Accuracy Of Platoon (1986) In Depicing The Vietnam War

Accuracy of "Platoon" (1986) in Depicting the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a period of struggle that lasted forty brutal years from 1955 to 1975 in Vietnam. It was between North Vietnam, which was backed by communist allies like China and the Soviet Union, and South Vietnam, which was supported by the United States and its allies. The purpose of the war was to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government and attempt to prevent the spread of communism worldwide. The war originated back in Vietnam's post-World War II partition. Fearing the rise of communism in Southeast Asia, the United States became directly involved as part of its containment strategy. The war saw intense battles and millions of lives lost, with both sides

Many Americans opposed the war, and large figures like “leaders from politics, science, medicine, academia, entertainment, the press, and even business announced their opposition to the war”(Zimmerman 1). The film Platoon (1986), showed the story of Chris Taylor, a young American soldier who quit college and chose to volunteer for combat duty in Vietnam. The film shared his adventures in the war as he joined a company stationed in a detached forest location. Chris quickly faced the ugly realities of the war, watching both the mental and physical effects it had on the soldiers. In the movie, it showed two groups, each led by a different sergeant: Sergeant Barnes, who was a ruthless and harsh veteran, and Sergeant Elias, who was a caring and morally pure soldier. As Chris navigated the brutal environment, he got disgusted by the terrible acts committed and the loss of innocent people's lives. The film ended with a gruesome battle in which Chris had to face the challenges of war and make difficult decisions that would influence his future. The film Platoon (1986) accurately depicts the Vietnam War by depicting the brutal actions soldiers

One of the reasons Americans began losing trust in the military and government was because the Vietnam War resulted in a huge number of deaths, both among American soldiers and Vietnamese citizens. The death toll and violent visuals displayed on television pushed the brutal reality of war into people's living rooms. The scale of the deaths caused doubts about the purpose of the war. The progress of the war was “not measured by cities won or territory taken but by body counts and kill ratios” (Locke and Wright 328). Towards the end of the Platoon, there was a major battle that cost the lives of thousands of men from both sides. The following morning it showed the mounds of the flesh of the men that didn't make it till morning. It was a graphic scene but genuinely showed how it would have felt to be there. People that died were only seen as a number and the mentality was the higher that number was the closer we would be to the end of the