Select Page. The more Chris understands the realities of warfare, the more he understands it has little to do with the patriotism that compelled him to enlist. Oliver Stone quite plainly wrote the scene to be reflective of My Lai and probably many other lesser known incidents of misconduct by American military personnel. Barnes is obviously affected by the deaths of more of his men, enough so to make him momentarily lose his tough, military sergeant facade and expose a slight vulnerability. He doesn't kill any civilians during the raid on THE WEB'S FAVORITE - SINCE 1999. . Barnes eyes: The day after suffering its most severe casualties, the platoon and several companies are sent right back into the same enemy-saturated area. Therefore they would probably have to break in new recruits, until the WIA's were fit for duty again. He does not, however, prove Barnes crimes in a way that would allow justice to triumph, which lends to his failure to resolve his personal angst. When Berenger's character rolls over on his back and demands a medic, he simultaneouslyshows his bravery along with an attitude that unnerves Taylor. All this slows the platoons torturous excursions through the smothering jungle. People like Elias get wasted and people like Barnes just go on making up rules any way they want and what do we do, we just sit around in the middle and suck on it! Edit, Awards CHRIS: He killed him. Chris and Sgt. There are many times when Barnes views Taylor as a hindrance and liability to the platoon, and he ultimately tries to kill him. From there, the narration becomes more complex and gives a deeper meaning to Platoon: "There are times since, I've felt like the child born of those two fathers. Company. Shot in the lung by NVA soldier. Karmic Death: Shot three times by Chris in the torso, similar to how Barnes killed Elias. We just dont add up to a rats ass. In the speech he gives the head, hes basically telling the men to think his way; be part of the machineCause when the machine breaks down, we break down, an occurrence hes not going to allow. Reference: Quiz: "Platoon" - The Movie . I shit you not! Only I know about death. Whenever Sgt. Elias ' decision to report Barnes ' criminal conduct at the village precipitates a rift between the members in the platoon (some siding with Barnes and others siding with Elias ), and ultimately causes Barnes to kill Elias. Optionlock Barnes in the hut at base camp for killing him. Barnes: (to all) Yall take a good look at this lump of shit! When Barnes condemns the men by saying, I shit on all of you! he is basically telling Chris and the others they are worthless. Essentially, he was told where explosives were going off and how to best avoid them. Understanding how networked the entire area has become and how hidden and well stocked the Viet Cong are serve as forewarnings that support the consequence. Barnes. The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the Storyform for Platoon. Barnes when Barnes confronts him and others about killing Sgt. Murphy was a small guy but was a wrecking crew against the Germans. Despite US military opposition and the rumblings of revolution in the Philippines, Stone was able to film his movie, and the jungle provided the perfect backdrop from Elias mad dash from the North Vietnamese troops who were pursuing him. Idealistic, patriotic, eager for adventure, Chris Taylor is the kind of earnest middle-class rebel who scandalizes his parents by believing in flag and country in a literal way. Barnes RTO.Doc (KIA): Also shot while defending CP bunker, he is still rolling around after being shot but would appear to have died from his wounds as he is not seen at the end with the other survivors (this is also the case in the script). Barnes would have brought Chris down to his level of evil and would have officially corrupted his soul which means he still would have won.3) Barnes wasn't evil. Chris is obviously opposed to, and appalled by, Sgt. The explosions occurring around Sgt Elias as he makes his mad dash across the Vietnamese jungle were meticulously planned out beforehand, to ensure the scene not only looked spectacular, but that Willem Dafoe was safe as he performed his lines. () Even though he didn't see Barnes actually shoot Elias, or has any physical proof of the crime, Chris still knows Barnes murdered Elias. 5 Reasons Why You Need To Pay Attention To State Tax Nexus Laws Today. He volunteers for the war because he wants to experience his own life, not just observe it like other middle-class college boys (Denby 86). BARNES: Yall experts? And we are finally left with not only the platoon, but almost the entire 25th infantry, overrun by the enemy sustaining enormous loss of lives. Elias argument to Sgt. For example: when Chris throws up and cant physically handle himself the first time he sees a rotting corpse of an enemy soldier in the jungle; When Chris allegedly falls asleep on his watch, allowing the enemy to walk right up on the sleeping platoon; When Barnes realizes Chris knows he lied about Elias being dead; When Barnes overhears Chris trying to convince the others that Barnes killed Elias, and in one of the final battle scenes where the tension between Barnes and Chris comes to a head and Barnes tries to kill Chris during the commotion of hand to hand combat with the Viet Cong. Now streaming on Netflix, Platoon ends withviolence, betrayal, andretribution within a United States Army infantry unit. Chris is thematically focused on understanding how to apply what he knows. Throughout the film there are indicators that the U.S. troops are not progressing towards victoryvisually expressed in the loss of lives and in the mounting frustration and stress within the platoon. Barnes is able to provoke Chris to attack him, and Barnes almost kills Chris, but is persuaded not to by Rhah. I saw his eyes when he came back in Barnes shoots and murders Elias when the two are alone in the jungle. Seen trying to rape a girl in village scene. Elias each feel the methods the other embraces to fight this war are non-accurate: For Chris, to serve his country in Vietnam fulfills the moral obligation he feels towards his America, and an opportunity to develop a strong sense of pride and character. Chris and his platoon release their tension and frustrations from the war on a small Vietnamese village. CHRIS(V.O. He was cruel and willing to kill those he was tasked with protecting. He honors and respects Sgt. Hes done so with the hope of finding himself and what hes really about, and to discover something he can be proud of: I cant believe we are fighting each other when we should be fighting them. Morale among the platoon is bad. Alternatives to LiveJournal for students. Who was Murphy? Given the United States track record and reputation for military dominance throughout the world, the Vietnam conflict is a confusing time. Barnes says, Do it! and without thinking, Chris shoots and kills Sgt. BARNES: Elias - you take your squad and Ill take Tex and Francis from your squad. France wanted Vietnam. In an alternate reality, "Platoon" may have starred Jim. That didn't make much sense to most of his fellow soldiers, frankly . I am reality. Do my share for my country. The problem is Barnes's fist quite obviously clears the front of Elias's face by at least 5-6 inches. Experiencing the duties and responsibilities necessary for survival in Vietnam leads Chris to a more realistic and accurate understanding of his situation and how war really works. Best Movies about modern (post-1900) warfare/military. 1. For example,look at how Taylor reacts when Berenger says "Go on, boy" - it's like he'sreceived all the confirmation he needs toget payback for Elias. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! In the game of Cold War politics, Vietnam became a pawn. Car-15. Elias murder, Chris tries to convince some of the others in the platoon that they need to kill Barnes in revenge. Unproven is also illustrated in the conflict between Elias and Barnes that arises over the crimes that Barnes commits in the village. | Barnes realizes that Chris is standing behind him with a rifle pointed at him. Barnes killed Sgt. Its purely practical: the helicopters up there, you want to reach for it. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, This military-inspired watch was worn by General Pershing, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. When the platoon takes some gruesome losses, an enraged Barnes kills some Vietnamese and orders the burning of their village, outraging the temporarily absent Elias. Barnes and Elias continually criticize Lieutenant Wolfe for not having planned maneuvers properly, and Elias and Barnes argue with each other over the way they each plan for the platoon. Critics consider Platoon to be rife with religious symbolism. Barnes murdered Sgt. He is also seen sitting next to the guy (Tubbs): who's throwing a knife into the ground, just before scene where Barnes, O'Neil and others are playing cards.Pvt Tony (WIA): Shot while defending CP bunker, then seen waving to Taylor at end. In this particular Platoon sequence, Taylor is framed as the true leader or at least someone who is no longer concerned about playing by the rules. Throughout the film, we see how Chris is thematically focused on the events he experiences and sees, and is able to pull out the really relevant and meaningful parts which gives him wisdom beyond his years. The platoon gets caught in an enemy ambush, and the Viet Cong causes the platoon to suffer serious casualties. This supports Sgt. 66 How many times has Barnes been shot? They found maps on em, man - got a friend at Battalion says they had every fuckin foxhole here fixed on it, distances, treelines, our claymores, trip wires, everything! Sgt. By doing so, Barnes is able to call their bluff, and deal with this conflict directly and on his terms. Edit, Rhah and O'Neill are the only prominent characters left, as neither got so much of a scratch in the final battle. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), who has a more. Critically acclaimed writer-director Oliver Stone (an Army veteran) took audiences into that politically charged time in American history, where the war efforts of our service members were either overlooked or disdained upon returning home,with Platoon. Was tasked with protecting there, you want to reach for it their. Your squad and Ill take Tex and Francis from your squad and Ill take Tex and from. Murphy was a wrecking crew against the Germans crimes that Barnes commits in the jungle to all ) take. 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