“Platoon” V “We Were Soldiers”
Another film that has captured my attention on the Vietnam War was Platoon. This movie unlike We Were Soldiers is a very dark depiction of war and the realities of the soldiers fighting in battle. I have decided to compare both movies and how different Hollywood has depicted the Vietnam War in each film. It is an interesting contrast to see such a brutal comparison from Platoon to We Were Soldiers. Platoon contains some incredibly graphic images and storylines whereas We Were Soldiers is more Hollywoodesque. Perhaps the timing. Platoon came out shortly after the war had ended and We Were Soldiers is a relatively new motion picture. Below is a brief synopsis of Platoon and my personal interpretation and comparison of two movies both dealing with the same war but Hollywood had different messages they wanted to portray to the public.
Platoon (1986), is a motion picture that follows an infantry platoon during Vietnam in 1968-1969 and is seen through the eyes of a naïve soldier (Charlie Sheen) Private Chris Taylor, as he goes on patrols, digs foxholes and attempts to survive the war. This film focuses on the characterization of each soldier and for once humanizes the soldiers as flawed beings who carry bitter attitudes towards the war and their fellow soldiers. Platoon, provides an anti-war attitude by preying on each soldiers downfalls. The soldiers smoke dope, rape a peasant girl, burn villages and kill innocent civilians and even each other. This film is the dark, gothic and realistic portrayal of the actual horrors of the lives of the soldiers. The recurring theme in this film was how rage overwhelms humanity. The soldiers were insensitive about death, destruction and brutality and their ugly attitude consumed any sort of patriotism. This was a film that showed the soldiers verses themselves rather than against the enemy.
The main difference between We Were Soldiers and Platoon is the dramatic change of attitude that occurred just three years into the war. In We Were Soldiers, brotherhood and a sense of family was felt amongst the soldiers whereas the soldiers in Platoon are filled with racial tension, drug use and a sense of personal rage against one another. Despite their fear, the soldiers in We Were Soldiers were rather optimistic and patriotic and they carried a sense of pride and loyalty for their country. On the other hand, the soldiers in Platoon were in the war not because they volunteered but were forced by the institution of the draft.
The battle scenes in Platoon were much less expansive than those of We Were Soldiers because it focused more on that character than anything. However, the Vietcong in Platoon is portrayed as more of an evil, suspenseful enemy that appears in the jungle out of nowhere. Yet in We Were Soldiers, the Vietcong were humanized and portrayed as yet another victim of warfare just fighting for their country and suffering the repercussions of war just like
Filed under: Vietnam War