He also tells a soldier whos screaming when he gets his arm blown off in the ambush to be quiet and, Take the pain!in other words, act indifferent to the pain, so the enemy will not hear him and lock in on the platoons location. But in actuality, he doesn't know for sure that Sgt. Elias, who has learned from experience, knows what to do when his platoon is about to be set up in an ambush. Sgt. 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. Barnes decision to kill Elias and later, his decision to try and kill Chris, provokes Chris to kill him. Chris respects and values the humanity of the Vietnamese civilians. I say we frag the fucker. Chris thought the war would mold him into the type of man he would be proud of, instead it has dehumanized him to the point where he is willing and able to commit the murder of his commanding officer in an act of revenge. Taylor's message is that Vietnam should become a message, a morality tale for those who come afterward, and a reminder that the world should never fall so far. No on talks. To prevent Sgt. Platoon Translator. Hes escaped death so many times he seems to have passed beyond humanity. (NEWSWEEK, 1/5/87, p. 57, David Ansen with Peter McAlevey). (Film). Why is the helmet placed upside down in the poster? Sgt. You telling me how much you admired that bastard. The success of Mao Tse-tungs communist revolution in China strengthened Americas support of the French in Vietnam. Unlike most of the analysis found herewhich simply lists the unique individual story appreciationsthis in-depth study details the actual encoding for each structural item. Answer: 3. When Barnes realizes the Lt. is the cause of this problem, Barnes denounces him. There are a number of examples illustrating how Chris prefers to deal with situations externally, and looks for physical solutions to his problems. I guess having always been sheltered and special, I just want to be anonymous. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! Performing a patriotic service for your country, the chance to take rage and frustration out on the enemy that has caused it, doing drugsthese are types of dividends the men can reap in the platoon. Elias admits he is a burn out and has some faults, but at least he is competent and doesn't frag his own. Barnes blames it on the way the men acted, and he gives them a lecture on how they need to be and act when they are on a nighttime ambush: 1, Sheila Benson). Chris seems awestruck that his worse fear could have been realizedhe could have been easily killed if there had been enemy troops in the bunker. Elias, he begins to consider Chris as another crusader that wants to challenge his authority. Maybe Ive finally found it, way down here in the mud. By doing so, Barnes is able to call their bluff, and deal with this conflict directly and on his terms. Early in the film, its clear that Sgt. If they were permanently damaged in some way; such as losing a limb, severe nerve damage, etc. Elias murder, Chris tries to convince some of the others in the platoon that they need to kill Barnes in revenge. The light of the moon. This can be seen early in the film after the platoon engages the enemy on an all night ambush where a new recruit, Gardner, ends up getting killed. As he puts it, "Didn't make much sense, I wasn't learning anything. Francis - portrayed by Living Colour frontman Corey Glover - emerges from a foxhole and correctly determines that help is indeed on the way. The black soldier behind him is Flash, the guy in the foreground is Bunny. CRAWFORD: Sounds like it. Cause drives Sgt. Barnes in the hut at base camp for killing him. I know he did. Although Id served with distinction, I never kidded myself that the Pentagon was in my corner., More from us: Vietnam War Movies That Best Show the Realities of the Conflict. His cold, insensitive manner confirms what the scars suggest. Out here assholes, ya keep your shit wired tight at all times! King and Crawford share a smile. Platoon Barnes was in co-command of 2nd Platoon along with Sgt. More can be read about him here. The war has exposed him to its dehumanizing qualities, and the insensitive depths to which the spirit of men can sink as a result. Chris proves to himself he can soldier as well as any man; what he doesnt bargain on is the experience of killing in cold blood. Aint no time or need for a courtroom out here(Stone, p. 60) He knows that coming from a wealthy, privileged, protected background had prevented him from being drafted, and that only the poor, ethnic, and lower class citizens are forced to fight for the United States. However, what makes thefinal narration especially impactfulis that Taylorsuggests he'll figuratively remain on the battlefield for the rest of his days, and imagines Eliasdoing the same while battling Barnes for the possession ofhis [Taylor's] soul. Barnes lost control of his emotions and men at the worst possible moment, which had he not murdered Elias would've taken him and several of his platoon out of the fight. The platoon commits war crimes against the village as a means of releasing frustration for the deaths of the members in their platoon. Did Elias die in platoon? KING: Whoever said we did, babe. And so everything looks and feels relatively normal given the circumstances. Barnes; Chris attacks Sgt. Barnes challenges Chris to, Do it!to shoot him while Chris has a rifle trained on him and his finger on the trigger. Barnes doesnt bother acknowledging the question, barely glancing at the Lieutenant, to him a necessary evil. Immediately upon arriving in country, Chris realizes the stark reality of war in Vietnam is quite contrary to his beliefs. In the aftermath, Barnes sees Taylor aiming a gun at him. Even though they believe him, they argue that Chris has no proof of Sgt. You fuck up in a fire fight and I goddamn guarantee you a trip out of the bush, in a body bag! Chris' beliefs are . 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. The arms-to-the-sky pose during Elias death scene can easily be seen as an allusion to crucifixion and, interestingly, when viewers first meet the character, hes carrying his weapon over his shoulders in a pose that somewhat mimics the act. Barnes realizes that Chris is standing behind him with a rifle pointed at him. When you know you know. Aint no time or need for a courtroom out here(Stone, p. 60). If their wounds were minor and would fully heal in a few weeks, they'd be sent to a hospital and then once they had healed, sent back to the front line. The mens essential natures are not suitable for war and it takes its toll, best seen in post-traumatic stress. As the platoon departs on helicopters, Taylor witnesses the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) gun down Dafoe's character; a moment which ultimately fuels the final act conflict. That screenplay was actually based on Stone's earlier screenplay, Break, a semi-autobiographical account of his experiences and people he knew in Vietnam. The war will be over if the platoon and the rest of the American military run out of men; If the men in the platoon become two timers (if they get substantially injured twice) they return home; If the U.S. Military achieves their objective of winning the war, then the war will be over and the goal will have been met. Before, Barnes looked Elias in the eye and shot him. Both the main character and the obstacle character see each other as the cause of the problems they are experiencing in their relationship. This brief moment of reflection is effectively Oliver Stone talking through his narrator, expressing his own experiences and what he's taken from them: a drive to make the world better. By the final act, director Oliver Stone provides a piercingcommentary about the lasting effects of war and the consequences ofspontaneous decisions. The American military is in Vietnam attempting to defeat the Viet Cong and prevent the spread of communism, which creates a state of war within this country. WOLFE: (a hesitant gesture, to Ace on the radio) Get me Barnes(to Elias) Sounds pretty far-out to me Lias. Platoon is one among a great many Hollywood movies set in Vietnam which were instead shot in the jungles of the Philippines. CHRIS (V.0. Chris, like Sgt. Sgt. Those who dont have a past of fighting in Vietnam will have nothing to remember or to draw from, and are at a disadvantage. (Stone, p. 92) The depth to which the Viet Cong understands how and where the U.S. During the filming of Sgt Elias death in Platoon, Dafoe had little contact with the other members of the cast and crew. The events quickly become moments in the past that produce extreme tension and frustration within the platoon. KING: Way out of anything, man. O'Neil, Lt. Wolfe, Bunny, and Junior to name a few. Chris shoots him three times at close range to finish him off after he survives the airstrike. Murphy was a small guy but was a wrecking crew against the Germans. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. The fact that the men in the platoon, as well as the enemys lives, are not given much value, slows the progress of the objective story. The conflict ends with Barnes ready to kill Taylor, an inexperienced soldier who seemingly doesn't pose a major threat to his standing within the U.S. Army. They drove me crazy with their goddamn world, Grandma, you know Mom, I dont want to be a white boy on Wall Street, I dont want my whole life to be predetermined by them. Chris and other new recruits are made immediately aware that their future is going to be bleak, harsh, and very possibly deadly in Vietnam. Barnes questionable account of how he earlier found Elias dead in the jungle, prompting the following exchange of dialogue between Chris and other platoon members: SSG. Barnes was a hot headed, gung-ho go getter who actually believed in his cause was was willing to do whatever was necessary to win the war Elias was much less of a fighting man but it can be argued that men like Elias would be better for winning the Hearts and Minds of the population. Thats a good Gook, good and dead. Barnes. Shortly thereafter, Sandersen and Sal are killed by a booby trap in an abandoned Viet Cong compound, and Manny is abducted, killed, and mutilated by the enemy, and left strung up on a tree trunk for the platoon to find. Maybe from down here I can start up again, be something I can be proud of and not have to fake itbe a fake human being. Barnes is the first platoon sergeant. Stone's message suggests that for goodness to prevail, darkness must be overcome. Barnes and Sgt. Sgt. The platoon keeps losing men to the enemy and to each other. When Chris Taylor first arrives in Vietnam, he is basically a naive, idealistic, young man who has dropped out of college to enlist in the militaryhes signed up for infantry and combat. The platoon investigates a small village suspected of Viet Cong activity. There is a lot of speculation whether he lives or dies, confused even more by the fact Depp mentions Lerner dies in a documentary about this movie. BARNES: Theres the way it oughta be and theres the way it is. (Stone, p. 95) Edit, Night AmbushPvt Tex (WIA): Has hand blown off by Sgt. Chris presumes Barnes killed Elias as if it were a fact. Harris (Survives): He's seen briefly at the beginning when on patrol with the platoon but most of his onscreen time comes in the final attack. Wants to fight this war with one hand tied round their balls. Barnes is a callous soldier, hardened from several tours of duty in the Nam. Horrible scars carved into his face physically suggest the experiences he has seen. The smell was chemical and horrific. 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. Hes definitely obligated to his country, but theres nothing moral about his obligation. Barnes is introduced as a hardened, brash character that leads with an iron fist. He had some trouble with the law, his vision went to sh*t, and he changed his name to Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn. The ending of Platoonsuggeststhat Elias and Barnes are symbolic of good and evil forces that fight for the soul of Taylor. Barnes commits causes Chris to abruptly regain his senses. How big is a platoon? who would you have rather served with in NAM, or in any war. He later wrote in his biography, Chasing the Light, No cooperation was possible; in fact, they put out an advisory in the Philippines at the Clark and Subic Bay bases against US troops participating in any filming activity. Select Page. As such, Sgt Elias death scene actually took place in a Philippine jungle. Dafoe was aware of the location of the explosive devices. Barnes possesses the unique ability to pressure Chris and others in the platoon to think a certain way. For him, an authentic life means stepping down in class; he embraces the same experience as the working-class blacks and white ethnics who got draftedcommon clay, most of them, forgotten men, losers. (Denby 86). None of this sits well with Sgt. KING: You what? Elias squad out for an all night ambush resulting in Gardners death and Chris injuries. He doesn't kill any civilians during the raid on Obsessed with the idea of an international communist conspiracy, Truman and his advisors contended that Stalin, Mao, and Ho were united by the single ambition of world domination. (Martin, Roberts, Mintz, McMurry, and Jones, p. 922) By the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, America was financing a major portion of Frances war in Vietnam. The consequence of not making progress in the war is the men will have to keep fighting, subjected to the inhumane preconscious responses they have developed in order to stay alive. For the all night ambush to work as effectively as Sgt. The reference to "decorated" can be misconstrued as medals considered to be "worthless." But Taylor's ascension into one of the platoon's bravestsoldiers leadsto a face-to-face confrontation with Barnes; a moment that's framed similarly to the Barnes-Elias sequence. We just dont add up to a rats ass. On December 31, 1918, Colonel Luke Lea of the 114th Field Artillery Regiment handed his commanding officer, General R.L. 8 pages of info, trailer, pictures and more. Lt. Stone positions his hero directly over the crawling and severely-injured staff sergeant, and makes the audience wonder if Taylor will actually shoot Barnes in the back. ELIAS: In 65 - yeah. Chris takes his hunches and transforms them into theorieshe tries to take his emotional feelings and sensations and apply logic to them. Barnes leads his troops by taking on and acting the tough, hard, insensitive persona he feels is necessary to get his men to respond to him, and to the activities of war in a way that will allow them to actually win. Out here assholes, ya keep your shit wired tight at all times! Another example is when he explains to the men in the head that he killed Elias because he couldnt and wouldnt tolerate a man that doesnt follow orders, he is warning them to follow orders or they will suffer the same fate as Elias did. He was also the Technical Advisor for the film. Barnes feels war and death are his exclusive expertise because of his first hand experiences: I figured why should just the poor kids go off to war and the rich kids always get away with it.". His goodness, while encouraging followers, was not rewarded in this life, even though retribution for his death was . Barnes killed Elias, it's just a feeling that Chris has about him. Black guy seen combing hair in night ambush.Pvt Moorhouse (KIA): Killed by short round, while using M60. First, and most importantly, Taylor kills Barnes. Yeah. Only thing can get Barnes is Barnes! When the staff sergeant threatens to kill another person,an enraged Elias physically attacks him. New posts Search forums. Oliver Stones 1986 film Platoon is considered one of the greatest war films ever made. ACE: they caught em last night trying to pull some shit on Charlie Company. Insufficiency, inadequacy, deficient to the purpose are ways to look at the term non-accurate. Barnes is the antithesis of Hamlet. (Stone p. 21) Warren's RTO.SGT. Barnes crosses that line. Chris enlightenment about the horrible, desensitizing, dehumanizing nature of war weighs heavily against the wisdom he has about the society that compelled him to volunteer for military service. Barnes in merciless revenge. (Stone, p. 4), When the all night ambush goes awry, Sgt. Chris contributes to the carnage by firing his rifle at the feet of a defenseless villager. And the next son of a bitch I catch coppin Z in the bush, Im personally going to take an interest in seein suffer. Revealing mistake: During the fight scene in the village between Elias and Barnes, as they roll around on the ground, Barnes "hits" Elias with a right hook and Elias's head is thrown to the side as if he just caught a serious blow. When Chris is falsely accused of falling asleep on his watch, Barnes uses the death of a platoon member to point out the effect of this action. We just dont add up to a rats ass. You got no proof man. After Elias death, Barnes confronts Chris and the others in the heads hutch about Elias, and Barnes is able to provoke Chris to attack him. Get one of my guys zapped so some fuckface fresh from the world can get his beauty fucking sleep! Barnes. Why did Taylor drop a grenade after the battle was over? Later, Chris tries to convince Rhah, King, and others in the head that Barnes killed Elias. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! He received a "battlefield" commission and got out as a captain. 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! Elias less. Progress for the platoon continues in a devastating downward spiral. Barnes focuses on others inadequacies, and this in particular makes problems for Chris. 1. Stone's message suggests that for goodness to prevail, darkness must be overcome. It's about how war is an immoral and evil thing and you must become evil and immoral to survive it.Also anyone who thinks that the movie is "un-American" should also note that the film depicts the NVA as just as ruthless and savage.
Kilifi County Job Vacancies 2021, Healthcaresource Employer Login, Yoystan Name, Boeing Offer Letter After Interview, Articles P