US (1986): Drama/Action/War
Platoon put writer-turned-director Oliver Stone on the Hollywood map; it is still his most acclaimed and effective film, probably because it is based on Stone's firsthand experience as an American soldier in Vietnam. Chris (Charlie Sheen) is an infantryman whose loyalty is tested by two superior officers: Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), a former hippie humanist who really cares about his men, and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a moody, macho soldier who may have gone over to the dark side. The personalities of the two sergeants correspond to their combat drugs of choice -- pot for Elias and booze for Barnes. Stone has become known for his sledgehammer visual style, but in this film it seems perfectly appropriate. His violent and disorienting images have a terrifying immediacy, a you-are-there quality that gives you a sense of how things may have felt to an infantryman in the jungles of Vietnam. Jim Emerson, Amazon.com)
8 nominations, 4 Awards
· Best Picture 1986: Arnold Kopelson - Producer (Hemdale, Orion)
· Directing 1986: Oliver Stone
· Film Editing 1986: Claire Simpson
· Sound 1986: John K. "Doc" Wilkinson, Richard Rogers, Charles "Bud" Grenzbach, Simon Kaye
· Supporting Actor 1986: Willem Dafoe
· Supporting Actor 1986: Tom Berenger
· Writing (Screenplay written directly for the screen) 1986: Oliver Stone
· Cinematography 1986: Robert Richardson
