 |
| Images Courtesy of Orion Pictures |
Another
interesting component of American Cinema during the 80's was an obsession with
the Vietnam War. Perhaps partially inspired by fear of losing the
Cold War, there were films that explored the lives of American soldiers as they
travelled far from home to engage in a hopeless, violent conflict.
What is intriguing is that almost all of these films approached the dour
material in different, yet similar manners. What follows is an
examination of three such films.
Platoon
Oliver
Stone's deeply personal opus, Platoon was a war film that was both
acclaimed and polarizing. Despite garnering many awards, many veterans
took issue with the films' portrayal of substance abuse, minority soldiers, and
violence towards noncombatants. Despite this, Platoon went on to
win Best Picture and Best Direction. At its core, this is a morality play
in which varying philosophies about the nature of war are at odds, made real in
Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe's legendary performances as two very different
sides to the same coin. The end result is a haunting sojourn into the
soldier's plight during one of the bloodiest conflicts in American
history.
Full
Metal Jacket
Images Courtesy of Warner Brothers
Stanley
Kubricks's iconic return to the war genre was the last of his films
released in his lifetime. Its two-act structure garnered almost universal
praise for Act I, in which the characters go through boot camp prior to
deploying to the Vietnam War. R. Lee Ermey received high acclaim for
his portrayal of the ruthless (and absolutely terrifying) Gunnery
Sergeant Hartman. Vincent D'nofrio supported as the doomed Private Gomer
Pyle. The result is a fascinating deconstruction of toxic
masculinity.
The second act, which takes place in Vietnam, was less praised. The
storytelling seems disjointed, in which various stories and characters are
essentially blended together, and the final product is a confusing message
about war and humanity. Regardless, the all-star cast and Kubrick's
cold approach to the material manage to overcome imperfections to deliver
something that is continually quoted almost 40 years later.
Hamburger
Hill
Images Courtesy of Paramount
Industry
legend John Irvin's offering is without question one of the most brutal
depictions of the Vietnam War. A Sisyphus-esque portrayal of the failure
of command, the story revolves around a group of soldiers that are attempting
to take Hill 937. What follows is a bloody, merciless exploration of not
only the soldier's plight, but that of the officers, the middlemen caught
between obeying orders and sending their men into certain death. Featuring
another outstanding ensemble, including an unforgettable turn by Courtney
Vance, Hamburger Hill is easily the most action packed of these three
films and while it did not receive the acclaim of its brethren, the most
powerful aspect of this is its scope. It stays focused on a single group
of soldiers who are performing a single task. While the commonplace
existential elements are present at the edges, it almost refuses to do anything
other than repeatedly remind its viewers that war is indeed Hell.
--Kyle
Jonathan