Platoon (9/10): Oliver Stone's personal experience in Vietnam

“I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us.”

If all war films were as good and sincere as Platoon it would probably be one of my favorite genres, but there are very few exceptions where the material is treated right as most directors tend to either be incredibly biased debating either in favor or against the war. It’s strange I make this claim since Platoon is obviously an anti-war film, but it treats the material with an honesty you don’t find in other films of the genre. It is much easier to make a statement like this in a war that everyone considers was a terrible mistake to get into. What Platoon has going for it however, is that it was written and directed by a man who actually served in the Vietnam War and decided to share his experience of what really was going on. Oliver Stone handles the material with incredible honesty not shying away from the horrors and senseless deaths in war and he delivers a film that never feels sermonizing (with a few exceptions). Even the villains (not the Vietnam soldiers, but the dubious Sgt. Barnes and his band of brothers) are portrayed with some sort of empathy. Platoon isn’t actually a film that focuses on war between Vietnamese and American soldiers, but rather the civil war that was going on inside the mind of these soldiers that Stone fought alongside with. He wasn’t afraid at pointing out who the real enemy truly was and for that reason the Vietnamese soldiers are barely portrayed in this film. It seems that with Platoon, Stone was able to cope with the effects that the war had on him and the result is a passionate and sincere film. 

In the very opening scene we are introduced to Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) as he has just been deployed to Vietnam and is arriving at the war zone. He narrates the film through voiceover as he is writing letters to his grandma informing her about the war. Unlike most of the soldiers, he wasn’t forced to go to the war, but volunteered after giving up on college. During the first few weeks he is struggling to keep up with the pace of war and no one seems to care too much for him since he’s the new kid who hasn’t yet been exposed to all the carnage they’ve experienced. Chris is currently serving two noncommissioned officers who couldn’t be more different from each other. On the one hand there is scar faced Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) who seems to have been in the war forever and on the other there is Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) who is much more lighthearted and easy going. Both are experts at war who know they are fighting with unexperienced soldiers. When a village raid gets out of hand both Sergeants take opposite sides and the platoon is divided between those who support Elias and those who take Barnes’s side. Evidently the war has taken a toll on all these men and some begin to question their very participation in it when they realize the enemy is inside each of them. There are also supporting performances from Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, and John C. McGinley who are all in the platoon together.

There is no denying the emotional buildup during the scene of the village raid and Johnny Depp’s face says it all during one of the killings that takes place there. It is one of the most intense scenes I’ve seen in a war film. The performances in this movie are what stood out for me. Charlie Sheen is great in the lead role, but it is the confrontation between Berenger and Dafoe that truly stands out. Both deserved their Oscar nominations despite not winning, but Platoon still took the top honors for Best Picture in 1987. My only complaint with the film perhaps was that it didn’t really need the voiceover narration from Charlie Sheen. Stone could’ve had enough faith in the audience and let them see what he wanted to say with the images alone and not spoon feed them with the narration. The excuse for its inclusion is that he is writing his grandmother, but there are things as the movie goes on that are evidently thrown in there so the audience could understand what he was thinking. It’s just a minor complaint because his character was still the easiest to identify with. The score and the cinematography are both effective and they enhance the horrors portrayed in this film. Platoon still manages to have an impact almost thirty years later and that is why it is a classic.

My Review: Scarface (9/10)

"I always tell the truth. Even when I lie."

Brian DePalma's Scarface has become such a classic film over time and its main character (Al Pacino as Scarface) is such an iconic pop cultural figure that few people would believe that he was actually nominated for a Razzie for Worst Director in 1984. Scarface is yet another film that was perhaps misunderstood when it came out, but has built a solid cult following over time (it influenced a lot of rappers and hip hop artists during the 90's) and is recognized by the IMDB as one of the top 250 films. When it comes to gangster films this might not be as perfect as The Godfather I, II, or Goodfellas but it still ranks among the top 10 in the genre and it has become more popular over time. Despite having never seen the film in its entirety before, I was familiar with the ending. Everyone knows where the phrase "Say hello to my little friend" comes from despite never have seeing this film because the ending of Scarface is perhaps one of the best known scenes in cinema history. Scarface has so many memorable quotes that it's hard to choose one, and that is thanks to the great script written by Oliver Stone who loosely adapted it from a prior film. It is also such a memorable film thanks in most part to Al Pacino's masterful performance as Tony Montana. He has made so many great films in his career, but I think this character will always stand out a bit above the rest. For some critics his performance may be over the top, but I think he nailed it and that is why Montana has become such an iconic figure over time. There is something about him that has transcended time and cultures. It is an epic and ultra violent stylized film and that is why Al Pacino's over the top and loud performance worked so well. Scarface is about 170 minutes long but it never ceases to entertain for a second.

During the Mariel harbor opening in Cuba more than 100,000 Cuban refugees were sent to the United States, one of those refugees happened to be communist hating ex military Tony Montana (Al Pacino). He has big dreams and high ambitions but upon his arrival he has to start off low. He and his friend, Manny (Steven Bauer) begin washing dishes when they are contacted by Omar Suarez (Murray Abraham) to make a business deal with some dangerous Colombians involving some drugs and money. Tony and Manny survive their mission and Omar introduces them to his boss, Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia), a drug kingpin in Miami, who hires their services. Frank has it all: a big mansion, nice cars, and a beautiful wife named Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer); everything that Tony dreams of having in this new country. Tony is convinced that he will not stop until he gets what he wants and in doing so helping his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) with whom he had been separated during his prison stint in Cuba. The only problem is that he will have to make a lot of enemies on the way to the top.

I really don't know what DePalma's true intentions were for Scarface. I don't believe he was trying to glorify Scarface because he was portrayed in a dark and negative light, but over time he has become sort of a role model for some people. Perhaps Al Pacino's performance was so strong that it made it easy for audience's to relate to this ambitious character. DePalma was able to make the audience care for this unstable and explosive character. On the one hand he refused to kill women and kids, but on the other he was able to kill his best friend without hesitation. Scarface does seem to walk a fine line between glorifying the character and showing how destructive ambition and excesses can be. This bleak mood set in the film can be seen through Pfeiffer's character, someone who has it all but seems completely unhappy with life. Even Tony himself once he achieves his goals seems to lose himself completely by these excesses. He hates seeing his sister with other men involved in the same business because he knows how ugly this life is. That is why I think DePalma was never trying to portray Scarface in a glorifying light, but over time his character has become admired by worldwide audiences. The film has a lot to say about ambition, loyalty, and betrayal, but above all it is a stylized ultra violent film that lacks the technical achievements that The Godfather had. It still remains as one of the great gangster and immigrant films of the 80's.

My Review: Savages (8/10)

¨It started here in paradise, Laguna Beach, where they say God parked himself on the seventh day, but they towed him on the eighth.¨

When the movie began I thought I was actually watching a trailer for another Hostel movie or something like that, but once I realized that it was actually the opening of Oliver Stone`s new film I knew I was going to be in for something different. I knew the film would be much darker than his latest efforts going back to his Natural Born Killers days and I was excited about it. Then I heard Blake Lively`s voice over narration and it kind of killed the momentum. Despite the fact that there was no need for the narration and some other minor issues, I really enjoyed this film for the most part. I don’t think I was so hooked with a thriller like this one all year. I was literally at the edge of my seat once the boring setup was over with. The two biggest issues I had with this film had to do with the beginning and the ending, but for most of Savages I was really entertained and hooked. There are some great performances here as well, although they had to do more with the secondary characters than the main ones. Savages could have been one of my favorite films of the year if it weren’t for those issues I had. The film is really violent and difficult to watch at times, but if you like these kinds of thrillers then you will enjoy this movie. Oliver Stone made a name for himself way back in 1979 when he won an Oscar for the adaptation of Midnight Express, and followed such success by directing films like Platoon, Nixon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, and Any Given Sunday. He`s done very diverse projects, but Savages is perhaps one of his most violent and darkest films to date, at least from this century. It will stick with you long after the movie is over.

Ophelia (Blake Lively), -who actually calls herself O after realizing she was named after the suicidal character from Hamlet- lives an ideal life in Laguna Beach along with her two lovers, Chon (Taylor Kitsch) a former Navy SEAL, and Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) a bright marihuana producer and entrepreneur. Ben and Chon have been best friends since High School and have no problem sharing their love with O. The two friends are very different from each other; Ben is peaceful while Chon who has been affected by war in Iraq is more of a violent person. The two have had success with their marihuana business since the weed that they produce is one of the best in the world. They run things as peacefully as possible, but when a Mexican drug cartel wants to become partners with them, things begin to get out of hand. The cartel is run by la Reina Elena (Salma Hayek), and Lado (Benicio del Toro) is in charge of doing the dirty work. When Elena tries to force the two men to associate with her through Alex (Demian Bichir) and they refuse, she sends O to be kidnapped. Ben and Chon will do whatever it takes to get the love of their lives back, while fighting off this dangerous cartel. A dirty FBI agent named Dennis (John Travolta) assists the Californian duo by providing some key information of the cartel. This is where things begin to get ugly and the violence escalates.

Taylor Kitsch has had a very busy year with John Carter coming out earlier this year and then Battleship. I don’t think he`s a very good actor, but this is perhaps his better work. I really didn’t know who Aaron Taylor-Johnson was until I heard he was the guy from Kick-Ass. He is unrecognizable in this film, and of the three leading actors, he´s by far the best. I thought he gave a strong performance here, although in my opinion the best performances come from the secondary actors. Salma Hayek and John Travolta were great and remind us once again why they have been such successful actors over the years. My favorite performance came from Benicio del Toro who I thought was brilliant and one of the best villains of the year. The story is really gripping and intense; if it weren`t for the narration or the pretty loose ending than this would´ve been a perfect movie. It`s still worth your time and you won`t regret Savages if you enjoy suspenseful thrillers and don`t mind a little bit of violence. It`s not a perfect movie, but I recommend it for the suspense and tension that Stone creates in this noir pulpy film.

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My Review: Wall Street Money Never Sleeps (6/10)

¨So, does Blue Horseshoe still love Anacott Steel? ¨

This quote was from Charlie Sheen`s cameo in Oliver Stone`s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which only served as a reminder of how good the original film was and how distant the sequel is from it. The film began with a lot of promise and I thought there was little anyone could do to mess it up considering Michael Douglas was back with one of his best roles as Gordon Gekko. The problem is that with time and life in prison Gekko has changed and he isn`t that powerful person he once was. The major problem I had with this movie was the ending which I thought was way too soft and it seemed as if Stone sold out to the typical Hollywood ending, which was nothing like the finale in the first part. However this isn`t a bad movie, it just isn`t as good as Wall Street because Gekko isn`t as bad a villain as he was in 1987. If you`ve seen this and haven`t seen the first film then make sure you do because I guarantee you will enjoy Douglas`s Oscar winning role as Gordon in that movie more than in this one. Oliver Stone is known for always bringing the best out of his cast and this movie is no exception. I really enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Frank Langella, Josh Broslin, and Eli Wallach who were really great in every scene they were in. Shia LaBeouf is no Charlie Sheen, but he wasn`t bad in this film either, and one can say Carey Mulligan is a much better actress than what Daryl Hannah was in Wall Street. I know they are different characters, but they are similar players in similar roles. The screenplay was written by Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff, but it wasn`t as powerful as Weiser`s original screenplay.

The movie begins in 2001 with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) being released from a long jail sentence. No one is there to pick him up and it is obvious that things have changed for him over the years. The movie then jumps forward to 2008 and introduces us to Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf), a young man who works at a banking institution named Keller Zabel Investments and who is trying to raise money for a fusion research project. His boss is Lewis Zabel (Frank Langella) and he is like a father figure for him because he has taught him everything he knows about being a broker. Zabel gives Jacob a bonus for his work, but at the same time he seems depressed because the company has been losing money due to the financial crisis that has hit everyone. Jacob decides to buy a nice ring with the money given to him and propose to his beautiful girlfriend Winnie (Carey Mulligan) who actually happens to be Gordon`s daughter who has broken all ties with her father after his arrest that led to her brother`s death from drug overdose. Gekko wrote a book during his time in jail and now he finds himself promoting it throughout different colleges. Jacob goes to one of these lectures and tells Gordon that he is planning on marrying his daughter. They begin to hang out secretly and Gekko explains to Jacob what may have caused Zabel to have recently committed suicide. He says that Bretton James (Josh Broslin), a successful broker, began rumors to hurt Zabel`s company and benefit from its demise. Jacob swears he will get his revenge, but the question is whether his relationship with Gordon will affect his relationship with Winnie, and whether or not he can actually trust him.

Gordon Gekko was a true villain in the 80`s although many people actually bought into his philosophy once the movie was released. Now a couple of decades later he is more of in a grey area. The true villain is Bretton James, and I thought that was one of the things that hurt the film, because Gekko made a terrific villain and there was no need to soften him in this film. One of the best scenes in this movie is the lecture that he gives at Jacob`s alma matter about the foreseeable financial crises. It was reminiscent of the speech he gave in the first film about money and greed. That was the highlight of the film, while on the downside you have the washed down Hollywood ending. The film had the potential to be a lot better than it actually was if it focused more on the economic aspect and less on the melodrama and relationships between Gordon and his daughter and Jacob with Winnie. This isn`t a bad movie, but I still recommend the first one over this any day. One thing is certain, Michael Douglas won`t win another Oscar for this version of Gekko.

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My Review: Wall Street (8/10)

¨The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.¨

Oliver Stone`s Wall Street is a memorable film with some great performances from Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. Michael won the Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko, a very greedy corporate businessman who will be remembered among the best villains Hollywood has created. He is not your typical villain, Gekko has the respect of many people and under his expensive business suits and his sly fox-like smile lies a man who`s greed and lust for money has left thousands of people out of jobs. He personifies the evil that can be hidden in Wall Street, as Hal Holbrook`s character warns Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) ¨ the main thing about money is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.¨ This is exactly what has happened to Gordon who only cares about money and he really doesn`t care at what expense it comes to his other fellow human beings. The only goal for him is to continue making more money because as he puts it greed is good and it’s the only way America will improve its economy. Stone has created a memorable character in Gekko because he actually believes he`s doing the right thing and that economy is just a game where some win and others lose, but it’s actually more than that and his greed has blinded him. His character serves as a warning for all the people in Wall Street because that is where money can lead you, but not everyone is bad and in a way Holbrook`s character represents the good in Wall Street. You have to give credit to Stone who in a way pictured what was going to happen in the future if more people like Gekko ran Wall Street. I`m no expert in economy, but I still found this movie very interesting thanks to a good screenplay written by Stone and Stanley Weiser, and some great performances from the cast (excepting Daryl Hannah who was miscast in this film).

Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a young stockbroker who is having a difficult time making it to the top of the firm he is working for. He dreams of one day meeting Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) an extremely successful broker in New York who has become one of the most powerful men in Wall Street, and who Bud totally idolizes. He insists on meeting him and calls his secretary every day trying to arrange a meeting. He finally meets Gekko with the excuse that he is bringing him a present for his birthday and gives him a heads up on buying stock from an airline company. Bud has some inside information about Bluestar Airlines because his father, Carl (Martin Sheen), works there so Gordon takes an interest in Bud for his persistence. Gekko takes him under his wing and teaches him a thing or two about being a broker. The first rule is never to take risks; he tells Bud ¨ I don't throw darts at a board. I bet on sure things. Read Sun-Tzu, The Art of War. Every battle is won before it is ever fought.¨ This means that Gordon doesn`t actually play it fair in the market and only buys stocks depending on the information he gathers about a certain company. Bud soon begins to play the same game and finds ways to illegally gather information for Gordon and quickly begins to rise in the firm he works at. Hal Holbrook plays one of his bosses from the firm who actually tries to give him some good advice. His rise to the top may come at a great price however because money easily made can easily go as well.

Wall Street is a very smart drama/thriller that stands out because it has some great characters that we can identify with. Michael Douglas is at his best playing Gordon and the scene where he gives the speech about money and greed is just memorable, Charlie Sheen is also great in his role as an aspiring stockbroker who wants to succeed in what he does. He is so blinded by his worshipping of Gekko that he does things he probably never would`ve thought of doing before. He wants to become Gordon so bad that he doesn`t realize that what he is doing is wrong. He actually thinks he isn`t hurting anyone in the process. At one point he has a serious conversation with his father about his job and Carl tells him to ¨ stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others. ¨ In a way it might be the advice Oliver Stone was trying to give us about Wall Street, too much greed could end up bringing the downfall of the entire system. This is a great movie whether you are into economics or not and can be enjoyed for the performances alone. I don`t know much about economics and stocks, but I still found this movie highly entertaining with some great characters so I recommend this.

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My Review: Born on the Fourth of July (8/10)

"I am the living death, a Memorial Day on wheels. I am your Yankee Doodle Dandy, your John Wayne come home, your Fourth of July firecracker exploding in the grave."

Oliver Stone won his second Oscar for Best Direction with Born on the Fourth of July and it also had to do with the Vietnam War just like his previous film Platoon. Stone was a Vietnam War veteran himself and by now we all know his political and ideological views which can be seen in most of his films. This movie focuses more on how the war impacted one individual and how his values changed over the course of time. It is based on the autobiographical book written by Ron Kovic who also worked with Oliver Stone on writing the screenplay. Kovic is known for being an anti-war spokesperson, but the film begins by exploring his early life and how he dreamt about being a war hero and a patriot. His values didn`t change even soon after he returned home and at first was hurt by all the protestors, but over time he changes and that is what the film explores more than the actual war itself. The movie studies the psychological impact the war had on this man who dreamt of becoming a war hero from his childhood only to be disillusioned by it after being severely wounded and left paralyzed from the chest down. Ron blindly wants to serve his country and states that he will gladly die in the war, but those of us who are familiar with his story know that his views will change over time and that is the major attraction this movie has. We want to discover how Ron made such an important transition in his life because we all know values are something men don`t easily change. The transformation that Kovic experiences from an innocent young kid to an anti-war spokesperson is the major attraction of the movie and Tom Cruise carries the movie with his very believable performance.

The movie opens with little Ronnie (Brian Larkin) playing outdoors with his friends from the neighborhood. He lives with his family in Massapequa, Long Island and grows up in a very patriotic and catholic household. He is raised by his father (Raymond J. Barry), a War Veteran himself, and mother (Caroline Kava), a devout catholic who teaches his son about fearing God and loving the country. Ronnie was born on the fourth of July so he remembers spending his birthdays watching the parade and recieving the War veterans as heroes. His childhood sweetheart is Donna(Jessica Prunell) who is always cheering for him at the local baseball games at which he excells. He was impacted by Kennedy`s inaugural speech and the film then jumps to his Senior year in High School where he was a wrestler. Ron (now played by Tom Cruise) continues to be shy and innocent and Donna (Kyra Sedqwick) is still in love with him. One day a recruiting marine officer (Tom Berenger) visits the High School and Ron is inspired by him to join the marines along with his friend Timmy (Frank Whaley), although his other buddy Steve (Jerry Levine) tries to convince them otherwise so that they study in college like him. Ron decides to go to war and there are a few strong battle scenes which impacted his life, first when he accidently kills women and children in the line of fire and then an american soldier, and later when he is severely wounded and becomes paralyzed from the chest down. The rest of the film explores the poor treatment he received at the hospital, his return home and how he became the man who he now is.

The film shouldn`t be seen as simply a war movie, it is an autobiography on Ron Kovic`s inspirational life and Tom Cruise plays his so well that the film succeeds. This is one of his best performances ever as we experience through him the transformation that Ron experiences. The scene where he runs in the rain to get to the prom and dance with Donna before leaving for the War reminds us of what his life could have been like if he stayed home. It was a very powerful and touching scene. There are also other great dramatic scenes like the breakdown he experiences at home with his mother and the conversation he has with Timmy once they both return from War. Willem Defoe has some interesting scenes as well as the friend Ron meets when he travels to Mexico. This is where Ron discovers he is just one of the many victims the insignificant war has left. I really enjoyed the story and even though it was probably a very personal movie for Oliver Stone and very biased, the story still worked because Ron Kovic himself worked with Stone on the screenplay. The movie was nominated for best screenplay although it didn`t win. The only other award it received, beside the best director, was for best editing although it was nominated in eight categories. I really enjoyed the score and cinematography that helped set the overall mood and efectiveness of the movie. I highly reccomend this film, whatever your feelings are towards Stone.

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