Barnes, severely wounded himself, says, "Do it." Taylor obliges and kills him. For the all night ambush to work as effectively as Sgt. After Ibarra saves his life from a vicious crocodile, Elas swears to protect the young man from his enemies, which are legion. For instance: Chris drops out of college and enlists in the military to do something positive for his country; He shoots his rifle at the feet of a young, retarded man he finds hiding. Thematically, the final war sequence is designed to parallel the Elias shooting scene. Both the main character and the obstacle character see each other as the cause of the problems they are experiencing in their relationship. 1st Squad (Alpha): Squad Leader. () Even though he didn't see Barnes actually shoot Elias, or has any physical proof of the crime, Chris still knows Barnes murdered Elias. Sgt. Who killed Elias in platoon? A nineteen-year-old college drop-out who has volunteered for military service and signed up for combat in Vietnam. CHRIS: Yeah, I dropped out of college and told em I wanted infantry, combat, and Nam Elias each feel the methods the other embraces to fight this war are non-accurate: Do my share for my country. Sergeant Barnes life revolves around performing a certain way while in countryfighting the deadly Viet Cong. Harris (Survives): He's seen briefly at the beginning when on patrol with the platoon but most of his onscreen time comes in the final attack. They drove me crazy with their goddamn world, Grandma, you know Mom, I dont want to be a white boy on Wall Street, I dont want my whole life to be predetermined by them. Francis earned a one-way ticket home for stabbing himself in the leg. While they are leaving a wounded Elias emerges from the jungle running from a group of North Vietnamese soldiers. But they saw a bloodied Sgt. Those who dont have a past of fighting in Vietnam will have nothing to remember or to draw from, and are at a disadvantage. Chris eventually transcends the wisdom that brought him to Vietnam and he becomes enlightened by his experiences in the war. Select Page. When you know you know. Get one of my guys zapped so some fuckface fresh from the world can get his beauty fucking sleep! Is there a Nazi flag on the American tank? There are many times when Barnes views Taylor as a hindrance and liability to the platoon, and he ultimately tries to kill him. The sergeants actions momentarily shock the entire platoon, but then seem to inspire the platoon to want to kill all the villagers. What many might not know is that the pose wasnt planned out beforehand. (to Doc) Doc, tagem and bagem. This is illustrated time and again throughout the film. In one scene, Barnes is bathed in red light, symbolizing the evil within. "Adagio for strings", composed by Samuel Barber and performed by the New Zealand Symphony. When George C. Scott delivered his tour de Operation Desert Storm officially began on January 17, Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! It was at this point the Sergeant Elias arrives, furious with Barnes. However, by the end of the film, we sense that Chris doesnt still hold to the same basic ideals as when he first arrived in Vietnam. When Chris and the others in the head initially decline to accept Sgt. And we are finally left with not only the platoon, but almost the entire 25th infantry, overrun by the enemy sustaining enormous loss of lives. 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. Yeah. Each of the men begin to have a moral conflict with one another over what the other considers as right and wrong. Outraged by Sgt. This can be seen early in the film after the platoon engages the enemy on an all night ambush where a new recruit, Gardner, ends up getting killed. Despite US military opposition and the rumblings of revolution in the Philippines, Stone was able to film his movie, and the jungle provided the perfect backdrop from Elias mad dash from the North Vietnamese troops who were pursuing him. What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? When the platoon finds a small Vietnamese village, Barnes was seen harassing the villagers, and ultimately, out of anger and cold blood, murders the village chief's wife and holds his daughter at gunpoint. Now (pause) No. Course Mom and Dad didnt want me to come, they wanted me to be just like them - respectable, hard-working, making $200 a week, a little house, a family. Out here assholes, ya keep your shit wired tight at all times! Concluding the debate, no further argument, Barnes rises. The physical and, especially, emotional wounds he has sustained in Vietnam will forever serve to remind him of the shameful dehumanization he endured in the war. Elias Gordon was born in 1936, and he joined the US Army during the Vietnam War, serving as a Sergeant in Bravo Company, US 25th Infantry Division. (to Doc) Doc, tagem and bagem. Progress for the platoon is in a very grim state. In an alternate reality, "Platoon" may have starred Jim . I guess having always been sheltered and special, I just want to be anonymous. Elias warns Barnes that he shouldnt send the new men in the platoon out on an all night ambush because they would most likely engage the enemy, and their inexperience would make them inadequate for the patrol. 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. Elias tells Chris he thinks the U.S. is going to lose the war: In one scene, Barnes is bathed in red light, symbolizing the evil within. Everybody knows whos really in charge of the platoon. Best Movies about modern (post-1900) warfare/military. Recollections are the standard by which growth is measured in the subjective story. Staff Sergeant (Platoon sergeant).Ebonhoch (Survives): Seen in foxhole with Rhah just before battle, then seen waving at the end with Tony. Although Barnes shows signs of being completely lost and crazy, we still see ourselves drawn to him until he murders Elias. If they were permanently damaged in some way; such as losing a limb, severe nerve damage, etc. Only when Elias brings this fact to his attention does the Lt. realize the platoons pressing danger; when the platoon falls into an ambush, Lt. Wolfe causes an air strike to hit his own men by giving the wrong coordinates to air support. Barnes conceives the idea of challenging Chris and the others to kill him. Is the village massacre based on any actual events? Marine veteran Capt. I say we frag the fucker. Is "Platoon" based on a book? However, soldiers were strictly forbidden to touch any objects they found in the field that seemed out of place or important. The carnage the platoon thrusts upon the village is an expression of the frustration that has built up among the soldiers. When two more platoon members are killed by a booby trap in an abandoned enemy bunker, Chris notices Sgt. smiling as he puts bullets in the Shamans chest. You got no proof man. Barnes' decision to kill Elias and later, his decision to try and kill Chris, provokes Chris to kill him. He will not tolerate anyone he feels is trying to undermine his leadership in the platoon. Barnes also points out to Chris and the other men the pertinent facts of the way he runs the platoon: Revealing mistake: During the fight scene in the village between Elias and Barnes, as they roll around on the ground, Barnes "hits" Elias with a right hook and Elias's head is thrown to the side as if he just caught a serious blow. BARNES: Theres the way it oughta be and theres the way it is. Francis - portrayed by Living Colour frontman Corey Glover - emerges from a foxhole and correctly determines that help is indeed on the way. Elias is missing in the jungle, Chris sets out to find him until hes stopped by Sgt. One of the dead under ponchos at battle's end, seen carried to chopper at end. Barnes. Not one(Stone, p. 88). 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. Hes not one to sit around and consider, contemplate, or ponder situations. ): Day by day, I struggle to maintain not only my strength, but my sanity. However, what makes thefinal narration especially impactfulis that Taylorsuggests he'll figuratively remain on the battlefield for the rest of his days, and imagines Eliasdoing the same while battling Barnes for the possession ofhis [Taylor's] soul. "Oh! During the final battle, he is killing countless VC bare-handed. Three or four squads make up a platoon, which has 20 to 50 soldiers and is commanded by a lieutenant. Why did Taylor drop a grenade after the battle was over? Barnes has become a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Through voiceover narration, Taylor explains his experiences through letters home to his grandmother and eventually proves himself to be the most morally righteous of the main characters. In Platoon, the narrative constant is always chaos. Elias when they are alone in the jungle. Barnes was a hot headed, gung-ho go getter who actually believed in his cause was was willing to do whatever was necessary to win the war Elias was much less of a fighting man but it can be argued that men like Elias would be better for winning the Hearts and Minds of the population. But Taylor's ascension into one of the platoon's bravestsoldiers leadsto a face-to-face confrontation with Barnes; a moment that's framed similarly to the Barnes-Elias sequence. Performing a patriotic service for your country, the chance to take rage and frustration out on the enemy that has caused it, doing drugsthese are types of dividends the men can reap in the platoon. Barnes. In the closing minutes of Platoon, the character re-emerges with a big smile on his face, and tells Taylor that they'll both be sent homeas "two-timers." Chris Taylor. The soldiers with a past have an intimate knowledge about the ways of fighting in Vietnam, and they must be able to remember and draw from their past experiences in order to be effective in the fight they are currently engaged in. Chris accomplishes this when he blows Barnes away. Why did Elias smile at Barnes? 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. (Stone, p. 3) That didn't make much sense to most of his fellow soldiers, frankly . CHRIS: He killed him. Sgt. How close his troops conform to Barnes conception of soldiers, is how he measures his concern of being a role model. Chris believes Barnes to be dangerous to his own men, and is frustrated at his inability to prove Barnes immorality. CHRIS (V.0. The value of human life and what it is worth is the thematic conflict waged between Chris and Sgt. (concluding) Chris has a strong hunch that Barnes killed Elias which develops into a theory. His naivete is quickly dissipated by the stark realities of his environment. Edit, Platoon is based on a screenplay by director Oliver Stone. Elias, he begins to consider Chris as another crusader that wants to challenge his authority. He heroically rescues several platoon members when the platoon is caught in an enemy ambush. I saw his eyes when he came back in On the ambush, a soldier gets his arm blown off by a grenade and hysterically screams from the pain. 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. Tonight. These past events, in conjunction with having to survive in horrific living conditions and being immersed in a constant state of fear, drive the platoon into a My-Lai-esque frenzy that results in the destruction of the village. After Taylor fires off three shots, hepauses and looks at his surroundings, with the grey of the smoking gun contrasting with the lush green jungle. Wants to fight this war with one hand tied round their balls. Edit, Likely because it is meant to represent a helmet from a fallen soldier on the battlefield. As he was running and some of the squibs failed, he threw the detonator to the side, an action that can be spotted by more eagle-eyed moviegoers. To put an end to his own personal war, Sgt. Entdecke Platoon (DVD, 2009, Special Edition Single Disc Version) NEU in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! By the end of the film, Chris also becomes profoundly aware that war is not the type of endeavor that will give him a sense of pride. Events that have already happened are used as a yardstick to measure the progress toward the goal. Barnes decides to send Sgt. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. CRAWFORD: You volunteered for this shit, man? Unlike most of the analysis found herewhich simply lists the unique individual story appreciationsthis in-depth study details the actual encoding for each structural item. Does Johnny Depp speak Vietnamese? The others in the platoon view the experienced Sgt. His mythic persona, superiority in rank, experience, and hard-line leadership commands respect and influences the platoon to follow his example and orders. By the early 1960s, after increasing military involvement, America found itself stepping in for the exhausted French and Southern Vietnamese governments, and leading the campaign against the lethal Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese communist regime. If theres one thing these men know, its that anyone can die at any time, and death has no loyalties. I have mixed feelings about the movie Platoon. Chris memory of Barnes evil deeds and the memory of Elias and what he stood for, enable him to finally shoot Barnes. People like Elias get wasted and people like Barnes just go on making up rules any way they want and what do we do, we just sit around in the middle and suck on it! Maybe I can see something I dont yet see, or learn something I dont yet know (Stone, p.14) ONEILL: Fuck you Elias. I cant believe we are fighting each other when we should be fighting them. Lt. Wolfe's RTO.SGT. Elias runs up to him. Barnes feels war and death are his exclusive expertise because of his first hand experiences: This is what has brought him to Vietnam. Only thing can get Barnes is Barnes! Lt. Barnes crosses that line. Chris Taylor is from a wealthy and privileged background. Now, Taylor looms over a fallen comrade, Barnes (who requests a medic), and kills him. CHRIS: I was wrong. 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. Immediately experiencing platoon life in Vietnam abruptly begins to change the naive, idyllic notions Chris, a volunteer, has about war. 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