The first movie to confess the American sins of the Vietnam War, Platoon carried extra weight because it came from someone who was there: writer-director Oliver Stone. Platoon had a purging power when it was released, but years later you can see some of the picture’s flaws more clearly. As it details a rift that develops among the men in a platoon after they participate in a village massacre, Stone too easily wants to blame the atrocity on one man – Tom Berenger’s deranged Sgt. Barnes. If Stone’s closeness to the material – the movie is based on his own experiences – makes it difficult for him to take a larger, bird’s-eye approach, at least it allows him to present a personal, subjective vision. With its contemplative camera work and occasional bursts of orchestral music, Platoon has an ironically holy aura – like a baptism into hell. With a talented young cast that includes Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon and John C. McGinley.
