Iconic Movies Of The Eighties: Platoon

Now there is no denying Oliver Stone makes a bloody good war movie - and they don't come any better the Platoon.

Released back in 1986 the movie went on to pick up the Best Picture Oscar and it remains one of the greatest Vietnam movies ever made.

Director Oliver Stone draws on his harrowing experiences in Vietnam as he wrote and directed this insight into brutality of guerrilla warfare in the heat of the jungle.

It is also the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth (1993).

Platoon may be the first of a trilogy but it is by far the best as Stone tackles some really controversial topics throughout the film.

Platoon is an unsympathetic film it doesn't gloss over the troubles in Vietnam to suit and American cinema going audience.

Stone depicts some soldiers as violent killers who struggle with seeing their friends injured and killed and take out their rage on the locals.

Stone also showed controversial issues within the U.S. army such as drug abuse, which has largely been speculated upon in recent years, the bullying behaviour by more experienced soldiers on the new, inexperienced recruits and the killing of unpopular officers.

As well as all this going on there are some excellent performances from a very talented cast, Charlie Sheen really launched his career with the central role of Chris.

But it is the war between sergeants Barnes & Elias, played by Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe that is the most interesting relationship.

The demise of Elias, largely thanks to Barnes is one of the most iconic and enduring images of the movie.

Platoon is an intense story from start to finish and the images that Stone captures have as much power today as they did back then.

This is a movie and a director that was not afraid to tell the truth and you have a war movie that sees soldiers battling not only the enemy but each other as well as themselves.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw