Review of Platoon

I somehow think that it would be very wrong to say that I love Platoon, or even like Platoon. When watching this movie, for me it became very difficult to separate the movie's atmosphere from my enjoyment of it. The atmosphere is hateful.

Perhaps that's what Platoon does best. It was one of the first movies to capture the hateful experience of being an American soldier in Vietnam. The soldiers do and witness hateful things, live in filth and misery, and try to escape it all with drugs and alcohol. They not only kill the enemy, but kill each other: sometimes with misplaced artillery barrages, sometimes purposefully fragging each other.

How can somebody enjoy being in that place? At the same time one has to admire the portrait that has been painted, even if its subject is horrible to view. I think comparing this movie to a painting is rather apt, actually. The plot is simple: it can be summed up in a few sentences. It is merely filled in with terrifying images of men slaughtering each other and getting stoned.

So if you don't mind being thrown into the mud and shit of the Nam, you'll like it. If you'd rather stay home, don't watch it.
3 1/2 dog tags out of 5