different hell you guys had to endure on your return. LBJ shoulda just microwaved Hanoi --- strap up some 52's & make em glow. Unfortunately, you guys got stuck with an idiot CiC
My uncle fought in Vietnam. My dad told me when Platoon came out they went to see it together. My uncle was so traumatized from it he disappeared for a couple weeks. He said that the movie was the most realistic portrayal of the war that he had seen. The parts where they were fighting among each other was the part he said they got the most right.
Officers didn’t like the film. Enlisted men mostly agreed it was realistic. Both sides commit atrocities war as hell. But to think everything was PG and hunky-dory it’s just a lie also. The film made officers look bad because they just didn’t have the experience the NCO’s did. Which was true.
@@I_Shit_on_your_shit_point whether vets think the plot was accurate or not, most of the vets I've talked to said the actual atmosphere of the jungle felt real to them. Especially on the big screen
I'm Portuguese. My father spent 2 years of his life (1961-1963) fighting our colonial war in Angola. "Platoon" was the only film I've witnessed him watching and not falling asleep, and almost without blinking.
my current neighbour was an armored car 50 cal machinegunner in angola in the late 60s in angola. i think it was a caddilac gage armoured car he was in, he said it was an adventure, lots of ambushes.. poorly conceived patrols.. running out off machinegun ammo on raids ect.. portugese government was poor, ill equipt and fighting in vast territories but held the towns in quite good order. luanda was a modern decent city. the portugese there lived in alot better conditions than in portugal. quite an adventure
@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 Once the war started, Portugal wanted to press the notion that the colonies were not colonies, but a part of Portugal like any other. So they invested a lot there, specially in Luanda, and there were a lot of incentives to settle people from "Metropolitan Portugal" in Angola. My father said that when he returned to Luanda after 18 straight months in the bush, the city was almost unrecognizable: entire new neighbourhoods had popped out of the ground, a lot more roads were paved, the city had almost doubled in size.
My father was on the South African side and he always said that he would like to meet the people on the other side. ( The Russians and Portuguese ) He would like to hear their stories and what the war was like to them. They were all just soldiers send there to do a job and none of them really wanted to be there. That was also a long war and at the end of the day it was all for nothing.
@@piet8803 During the colonial war, I would say South Africa was on the Portuguese side, because they were not keen on having a neighbour ruled by its black majority.
My dad spoke the same way about Vietnam. He loved the place and the culture, and was heartbroken in 1975. When the news broke on the radio of the last evacuations of the American embassy, he was driving us to a baseball game. He pulled over, got out of the car, and dropped to his knees sobbing on the side of the street. We never saw dad cry before, and didn't understand what was happening. He lost a lot of friends in the Vietnam.
I was a young airborne/air assault trooper in the 101st Airborne Division in 1986 when Platoon came out and saw it in the post theater at Fort Campbell Kentucky. I can tell you truthfully that you could hear a pin drop at the end of it.Many of our senior NCOs served in Vietnam and their words and lessons were gold.My platoon sargeant was a highly decorated Vietnam vet with multiple tours as a LRRP with the 101st and said it was extremely realistic.He was part SSG Barnes and part SSG Elias.We loved him like a father.
I was in the third maneuver brigade of the 101st at the same time (3/18, 187th Infantry Brigade - reserves), and we did the same thing, with the same result - at least initially. Before we went to see it, I'd asked one of our NCOs, who'd done two tours with the Americal, including during Tet, if he'd seen it and how realistic it was. His answer: "what you see is what it was". In my company, the Os and NCOs all sat in the back, several rows removed from the men. Another one of our NCOs, who'd done three tours with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and was an absolute rock, was shrunken in his seat and shaking. That's how real that sh*t was. We did a company debrief in a circle afterwards, and I couldn't believe how many knuckleheads were like, "I can't f**kin wait to go kill some mother-f**kin' commies!" Each time some bozo said that I could just see all our 'Nam veteran NCOs just shaking their heads. I was wondering if we'd all seen the same movie because, to me, it was a wake-up call like no other about just how nasty it was going to get if the balloon ever went up. Oliver Stone forever changed movie-making about wars with Platoon.
I was 9 when my Dad, a Vietnam Vet, took me to see it on the big screen. He said exactly what Oliver said: "You can watch this because this is how it happened...but don't tell your Mother!" I was the only one in school that Monday that saw that movie, lol.
I agree whole heartedly . This is Joe Rogan at his best . Oliver Stone did such a great job making Platoon .I am so sad seeing Joe labeled as a racist . He may be but he is more than that . I would like to see a movie made that would explain racism on a real level .
@@davidcurtis7547 well, the comment he is being called out for ... That comment was racist as all hell, one has to admit. Perhaps he's not hatefully racist, but ignorantly so. And on the pandemic, he's acted very baffoonishly. For me, at least half of his content is still good stuff.
@@davidcurtis7547 Joe is weird, he has plenty of moments where when it comes down to basic humanity, Joe has got it and he even has a whole rant defending immigrants and refuting major right wing talking points about it, but his problem is that he gets caught in the culture war of course and then he loves falling for the fake intellectual types that can talk for hours without saying a single thing of significance lol I think he means well but like anyone gets sidetracked with sensationalized BS
I thought Elias raising his arms up like that and falling forward was kind of overdone and cheesey, to be honest. Still love the movie but way too dramatic. I like how Taylor avenged his death by shooting Barnes three times in the chest. Same treatment Barnes gave Elias.
THE TREATMENT OF VIETNAM VETERANS WHEN THEY CAME HOME IS THE BIGGEST STAIN OF ALL.
4 года назад
Watched it in 86’ with a Vietnam vet and cried; still cry today for all the poor kids that didn’t make it back. And for the ones who did and ended up with severe problems
I can get through Platoon alright but fuck if I can stomach Black Hawk Down or the Band of Brothers series. They all strike a nerve but those two hit that shit just right.
My Father served we went as father and son. That man had that 100 yrd stare watching it. Then nothing but water works at the end. It would be 4 yrs later and my 15 yr career in the Army and my own experiences to not only bring us closer as father and son, but man to man..soldier to soldier..combat vets.
Oliver mentioned in a different interview (might even be on the dvd commentary) that the original guy that scene is based on still argues over who is was that actually fell asleep.
I remember seeing Platoon in the theater and after the move eneded when the audience left there was total silence, no one talking at all, everyone just stunned and shocked. That is great film making.
My uncle served with the marines and got sent to Vietnam in the late 60's and I remember my mother told me stories about him having PTSD and he has two purple hearts from being wounded. He doesn't like talking about his tenure in Vietnam, but he did say that watching Platoon is quite accurate on what he dealt during the war.
This movie shook my father. He was there in 68-69 gathering intelligence for the first air cav and the CIA. I will always remember that day. I had never seen my dad that emotional and quite frankly it scared me a bit. This film brought much needed attention to these who vets who were spit on and called "baby killers" when they arrived back in the states. Mr. Stone did more than make a film here.
USA did some horrible shit in the war and were deffinetly not the good guys but I still think that veterans needed to be respected because they were not the onse that gave the orders
Ron Kovic the real life Vietnam Vet who's story was portrayed in Born On The 4th Of July was spat on not by some hippie but by a Republican in a suit and tie at the 72 Nixon Republican Convention in Florida. So that scene did happen and that goes to show the hypocrisy of those who are pro-war (meaning, as long as they go out and do what they're told and say nothing then they're all for the troops, as soon as those very same troops start questioning and speaking out against the wars then they get called Un American or communists. In other words.. Typical Americans are only pro-war to a certain extent and only support troops just as long as they keep their mouths shut.
5:08 my mom's first cousin was killed by friendly fire accident in Vietnam. They were a poor family. He was drafter not long after graduating. He died in early January. (Not sure the year) Sad thing: the family was still getting letters from him for christmas greetings, after they were notified he was killed. I guess he had to be 19 years old. My mom said, "you know he was such a shy boy, it's possible he died never having kissed a girl."
Alot of people dont think about that, sme kids dont mingle with relationships until after grade school. Imagine how many of those young men went to war and died having never known what it felt like to love your partner. Never being able to have kids. I'll never take any of these things for granted
I was that Guy, i was lucky enough to finish my service in 87 and the war started 91 in Croatia. Then i was drafted again, but i had 3 years to kiss girls. Very sorry for your relatives, nobody should die so Young for stupid politics
I read a book called "Home Before Morning" by Linda Van Devanter. She was a combat nurse in Vietnam, very badly traumatized by what she saw. She said she saw soldiers with their private parts blown off, while still young enough to be virgin. Said it wasn't that uncommon...
@@rick777888 - My aunt was a surgical nurse in Vietnam. There weren't combat nurses in Vietnam "per say." The medics were the ones in combat. About as close to the action the nurses got to combat was in Evac hospitals or MASH units. That's where she worked - at an Evac hospital. They triaged and stabilized the wounded until they could get them farther rear. That is where she met her husband, who was a combat medic. Anyway, she volunteered to go right after she graduated nursing school. She was there in-country for 13-14 months. Something like that. She does not talk about it much. If she does, it's usually funny stories. Like: her and her fellow female nurses once took R&R at a beach. Well, young guys with helicopters always knew where the female American nurses went for R&R, so they would fly down really close to get a look at them sunning on the beach, and kick-up sand in the rotor wash and blow their stuff away.
My father was a Korea war vet. He would drink and cry over what he had seen. The pain these poeple are left with is staggering. God bless these people who have known combat and their families.
I think this was the film that helped change the perception at the time of the soldiers in Vietnam who were despised, bullied, ostracized and pushed out of homes to live on the streets because of the war. Very important film.
On The Doors movie dvd extra features he explains this differently. He said that while on tour he heard some band I cant remember the name of and did lsd both for the first time. Basically came to the conclusion "fuck this" and went AWOL. Later was caught and given extra time to serve.
I am a Vietnam Combat Vet. 1967-68, I was the NCOIC of a detachment on "Engineer Hill " Plieku and was ordered to take half my detachment a secondary perimeter we were being over run and I told my men there will be our own men retreating along the NVA among them watch out for them, one of the most trying times of my time in VN, I know there were friendly's killed, its hard to live with. I know it happens!!!
First, thank you for you service. I truly believe what was experienced in Vietnam impacted what was done during Grenada and the Gulf War for my part in that. I am glad that former military are getting recogniton and better care at VA facilities. Or I do what I can working at the VA here.
With all due respect to Stone, he wasn't a tier one operator in Afghanistan. He's got no idea what a squad of Seals did on a mountain with the tools they perfect
My brother was in the 1st Air Cav. with Oliver Stone from June 67-July 68. (Spent the last two weeks in the hospital with malaria) wounded twice by shrapnel from mortars and a land mine while on patrols. These guys had it tough. Thank you for your service.
sophie75 ....He never talked about the condition of the hospital. Only mentioned he was next to a guy who had an open bullet wound to his ass cheek that needed constant draining and had to stare at it for a week as the guy was turned on his side the whole time. And no, he never became friends with him and only realized years later it was the same Oliver Stone.
sophie75 ....I’m not really sure but I’ll bet he did. He does not speak of his experiences in Vietnam often. In fact most of what I know was through his wife, my sister in law. I know he had a rough time over there and it changed him forever.
My Father was a Vietnam (combat) veteran. 71-72 for the 101st airborne. He always said, out of all the movies that were done on the Vietnam war, platoon was the most accurate of the experience there in.
I worked with a man who was a Ranger in Vietnam and he said the same thing. He said Platoon is the most realistic movie because if people didn’t like you, they’d shoot you.
Saw this movie when I was 14. I remember sitting there, with my mother, surrounded by vietnam vets. Many of them were sobbing openly. Some left to compose themselves. Having grown up in the shadow of the Vietnam War, I remember it very well and I remember how those vets were treated. Never, ever forgot it.
Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen , Tom Berringer , Willem Dafoe , Keith David , Forrest Whitaker , John C Mc Ginnley , Kevin Dillon , Richard Edson , Tony Todd , all have been in a lot of movies which Platoon helped launch their careers .
Sitting in a small coastal restaurant on the med, late afternoon, cigar and a cold beer, sitting across from Stone to have a convo into the night.... that would be fucking awesome.
His calm demeanor and the fact that you can basically smell his intelligence is unreal. I’d bet that when he snaps it’s fücking serious. Just an epic human being...
It dont get any better than the comment sect......The Fact that you can smell the MeGa DiNoSaUrS KraP still getting Chewed UP by these two ApE MEN(?) YH more questinable than where they go the fresh T-ReX DuNg!?!?!?? N ofcourse WHY does ''people'' buy into these ''men'' (real-VaG) Btchsz!!! SaDo-MaSo Agents, One eye princesses....
Platoon is so damn good bc it was made by a person who was there. Who knows what O. Stone saw. What he left out of the movie. What he won’t talk about. I’m sure he carries a lot of bad memories with him. A great director. Thank you Mr. Stone for your service and being a great movie maker and story teller.
My two uncles (both Marines & Vietnam Veterans) back when this movie came out, said that Platoon was the most realistic. So sad that when these fine American Hero’s returned home there was no welcome or appreciation for their service. Certainly there were some bad apples but that is true to any scenario (industry, services, community and etc.). I am and will always be extremely proud of them. ALL OF THEM!
My dad is a Vietnam Veteran. I’ve always been extremely proud of him for what he endured and the life he’s lived since. He’s kind and funny. In college when I was frustrated or thinking of quitting I just thought of my dad trying to sleep in a ditch in the rain hoping that no one would kill him tonight. I’m grateful for everyone who serves in the military so that the rest of us can sleep in a bed with clean sheets.
While you and every family has a right and duty to be proud of them, there's no point or reason for society at large to celebrate them overall because everyone knew the US was the aggressor and were in Vietnam for all the wrong reasons. The war was unpopular at home since poor people were being drafted. That's partly why college students started protesting against the war because if you were privileged enough to go to college you were exempt from being drafted. Now US wars are voluntary with no draft, and so most people either ignore or celebrate the interventionist wars of our day.
@@poppinc8145 while you’re right that there’s no reason for society to celebrate the war as a whole. It is definitely important to celebrate the people who were torn from their homes and families to fight in a war that they probably didn’t believe in. It’s important to celebrate these brave men because of how brave they were in futility. Those men should not have been there, we all know it, but they were and they should be commended for their courage in the face of swarms of VC and NVA. It’s important that we honor the brave young men of Vietnam because their lives were thrown away by politicians, the tragedy of those who died in Vietnam can never be understated and we as a society need to make these veterans feel like they matter, because even those who did come back home are still in Vietnam
They didnt deserve a heroes welcome, because they weren't heroes.. they didn't do anything heroic..even the good ones knew that. What they DID deserve was to not be discarded like trash by a govt that used them up fighting one of the most pointless barbaric wars in modern history No veteran should ever face homelessness or poverty or be strung out on suds &dragon chasers cause his minds destroyed by the things he was forced to do or see in the line of duty. Its unconscionable &pretty heartbreaking to see the same ol' cycle repeat itself over &over every gotdamn generation.
I watched platoon alot as a teenager in the early 2000s before I served as an army infantryman in the Sunni triangle. He really shows the subtle tragedies of war like the loss of innocence and emotional tragedy it creates.
I met a Vietnam veteran when I was in a rehab in 2014. I didn't meet him until I got my discharge orders and only had 3 days left. I was in for a leg infection and he was in for injuries sustained after being jumped by thugs trying to steal his car. He and I talked for hours. He told me that he still had PTSD. I told him that it was understandable after all that he had gone through. In that same rehab I roomed with a Korean war veteran who had also been an early Special Forces guy. He was only there for a week and a half. They had him do a sleep study for possible apnea. He complained about it. He said "I used to sleep in trees in Korea now I have to do this". He told me about his experiences in the war. He said that he could still smell the stench of bodies of Chinese soldiers who were napalmed.
@@o-wolf indeed man. Korea is often overlooked… and barely in our history books in our own US Schools. My Grandfather to my mother was in Korea, he didn’t speak much of it too often, but from what I’ve researched about Korea it was bad! We lost more troops on average per year in Korea than per year in Vietnam. We were in Korea for 3 years and nearly lost 40 thousand. And Vietnam took us 10 years to almost hit the 60k casualties mark (which thankfully we didn’t)But both wars were really bad. So that’s on average 12,191 soldiers killed per year in Korea, and 5,822 killed per year in Vietnam!
@@NatesGamez was reacting moreso about the OG being haunted by the smell of dead napalmed chinese, but I had NO IDEA there were THAT many casualties, you're right Korea was a MESS.. all these dumb unnecessary wars were, good men &boys just dying in a foreign land away from their loved ones for some half assed politician tryna push their half assed ideals on people who wanted no parts, it ain't worth it. Never was.
As a kid, my mom had a friend from work. Her husband was the sweetest, friendliest and most wonderful guy I can remember from my childhood. He passed away and I remember seeing friends of his and that's when I had learned, he was in the Korean War and served at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Meeting him, you never would have known the hell he went through. Amazing man.
@@michlo3393 that’s a helluva man, especially having been a Marine at the battle of Chosin! He went through hell I’m sure. Korea had some intense and violent battles. Thank you for sharing this. He has my respect. I always shake the hands of veterans at my work, especially those who served in Korea and Vietnam. Have a good day man 👋
I agree, I also loved "Heaven and Earth" wich was also written and directed by Stone. Its about a 'nam vet and his psychological troubles back home starring Tommy Lee Jones.
@@ItsShane79 Heaven and Earth is about a Vietnamese woman's experience during and after the war. And yes it's a very good and very underrecognized film.
I work in Saigon as a biology teacher at an international school, I'm so grateful to hear Mr. Stone talk about the American War in such an honest and matter-of-fact way. The Vietnamese were fighting for their independence, to them it had nothing to do with our war on communism. No amount of force was going to break them-- he admitted an atomic bomb wouldn't have made any difference. And today they are so polite and friendly to Americans-- it is humbling and often feels undeserved.
That is a misrepresentation, the American War wasn't America Vs. Vietnam, it was Vietnam (with American support) Vs. The Việt Công (with North Vietnamese support), eventually Vietnam became a powerless American puppet and the Việt Công became a powerless North Vietnamese puppet, both sides were fighting for foreign domination, be it under American influence or North Vietnamese influence, obviously North Vietnamese rule is worse than American rule.
@@-haclong2366 Respectfully, my intention was not to misrepresent a very complex decade of history-- I was admiring Mr. Stone's honor as a soldier to speak so honestly about a war many Americans discredit and neglect.
The Pat Tillman situation was even more eye opening because the military wasn't just not disclosing to the public that he was killed from friendly fire, but they tried to cover up the entire shady incident and were lying to his family about how he died until it was finally uncovered.
Probably best for family not to hear that their son was killed by friendly fire. It happens more times that we know, but no one wants to hear their child died because of mistake.
My father was in the 1st Aviation Brigade at Bear Cat in 67 and at Chu Lai during Tet. Never talked much about it but I'll never forget him telling me how much officers love to "put themselves in for medals." He had nothing but disdain for officers--he said the only thing an officer will do is get you killed so they can add another medal to their uniform. Thanks for your service James and above all, welcome home.
Oliver Stone is often written off as an eccentric lunatic that alters history through his moves, but I consider him one of the most intelligent and well spoken directors to ever work in Hollywood. I also admire his passion for history as well as his service to his country.
And Oliver Stone is a decorated combat Vietnam veteran, 19 years old, multiple decorations including 2 Purple Hearts for wounded in action....unlike just about any other film maker, Oliver was in ACTUAL combat and knows from personal experience just how evil war really is. A man of courage, integrity, intelligence....very very rare indeed in the pit of vipers HollyWeird
An absolutely amazing guy. His experiences and his films are just so enthralling. He wrote the screenplay for my favourite film, Scarface. Platoon is a groundbreaking classic. So authentic coming from a guy who had been in Vietnam.
My father just passed away, he served 66-68 in the 1st CAV 25th infantry platoon (Scout Dog) unit. When I was young I remember him walking out of the movie theater because it brought back horrible memories of combat. My father's Lt. was Jerry F Metcalfe who ended up running the 82nd airborne and later worked for the CIA.
Much respect to my father, Mr.Stone, and all the vets that served in Vietnam. One thing my father told me, who was infantry. He said "it wasn't like the movies son where you go out patrol one day and you come back to camp the next day for a shower." He said "shit" when he first got there, his platoon went into the bush for 30 days.(just imagine, no shower) "And we would try to kill Charlie in the daytime and they would try to kill us at night."
Platoon nailed that conflicting feeling most soldiers experienced when the war was over. Viewers most of the time didn't know how to react after watching it first time. Great achievement.
I could listen to Stone all day. Just a wealth of information and a great storyteller. The war had a profound effect on me as a military dependent in Agana Guam and then Atsugi Japan from 64' to 71'. We had wounded soldiers for dinner all the time and as a 13 year old, those young guys of 18-22 seemed more my mentality than my Father. They were just kids, mostly virgins, and the stories were brutal. HC-7 was a SAR Squadron that was the most decorated in the war and just the stories from those guys was enough to make a young boy want to stay as far from war as possible. I was 18 when the war ended and told my Father that I didn't want to enlist. He said...."you already did 18 years". The most indelible impression I got from all that was the difference between the gung ho newbies who were on their way to Nam vs the Vets who were returning home from battle~
I remember this movie coming on when I was a kid and it made my grandpa cry. He was in vietnam and never really talked about it with my father or me but I knew he saw things no 18 year old should see. I hope he is at peace now
I watch this film when it first came out, I was in the British army at the time, and it is such an emotional film It's still packs a punch when I watch it again.
i am working my way through all Oliver Stones interviews that I can find. So forthright and interesting, no beating around the bush. His fearlessness to speak his mind and reveal what he believes is the truth must have come at a personal toll but he never relents. Pity that there aren't more like him
LOL what is amazing is he survived his experiences. And, the boredom. The mission he most relished was the rescuing of a downed aircrew at night. They thought they were gonners.
My dad was with the 1st Marine division in Vietnam 66 to 68 and he now has Parkinson's from agent orange. Sickens me to the core. I'm glad you brought up JR.
So sorry to hear that. I've been to the war museum in Saigon (HCMC), and the top floor is all about the chemical weapons dropped. Kids still being born with defects because of it. Awful.
After seeing Platoon probably 10+ times along the years, fascinated to hear Elias and Barnes were based on real people. I always knew Chris was (Stone himself)
Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe's performance's in Platoon are legend. The classic good vs bad ....both being bad ass, each in there own way as these characters would have been in real life. This struggle of truly good vs bad is so easily transferred to our own lives every day....while not as extreme the dynamic always exist. Never forget Charlie Sheen's character"s statement toward the end of the movie. "I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days as I'm sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called possession of my soul. There are times since, I've felt like the child born of those two fathers. But, be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach to others what we know, and to try with what's left of our lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life." The two fathers statement is so haunting and profound. That is life right there at it's most base. What a privilege to be alive and have watched this masterpiece as a young man. I will never forget this movie....if stays with you. Hauntingly beautiful. This movie is a true masterpiece....real cinema.....real life.
Brian Ross both characters are influenced by the same war conditions....one chooses to operate outside the the code of conduct/rules , the other doesn't . Elias character is a decent human being acting with integrity and morality re managing horrific conditions as in the village scene. Barnes on the other hand doesn't follow the code of ethics/conduct rules as in the village scene when killing the village woman and with the killing of Elias . Barnes represents evil bottom line....there is nothing left in Barnes that is good whether this was his upbringing and or his war experiences that made him this way.
In the theater in which I saw "Platoon", the entire audience spontaneously gave it a long and emotional standing ovation. I have never seen such a thing, before or since.
I didn’t even serve in Vietnam but I served in Iraq in 2007 in the US Marines (9 months as a Motor Transport driver, so a lot of combat convoy’s and a lot of bombs)... and I can personally say that platoon is definitely one of the most realistic war movies ever... Oliver Stone did an amazing job of portraying the horrors, the realities, the struggles, the bonding and dividing of service members when they are in combat... from the veterans point of you he definitely did an amazing job and made a film that still gives me goosebumps!
I'm sorry, you can't actually say that because you were not in that environment, therefore you cannot say whether the film is a realistic portrayal or not. And personally, I doubt whether you actually smoked drugs through a smoking gun. I do recognize the fact that you can talk about war. However, did you personally witness a Mal Lai type incident that the film portrays?? Were you actually in a jungle at the time of the Summer of Love and a musical, cultural explosion? There are thousands of factors that are unique to that time that the film portrays and you did not experience those because you weren't there so you can't appraise it's authenticity. I have been through this with another commentator. It's a great film. I hope it's realistic but I'm not trusting you on that!
After seeing this movie aged 16 I abandoned my plans to join the army and have never glorified war again I went to Vietnam for a holiday and was so moved seeing the Huey in downtown Siagon and can only ever feel it was the wrong thing to have ever been there much respect though for all the veterans from all countries who gave there service and sadly their lives
I saw Platoon in the theater when it came out. I'll never forget the experience. Mr. Stone was right - the theater was silent while we were waiting for the movie to start. There were people (vets I'm sure) that left during the movie. When the movie ended, only a hand full of people left the silent theater. I sat there for 20 minutes after the movie ended just depressed. I heard some sniffling from people crying. It was an experience I will take to my grave.
Just like with Saving Private Ryan when the D-Day vets say it and the VA had to set up a hotline because the beginning of the movie was so realistic. Even some vets said they could still smell the diesel coming from the landing boats that the PTSD set in. For many of those vets, when you see for the first time a movie showing the real thing you went through and not glorying war which at the time nearly all of them that unsettles you.
Whenever anybody mentions Platoon, all I can think of is that clip of Frank Drebin walking out the theatre in Naked Gun after seeing it, laughing his ass off.
Saw it in 1986 at 16 y/o and sobbed for these young men of my parents' generation. Joined in 1990 and was thankful for its depiction of the horrors & realities of combat. He is DEAD ON about real combat being confusion and frustration of not knowing where fire is coming from or plans/things breaking down after the first shots being fired.
I remember when I saw Platoon at 19 years old at the movie theater. I had to drive around alone in my car for two hours afterwards just to comprehend what I just saw. I was pretty obsessed with the Vietnam War as a teen. Platoon blew my young mind.
My Uncle was there in 67 in the Air Cav., he wouldn't talk about it until I joined the Army in 82, then after I got back from boot camp he stopped over and talked to me for a couple of hours. Told me some stories that would curl your toes, he came away with an Air Medal, Purple Heart and a couple of others I can't remember. I was in when some of the Vets that fought there were still active in the military. Platoon was an awesome portrayel of that war. Thank God I was too young because I would have been there.
@@chrisjacobs9101 I'm not gonna get too deep but check out, "Guns a Go Go". It's a Chinook that the added 30mm cannons to the rear hatch of. My Uncle was a mechanical engineer, he wasn't directly involved but he helped out on it. You can't keep a gearhead away from a project like that. One day him and some guys were surrounded and pinned down and they saved his life with it. The Chinook just hovered over them and rotated in a slow circle with the 30mm cannons shooting full bore front and back and pretty much mowed the whole forest down. He said it buried them in a mountain of hot spent brass but they lived and nothing around them did. It went from real loud and real bad to real quiet fast. That's just one story but he had several like that.
@@chrisjacobs9101 Thank you for that but no thanks needed, we all had our reasons. A lot of crazy shit. It affected him for the rest of his life. He was drafted out of his Senior year at ISU in engineering. He finally went back and finished his degree in the late 80's, ended up getting his Masters degree in mechanical engineering at around 50. He had an amazing life, someone should have written a book. He was involved in everything from going to the moon (worked for Rockadyne in the 60's (not sure of spelling)), Vietnam, Middle-East, developing electronic fuel injection systems back when they we're starting to use them in cars. He had a high rise intake manifold that Hillborn Engineering designed from his research, casting number 3, they just sent it to him to play with. Last time I saw it he was using it for a coffee table, he just put a piece of glass on top of it.
Platoon will forever be my favorite movie. I’ll never get old of it. Edit: a lot actors we know today got their start in their career. Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker and more
I dropped out of UC Riverside in 1987 when I saw platoon. I joined the Army specifically to serve in the M1 Abrams tank. I served 2 years in the Fulda Gap with the 11th ACR, and 2 years with the 3rd ACR, including combat in the 1991 Gulf War. That was one of the two best decisions of my life, and I owe much of it to Oliver Stone's movie. I wouldn't change any of it.
When I was in the corps in 2012. There was this salty master sergeant who was actually there when the black hawk down incident happened. He was a young private at the time.
They're about five people in my family that served in Vietnam but my uncle is the hardest one when it comes to movies about Vietnam because he served three tours. The only Vietnam movie I've ever seen him watch more than once was Platoon. And the only thing he ever said about that movie was... that's the way it was
Movie felt personal for me and I wasn't even in Vietnam , only Iraq ,but those are my brothers too.. Can't imagine how the Vietnam vets felt after watching it... One of the best movies ever .. ✊ Glory also... Salute
Platoon made a difference. It went beyond being a movie event, it was a revelation. Amazingly, I believe it had a healing effect for those that really deserved it. Then others, it educated for the better.
I bow to Stone's Talent. To me he has made some of the best movies worldwide. Kudos to the Philippines for helping making the movie. Pure mentoring ...
I remember watching Platoon with my Uncle who's a purple heart vet with the 25th lightning division and seeing him fighting back tears. It was around the when PTSD was 1st being acknowledged and up to that time, he along with every other veteran dealt with it by just trying to bury it in their minds
Squeegied 3rdeye Oliver Stone served with the 25th Inf. Tropic Lighting. I myself served with the 25th Inf. From 90-93, I was In F-Quad, Schofield Barracks. The movie "From Here to Eternity" was filmed at Schofield Barracks, I believe it was at C-Quad.
@@schonau1969 that's right I remember my Uncle saying that. I remember putting on his bush hat when he wasn't looking and that badass Lightning Division patch
@@cellardoor199991 i mean I guess you can call what they were doing for WW1 vets treatment. I'm just saying back in the 70s and 80s it still wasn't really properly dealt with a lot of Vietnam Veterans dealt with it by just trying to shut it out. My Uncle didn't start going to group therapy until the mid 90s
I worked for a few years with marine Vietnam veteran, he told me a story about them being ambushed on patrol, they lost a couple of guys and they were like a week out from base camp. They buried them in the Jungle, well when they got back to bass their CO said we don't leave marines in the field and made them go back out and retrieve the bodies, the story ended when he talked about the smell while digging them up, his eyes teared up and he started gagging. 30 years and he could still smell that smell enough to physically gag.
@@TerraPosse Awwwwww, you wasted your time replying... Thank you, sweetheart. I'd suggest signing up for an English class, or avidly working on your grammar, before returning to your keyboard. Yours Truly, Alpha Omega
My dad was in that valley with first cav. Hated the leeches and screw flies. 3 Purple Hearts, bronze star. Corporal Peter G Kelley aka “PGK.” Gary Owen.
For those of us who have done numerous deployments, we can relate to and appreciate Oliver Stone ‘s observations and experiences downrange. He nailed it down on the types of characters you have to live with in close quarters on a daily basis under the stress of combat operations in a third world country for months on end. Great movie. 👍
Thank you Oliver Stone for making this amazing film. It’s so important for future generations to understand the Vietnam experience. One of my top favorite films of all time!
One of the greatest films to come out of the 80's my dad who was Vietnam Vet went and watched this movie in the theater and at the end wept. He said at the time that this was the most accurate film he had ever seen.
platoon is an absolute masterpiece that doesn’t get its dues. certainly one of the best films of all time. deer hunter, apocalypse now and platoon did so much for my understanding of the vietnam war. i feel a deep personal connection with a lot of the characters from those films, and re watch them at least once a year. every adult in america should watch platoon at least once, i believe that.
Platoon and Full Metal Jacket are part of my growing up. Great movies to show you the realism and horror of war. So much love for Oliver Stones movies... thank you for EVERYTHING!
Such talent, such humility. Classy human being and down to earth. Really happy to have had the chance to observe a person like this in my life time. Bravo!!! Maestro.
What a powerful interview! My respect for the brave men & women who serve & protect our country. Has never been higher! Thank you all for your service!💯❤️
My uncle served in the 25th Army infantry battalion, the same outfit the film is based on, during the Vietnam war and was killed at the hight of the Tet offensive in March of 68. I like to think his sacrifice is highlighted in the good that Sheens character expresses in the final scene.
When I first saw this film in the theater back in March of 87, upon leaving , I remember telling my date that "this is by far the best movie I ever saw"and I still feel the same way over 34 years later.
