Platoon | Teen Ink

Platoon

February 6, 2017
By EricktheLlama SILVER, Hemet, California
EricktheLlama SILVER, Hemet, California
7 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Many movies warfare movies made today are based on struggles of the US against Iraq or their up against Russian hackers infiltrating the pentagon, but nowadays producers just don’t seem to be interested in making movies that touch up on events of the past. Which is why Platoon is at the top of my list.


This enticing movie is set in the lush jungles of Vietnam during the conflict between the United States and Vietnam where the US sought to stop the spread of communism which had creeped it way into Vietnam and would convert Vietnam to become communist. Soldiers fighting in vietnam were faced with the threat of not only the enemy but nature as well. In the jungle every step could be your last with the various types of venomous spiders, snakes, and mosquitos. It was released December 24, 1986 in theatres.


Later that night Chris has just finished his turn keeping watch and wakes up Junior who almost immediately falls asleep and a few seconds later Chris wakes up and can barely make out anything out of the ordinary, then some leaves seem to move with the wind and the shadow of a vietnamese soldier is made out giving his squad the order to move forward. As more men creep out Chris’s heart starts to beat like he's just ran a marathon and as viewers then given the point of view of the vietnamese soldiers stealthily walking towards Chris until second by second goes by and we can see Chris’s face even more and inside i'm pleading for Chris not to die until you can completely see his face. Rifle shots echo as the rest of the platoon fires upon the Vietnamese Chris's life was saved.


Later on in the film Sergeant Elias is going to report Sergeant Barnes for killing innocent people at the farm they had just passed and Elias goes on his own to flank the enemies and comes face to face with Sergeant Barnes. During the confrontation Elias starts smiling but soon realizes that the cold, hard, stare Barnes is giving is not a friendly one but finds out too late and Barnes shoots Elias. Chris then sprints to the direction where Elias went when Barnes jump scares us. Chris then questions Barnes on the whereabouts of Elias and Barnes responds that Elias is dead. Chris moves from left to right deciding on if to check if Elias is dead or believe Barnes, and of course Chris chooses to follow Barnes to the evacuation. Thus leading to the most heartbreaking scene. In the helicopter Chris and his other platoon members are in the helicopter going back to base when someone spots Elias. Chris and his people helplessly watch as Elias is limping, tripping over, and trying to run as behind him is a complete wave of vietnamese chasing after him.


The next scene is satisfying. As the United States is being overwhelmed by people and are pushed back towards their base and the commander is forced to take the option of launching a napalm on his position. As this happens Barnes is on top of Chris and is going to kill him with a shovel when the napalm hits. Chris wakes up in the light of morning. He is burned and covered in ash as he limps and pick up a weapon. Then he spots Barnes and takes the shot after waiting for so long, Chris was finally able to avenge Elias and the movie ends.


To this day Platoon has left a lasting impression on how life is like during war and I would watch it again with my friends if they haven’t seen it yet which i'm sure they haven’t.


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