This vivid, harrowing war drama follows a 19-year-old college drop-out Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), who signs up for service in Vietnam in September 1967. After initially being rejected by the other soldiers, he finds himself plunged into the bloody chaos of life as a GI on the frontline.
Chris has two commanding officers, one of them is the ill-tempered Sergeant Robert Barnes (Tom Berenger, pictured), and the other is the more co-operative Sergeant Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe). Chris not only struggles in a battle with the enemy, but also with the constant conflict between the sergeants. The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn and Kevin Dillon.
The winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture, this is an uncompromising and semi-autobiographical study of men at war from writer-director Oliver Stone.
Highly recommended.
Platoon is a Film programme that first aired in 1986 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
