by Svalbard

Created on: January 22, 2007   Last Updated: December 16, 2008

Of all the war movies that I have watched over the years only a few have made an impression opon me. Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Saving Private Ryan are amongst those that are imprinted on my mind. Having never seved in the military or fought in any conflict I cannot imagine the horror of actual combat. Those three movies, in their visceral brutality, gave an idea of the horror that awaits a soldier on the battlefield. From the de-humanizing training regime in Full Metal Jacket to the opening scenes of the D-Day landings in Saving Private Ryan, they grip the viewer and plunge you into a nightmare world of violence. They also raise important questions about man's inhumanity against his fellow man.

This is depicted in tragic detail in the movie Platoon. The raw, young recruit is thrown into the ferno of war and his soul is fought over by two very different veterans. One who has somehow retained his humanity and the other Sergeant Barnes who has embraced war as a lover. Barnes, strangely, is not a wholly evil person. He is consumed with hate for the enemy and those that he feels are not fully supportive of his platoon. The movie traces the story of these three characters as the platoon fights for its survival in the jungles of Vietnam. Oliver Stone, the director, uses fantastic set piece battle scenes, targets the hard questions of war such as murder and rape, but he never judges. The music score is outstanding and adds to the atmosphere of the movie.

Of all war movies that I have viewed it is The Thin Red Line by Terrance Mallick that has made the most striking impression upon me. He is a gifted filmmaker and he brought all his skills to bare on this movie. It is a thought provoking movie asking the audience many questions about the nature of war and the effects it has on the people who perpetrate it. The action scenes are visceral and not only show the destructive power of war on humanity, but also the damage it causes to nature about us. As for characterization the actors give enormous performances. Sean Penn as the veteran sergeant gives an outstanding and understated demonstration of his acting skills. He exudes both cynicism for the mayhem about him and love for the men under his command. Equally the other characters are well drawn with Jim Cazavial brilliant as the young private who is looking for paradise where it does not exist. Long after the viewing, this movie stays with you and I am not ashamed to say that my eyes clouded over as I watched this outstanding piece of film making.

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