The Vietnam War On The Movie, Platoon, As A Portal

Platoon The Vietnam War was one the most controversial wars in America. This paper is meant to examine the Vietnam War using the movie, Platoon, as a portal. Analyzing scenes in the movie and how they pertain to the films ideology. The paper will look at the struggles presented in war from the outlook of the â€Å"grunt.† It will look at the pro-war and anti-war view of propaganda. It will look at the good and evil, right and wrong, conflicts in the film. How do these messages reflect the reality of the war? Is the agenda to create a vision of reality or is the film simply a form of entertainment? The film, â€Å"Platoon,† is the perspective of the Vietnam War in 1967 through the eyes of Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). Chris leaves school to enlist in combat and once he starts he quickly questions his decision. He has two officers, Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe). The two officers have different views; Barnes, who wants revenge because he believes that the VC (Viet Cong) ground troops are being safeguarded by a local village, and Elias, who has a more peaceful, less violent demeanor. Tension builds between Barnes and Alias until Barnes shoots a villager in the head, Elias intervenes preventing annihilation of the village inhabitants. This event causes the platoon to split into two camps which pit against each other, causing conflict with the enemy and the men in the platoon. The film will be examined using the ideological film theory. The filmShow MoreRelated65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesher conclusions about what traits contribute to manage... ment success, Stacie demonstrates her potential for leadership in business. Future applicants should strive to do the same. 6 AnonymoUs R. J. OLeary, a retired Marine and three...war veteran who mentored my father, presented the offer: Son, how bout I find you a real job next summer. Fifteen years old, I had just completed two mind... numbing months of employment at a burger shack. I didnt wait for an explanation; I accepted