Throwback Thursday: Platoon Review

Runtime: 2hr 0min

Director: Oliver Stone

Release Date: 24th April 1987

Rating: 15 (UK), R (US)

With Oscars weekend underway, I thought it would be appropriate to review a movie which won best picture exactly thirty years ago at the 59th Academy Awards. Platoon totalled four Oscar wins, and eight nominations - the leading picture of the year, so it begs the question - has Platoon stood the test of time?

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Platoon follows Chris (Charlie Sheen) and his stint in the Vietnamese War, alongside fellow protagonist Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and cruel manipulator Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger). The plot simply tells the story of the platoon both during and outside of battle, to give a 'big picture' take on the conflict to show multiple sides of the soldiers.

If you have ever heard this song before, (likely you have, many times), it's interesting to note that Platoon made Adagio for Strings as famous as it is today. Despite this, its' severe overuse happens to be my biggest criticism of the entire film. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure its' 1987 viewers will have watched in awe in deep melancholy, but presently its' use in essentially every death scene (of which there are more than a few, I kid you not!), comes across as horrifically cliche.

The film was clearly low budget, so there are times where action sequences with explosions do not look true-to-life, and the Platoon involved sometimes appear too small due to the cinematography and an absence of more actors/unavailability of CGI.

However, other than a few mere complaints, the movie is dramatic, compelling and by definition: Oscar-worthy. While issues can be drawn from the low-budget action, this, and I guess I'm contradicting myself here, completely misses the point of the film. Platoon shows the true horrors of war, the relationship comrades have with one another during their down-time between conflict, and the issues that allies can have with one another: even if they're meant to be brothers in arms.

In my review of Hacksaw Ridge, I explained that there are too many war films which make staring death in the face look incredibly fun; count Platoon among the films that do not do this. With magnificent acting from Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe, the film is a saddening story, as interesting as it is brutal; deliberately not providing a polished version of events.


Platoon received the praise it deserved, and it will be exciting to see which movie will join it among the list of best picture movies at the Oscars this year; it is well worth a watch and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie overall.

8.5/10

Throwback Thursday: Trainspotting Review

Runtime: 1hr 36min

Director: Danny Boyle

Release Date: 23rd February 1996

Rating: 18 (UK), R (US)

Due to the much-anticipated release of T2 Trainspotting this weekend, this throwback Thursday called for a re-watch (and review) of the original motion picture.
 

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Trainspotting was undoubtedly huge; launching director Danny Boyle and the lead cast into stardom shortly after its release - in particular, Ewan McGregor, who went on to perform high-profile roles in films such as Moulin Rouge, Star Wars and Black Hawk Down. Trainspotting was iconic in so many ways; the acting, soundtrack and honest scripting all left their mark on everyone that watched.

Most memorable of all must be Rentons' (McGregor) "Choose Life" speech during the opening scenes, which was not only reprised throughout the movie but brought to life once more in the trailer for its' sequel: T2 Trainspotting. The entirety of the film is filled with moments like this - fast-paced, raw and utterly glorious.

The plot doesn't shield from the harsh realities of the characters' lives; Trainspotting is critical in its storytelling - following Renton and his heroin-addicted lifestyle with his so-called "mates" Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd), all portrayed excellently authentic. Scenes like 'the worst toilet in Scotland' provides a great example of how Trainspotting does not care just how disgusted or distressed the viewer may be; it simply shows what it needs to to get the point across.

What is the point though? How did Trainspotting tell such a story of desperate criminal activity whilst still managing to be relatable and enjoyable? The answer lies in its' scripting, casting and uninspiring set. The characters and environment are designed to be as incredibly ordinary as possible, of no real interest and deliberately bland. Characters we love to hate and hate to love and identify with even though we differ greatly. That's the magic of Trainspotting entirely.

Trainspotting is daring and rife with idiosyncrasy; a movie that you can respect while you watch it. Many filmmakers can only dream of recreating what Trainspotting achieved, and in trying only convey an air of pretentiousness. The film still holds up today, is still seemingly somewhat relevant, and the acting is still wonderful even by modern-day standards. I can only hope the sequel can live up to expectation: the bar is set very, very high.

9/10