Green Berets Vs. Platoon
I also watched two Vietnam war movies a few weekends ago; Platoon and The Green Berets. As one can imagine, they are very different from each other.
The Green Berets, released in 1968, stars John Wayne and is basically a propaganda film, where all the Americans are well intentioned, fighting for the noble purpose of saving the Vietnamese children from the dark forces of communism. I’ve never understood why John Wayne is so revered by part of our society as a strong role model of American machismo; he’s always seemed to be just a short jog away from a heart attack, and whenever he talks, I can’t help but hear the death knell of cancer in his lungs. Don’t get me wrong – the characters he plays are often likable, and he’s got screen presence, but I’ve just never seen him as the epitome of American maleness.
Platoon, made in 1986, stars Charlie Sheen (go ahead and snicker, but he was really good in this movie), and was sort of Oliver Stone’s response to movies like The Green Berets. I remember when this movie first came out hearing that a lot of Vietnam vets had very strong emotional reactions to it – they felt like it portrayed the fear, tension, and chaos they’d experienced quite realistically. In this movie, the characters have flaws, and there’s a lot of moral ambiguity. There’s also a lot of Lord of the Flies in this movie; you got kids, basically, who are dropped off in a remote area and throw their allegiance to one of two leaders, Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) who represents our evil side, and Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe), who represents our good side. Dafoe even strikes a very Christ-like pose at one point when he’s gunned down. I like how this movie portrays the confusion of this war – like how when they get attacked, everything happens so fast that it’s hard to know what is actually going on. I like moral ambiguity in my movies. And I really liked this movie.
But I gotta confess…I also enjoyed The Green Berets in a guilty pleasure sorta way. Maybe it’s because I originally saw this as a kid before my critical brain kicked in, when things seemed much more black and white, when I didn’t question (or even notice) that the flora in the movie consisted of pine trees instead of palm trees (it was filmed in the U.S.) and when I woulda been shocked – shocked I tell you! – if you would’ve even suggested that the Village People were gay.
The Green Berets, released in 1968, stars John Wayne and is basically a propaganda film, where all the Americans are well intentioned, fighting for the noble purpose of saving the Vietnamese children from the dark forces of communism. I’ve never understood why John Wayne is so revered by part of our society as a strong role model of American machismo; he’s always seemed to be just a short jog away from a heart attack, and whenever he talks, I can’t help but hear the death knell of cancer in his lungs. Don’t get me wrong – the characters he plays are often likable, and he’s got screen presence, but I’ve just never seen him as the epitome of American maleness.
Platoon, made in 1986, stars Charlie Sheen (go ahead and snicker, but he was really good in this movie), and was sort of Oliver Stone’s response to movies like The Green Berets. I remember when this movie first came out hearing that a lot of Vietnam vets had very strong emotional reactions to it – they felt like it portrayed the fear, tension, and chaos they’d experienced quite realistically. In this movie, the characters have flaws, and there’s a lot of moral ambiguity. There’s also a lot of Lord of the Flies in this movie; you got kids, basically, who are dropped off in a remote area and throw their allegiance to one of two leaders, Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) who represents our evil side, and Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe), who represents our good side. Dafoe even strikes a very Christ-like pose at one point when he’s gunned down. I like how this movie portrays the confusion of this war – like how when they get attacked, everything happens so fast that it’s hard to know what is actually going on. I like moral ambiguity in my movies. And I really liked this movie.
But I gotta confess…I also enjoyed The Green Berets in a guilty pleasure sorta way. Maybe it’s because I originally saw this as a kid before my critical brain kicked in, when things seemed much more black and white, when I didn’t question (or even notice) that the flora in the movie consisted of pine trees instead of palm trees (it was filmed in the U.S.) and when I woulda been shocked – shocked I tell you! – if you would’ve even suggested that the Village People were gay.
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