Platoon follows Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), a fresh out-of-college Army volunteer who's as green as his fatigues and the Vietnamese jungle, a boy who's completely unprepared for the experiences that are about to redefine his life. In the 'Nam, the men count their days remaining "in-country," hoping and praying to survive another day of their mandatory year of service. One long, bloody year is all it takes to jeopardize a life both on the field of battle and within one's own being. Taylor finds himself in the midst of a growing rift within his platoon; as the death toll mounts from nighttime ambushes and booby-traps, the men begin to emotionally fall to pieces and feed off their negativity, which comes to a head when the platoon exacts revenge on a village suspected to be a Viet Cong stronghold. Tensions erupt into a fistfight between Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), the latter of whom admonishes Barnes's overtly aggressive and violent behavior towards the villagers. Chris, himself emotionally distraught, experiences both extremes in mere moments, at first torturing a Vietnamese civilian and, seeing the error of his ways, breaking up a gang rape on a young villager. With the men now clearly divided, it's only a question as to whether the enemy or the schism between the men will be the platoon's undoing.
Filmmaker Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay for this movie based on his experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam, to counter the vision of the war portrayed in John Wayne's The Green Berets. Although he had already written other films such as 1978's Midnight Express and 1983's Scarface, Stone struggled to get Platoon developed until Hemdale Film Corporation acquired the project along with Salvador. Therefore, Platoon ended up being the first Hollywood film to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War.
After opening in select cities on December 19th, 1986, Platoon was released in theaters nationwide on February 6th, 1987. It received critical acclaim for Stone's writing/directing, the performances, cinematography, battle sequences, and realism. On a budget of $6,000,000, the film ended up grossing over $138,500,000 at the box office. On March 30th, 1987, Platoon won 4 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Oliver Stone), Best Film Editing, and Best Sound.
After opening in select cities on December 19th, 1986, Platoon was released in theaters nationwide on February 6th, 1987. It received critical acclaim for Stone's writing/directing, the performances, cinematography, battle sequences, and realism. On a budget of $6,000,000, the film ended up grossing over $138,500,000 at the box office. On March 30th, 1987, Platoon won 4 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Oliver Stone), Best Film Editing, and Best Sound.