If the U.S. military would have proven to be a more effective adversary in the jungle style warfare waged against the Viet Cong, the U.S. would have probably won the war; If Lt. Wolfe had been a proven combat soldier, many situations the platoon faced wouldnt have resulted with such ill consequences; If Sgt. Suddenly, at. Remember what it looks like. 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. 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. He was friendly to squad members and smoked marijuana with them, and he became rivals with Sergeant Bob Barnes over his cruelty towards Vietnamese civilians while . Seen being carried away at end of battle. Chris Taylor decides to drop out of college and enlist in the military for active duty in Vietnam; Sgt. ONEILL: Shit! 2nd Lieutenant (Platoon Leader).SSG. From the crowded canvas, large figures emerge: Barnes ( Tom Berenger ), the veteran sergeant with the scarred face, the survivor of so many hits that his men believe he cannot be killed. 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. Barnes sitting down, lost in a thought. Elias runs up to him. 8 pages of info, trailer, pictures and more. Why did Barnes kill Elias? Barnes, the cold-blooded platoon sergeant. In Platoon, the narrative constant is always chaos. Edit, A soldier causing a self-inflicted wound to get off the front line has certainly happened. Do my share for my country. BARNES: Yall take a good look at this lump of shit! His mythic persona, superiority in rank, experience, and hard-line leadership commands respect and influences the platoon to follow his example and orders. 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. In the final scene the dead arent even in body bags. Barnes. Despite his frustration and anger, there is a line that Chris will not cross when it comes to the human rights of others. Despite all the signs that they are losing the war, the platoon, as well as the American military, are operating under the delusion they are in some way actually gaining control of the war and have a chance to win. For example: Barnes doesnt seem to give much thought to sending the new, inexperienced recruits, Chris and Gardner, out on a dangerous all night ambush mission shortly after they arrive to the platoon. But in actuality, he doesnt know for sure that Sgt. However, soldiers were strictly forbidden to touch any objects they found in the field that seemed out of place or important. CHRIS (V.0. Barnes been shot 7 times and he aint dead, that tell you something? There are so many war movies out there to choose from, yet not many come from the perspectiveof a man who personally lived through the hell that was the Vietnam War. Elas Character Analysis. 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. Bunny and Junior share a pithole as he savagely shoots oncoming NVA soldiers with his rifle but is soon outnumbered and shot to death when an NVA soldier shoots him down and finishes him off with a shot to his mouth as Junior retreats. 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. The young Lieutenant Wolfe, who has not proven himself in war yet, illustrates unproven as the problem in several situations. Both the main character and the obstacle character see each other as the cause of the problems they are experiencing in their relationship. The acclaimed actor was given a walkie-talkie and was instructed by Stone to run from point A to point B while avoiding all the explosions. Barnes in an act of revenge for Elias and for himself. Barnes; Chris attacks Sgt. 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. Its funny, in retrospect Ive heard many people say that Oliver Stone took that [pose] from a war photo, he continued. User Reviews Related:Da 5 Bloods: Every Real-Life Person & Event Referenced In Netflix's Movie. When you know you know. When Taylor discovers Barnes in Platoon, both men aren't doing well after the NVA attack and the subsequent air raid. All the characters are concerned with how the war is progressing, and what type of impact the U.S. military is having in Vietnam. Unproven is also illustrated in the conflict between Elias and Barnes that arises over the crimes that Barnes commits in the village. (Stone, p. 21). CHRIS: Not just me its the way the whole thing works. S.SGT Barnes or Sgt. Essentially, he was told where explosives were going off and how to best avoid them. Hispanic kid seen praying when Wolfe goes into bunker where Barnes and others are playing poker. Besides that, he had no further communication with cast or crew during the scene. Six of you boys against me. The ending of Platoon suggests that Elias and Barnes are symbolic of good and evil forces that fight for the soul of Taylor. Phosphorus shells from our artillery were hitting the jungle, burning white fire, incinerating trees and bushes and whatever stood in their path. (Stone, p. 3) Best Gaming Laptops under $600. (Stone, p. 95) Its a war where there seems to be no master plan, no big picture and no advances. Since not all the squibs exploded as planned, Dafoe ended up throwing the detonator to the side during the take that made the final cut. He aint gonna bite you. Barnes is able to provoke Chris to attack him, and Barnes almost kills Chris, but is persuaded not to by Rhah. Q.V. While there, the cast also trained to be soldiers with Marine veteran and friend of WATM,Capt. Barnes has shot and murdered Sgt. Platoon, principal subdivision of a military company . At this point, Chris is beginning to develop a stronger sense of moral conviction in reaction to the shocking and appalling actions of his fellow platoon members. Why did Taylor drop a grenade after the battle was over? Karmic Death: Shot three times by Chris in the torso, similar to how Barnes killed Elias. BARNES: Elias is like them politicians in Washington. I say we frag the fucker. Edit, For two reasons:1) He didn't think Chris had it in him to kill his own comrade in cold blood, and it was his way of taunting him2) If it turned out that Chris did actually have it in him to kill Barnes then Chris will have become just as ruthless and evil of a person as Barnes was. Elias's onscreen death in Platoon. Barnes finds Elias alone and shoots him, then returns and tells Chris that Elias was killed by the enemy. Barnes decides to send Sgt. Platoon Translator. One needs to learn from the past to do well in war. The ending of Platoonsuggeststhat Elias and Barnes are symbolic of good and evil forces that fight for the soul of Taylor. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. Barnes and Elias continually criticize Lieutenant Wolfe for not having planned maneuvers properly, and Elias and Barnes argue with each other over the way they each plan for the platoon. Unlike Elijah, however, he was not successful in his goals. CHRIS: Yever get caught in a mistake, King, and you just cant get out of it? Barnes told everyone that the enemy already killed Elias. Barnes feels war and death are his exclusive expertise because of his first hand experiences: (to Chris) And that goes for you, shit for brains. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. The new recruit, Gardner gets killed, Tex loses an arm, Chris is grazed by a bullet in the neck on the all night ambush that goes awry. CHRIS: He killed him. CHRIS: (surprised) You really think so us? When Elias is betrayed by Barnes, he still greets him with a smile, as if satisfied with his ability to operate on optimism despite the tragedies of warthat surround him, and his demise being brought on not by the enemy of war, but the enemy of morality. Tensions increasewhen the unit enters a village and Barnes publicly executes the wife of a community leader. Out here assholes, ya keep your shit wired tight at all times! Chris has a strong hunch that Barnes killed Elias which develops into a theory. KING: You what? 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. Warren's RTO.SGT. Chris Taylors strong sense of moral obligation and lack of self fulfillment has brought him to the Vietnam War. Barnes is obviously affected by the deaths of more of his men, enough so to make him momentarily lose his tough, military sergeant facade and expose a slight vulnerability. By reprimanding the platoon on the all night ambush, Barnes feels he will be able to get his men to perform better on their missions; By denouncing and challenging Lt. Wolfes authority, Barnes will secure more control over the platoon; The effect of killing Elias will prevent Barnes from having to deal with any crusaders in his platoon. Tonight. The last we see of him he is alive and in critical condition being placed aboard a Huey. Would soldiers actually wound themselves to get sent home? Maybe I can see something I dont yet see, or learn something I dont yet know (Stone, p.14) None of this sits well with Sgt. The events quickly become moments in the past that produce extreme tension and frustration within the platoon. M79. That screenplay was actually based on Stone's earlier screenplay, Break, a semi-autobiographical account of his experiences and people he knew in Vietnam. On the ambush, a soldier gets his arm blown off by a grenade and hysterically screams from the pain. Elias squad out for an all night ambush resulting in Gardners death and Chris injuries. How many days you short? Barnes has become a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. As he puts it, "Didn't make much sense, I wasn't learning anything. After Sgt. This frustration is derived from past events the platoon has recently suffered, such as the loss of two men in the all night ambush, the loss of two additional men in a booby trapped Viet Cong bunker, and the abduction of another platoon member who is found strapped to a tree, dead and mutilated. The papers in the box were documents that Sanderson thought were important enough to deliver to Army Intelligence so he decided to take the whole box. When you know you know. Therefore he's chosen the path of Elias aka good and rejected evil. In addition to the Storyform, you'll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question. Only thing can get Barnes is Barnes! The war has exposed him to its dehumanizing qualities, and the insensitive depths to which the spirit of men can sink as a result. Sgt. Immediately experiencing platoon life in Vietnam abruptly begins to change the naive, idyllic notions Chris, a volunteer, has about war. BARNES: What the hells matter with you Taylor! Even though they believe him, they argue that Chris has no proof of Sgt. Sgt. M60 (Uses an M16 in the night ambush scene).Pvt Bunny (KIA): Killed in bunker by NVA soldier blowing his brains out. For far too long, they engage in a losing war, deluding themselves that victory is certain. Conversely, Lt. Wolfe, who doesnt have past experience in the war has nothing from which to draw on in situations where it is a necessity. From there, the narration becomes more complex and gives a deeper meaning to Platoon: "There are times since, I've felt like the child born of those two fathers. 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. THE WEB'S FAVORITE - SINCE 1999. . In one scene, Barnes is bathed in red light, symbolizing the evil within. Ultimately, Platoonis about survival and legacy. Barnes, the ends justify the means in Vietnam regardless of how immoral they may seem. The iconic imageappeared on the movies poster and the box of the video tape release. Originally uses M16, inherits King's M60 (but we don't see him using it, O'Neil mentions to King to give it to him before he leaves).Pvt Taylor (WIA): Seen leaving on a chopper with Rodriguez at the end of the film.Finally he isn't part of the platoon but for completenessCPT. Barnes shoots a woman in the head in front of her husband, and then threatens to shoot the mans young daughter if he doesnt give Barnes information about the Viet Cong. When Sgt. Originally uses M16 later inherits Tex's M60.Pvt Fu Sheng (KIA): Killed by a short round.
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