From: Reviews and Criticism of Vietnam War Theatrical and Television Dramas (http://www.lasalle.edu/library/vietnam/FilmIndex/home.htm) compiled by John K. McAskill, La Salle University ([email protected]) P4200 PLATOON (USA, 1986) (Other titles: Ceta; Peloton) Credits: director/writer, Oliver Stone. Cast: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker. Summary: War film set in South Vietnam in 1967-68. A young soldier in Vietnam (Sheen) discovers that his enemies are not just the Viet Cong, but fear, physical exhaustion, and anger within himself and others. Based on the first- hand experiences of director Oliver Stone. Oscar nominees Berenger and Dafoe portray sergeants Barnes and Elias: one hard and callous, the other tough yet compassionate. The two sergeants draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and each other, dangerously dividing the loyalty of the platoon. A., S. K. “Vietnam-Tacktack” Stuttgarter Zeitung (Apr 30, 1987), p. ? Ackermann, Michael. “Die Front und das ‘Danach’” Kommune (Jun 1987), p. ? Adair, Gilbert. Hollywood’s Vietnam [GB] (p. 144-61+) Adams, William. “‘Platoon’ Of heroes and demons” Dissent 34/3 (1987), p. 383-6. Ahlander, Lars. “Fotsoldatens Vietnam” Chaplin 29/2 [209] (1987), p. 73. ____________. “Oliver Stone - pa botten av tunnan” Chaplin 29/2 [209] (1987), p. 70-72+ [4 p.] Aikman, Becky. “A hard look at a hard war: To Hollywood’s surprise, ‘Platoon’ is a box-office hit and the soldiers who fought the war in Vietnam are glad that the public is finally getting the right picture” Newsday (Jan 17, 1987), pt. II, p. 2. Aim, R. “Platoon” Z Filmtidsshrift 5/2 [20] (1987), p. 33-4. Allen, Henry. “Why we aren’t in Vietnam: Don’t think you’ve been to war just because you saw ‘Platoon’” Washington post (Jan 25, 1987), p. B5. Anker, Roy M. “The kingdom of wish: Oliver Stone’s problem with history” Fides et historia 25/2 (1993), p. 89-118. Ansen, David and McAlevey, Peter. “The arts: Movies: A ferocious Vietnam elegy” Newsweek 109 (Jan 5, 1987), p. 57. [Reprinted in Film review annual 1987] Astrup, Christian Boe. “En eiskverdig festival” Film & Kino 3 (1987), p. 4-5. _________________. “Traume: Vietnam” Film & Kino 3 (1987), p. 10. Attanasio, Paul. “The long inner war of Oliver Stone: The writer-director, putting demons to rest and finding peace with ‘Platoon’” Washington post (Jan 11, 1987), p. H1. _______________. “Platoon’s raw mastery: The movie: Oliver Stone’s eloquent images of Vietnam” Washington post (Jan 16, 1987), p. B1. Aufderheide, Pat. “Oliver Stone as pulp artist” Cineaste 15/4 (1987), p. 5. Aurich, Rolf. “Der Mythos lebt” Filmwaerts 7 (May 1987), p. 13-15. Auster, Albert and Quart, Leonard. How the war was remembered: Hollywood & Vietnam [GB] (p. 131-41) Avins, Mimi. [Platoon] US 3 (Feb 9, 1987), p. 34-7. B., T. R. “TRB from Washington: ‘Platoon’ and Iranamok” New republic 196 (Mar 9, 1987), p. 4, 42. Balague, Carlos. “Platoon” Dirigido por no. 302 (Jun 2001), p. 78-9. Balzar, John. “Vietnam and culture; Lessons and legacies / 25 years after Vietnam; Coming home is never easy” Los Angeles times (Apr 16, 2000), Calendar, p. 4. Banner, Fiona. The Nam London : Frith Street Books, 1997. Baron, Gyorgy. “Lettuk meg: ‘A szakasz’” Filmvilag 31/11 (1988), p. 52. Barrios, Greg. “A ‘Platoon’ without Latinos” Los Angeles times (Apr 19, 1987), Calendar, p. 2. Bates, Milton J. The wars we took to Vietnam : cultural conflict and storytelling Berkeley : University of California Press, 1996. (p. 106-20+) Bates, Robin. “Ameriski poskust razumevanja meja razsiritve, kot jin prikazujejo filai o Vietnamu” Ekran 13/3-4 (1988), p. 47-51. Bawer, Bruce. “The talkies: Poltroon” American spectator 20 (Mar 1987), p. 33-5. Baxter, Brian. “Platoon” Films and filming 391 (Apr 1987), p. 30-31. Beaver, Frank Eugene. Oliver Stone; wakeup cinema New York : Twayne, 1994. (p. 83-98) Beck, Avent. “The Christian allegorical structure of ‘Platoon’” Literature/film quarterly 20/3 (1992), p. 213-22. [Reprinted in Screening the sacred : religion, myth, and ideology in popular American film (edited by Joel W. Martin, Conrad E. Ostwalt, Jr.) Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press, 1995. (p. 44-53) Bennetts, Leslie. “Oliver Stone easing out of violence” New York times 136 (Apr 13, 1987), p. C13. Benson, Sheila. “Movie review: ‘Platoon’: It’s war at ground zero” Los Angeles times (Dec 19, 1986), Calendar, p. 1. [Reprinted in Film review annual 1987] Bernard, Jami. [Platoon] New York post (Dec 19, 1986), p. 30. [Reprinted in Film review annual 1987] Bierbaum, Tom. “Appeals court extends injunction against HBOV ‘Platoon’ to Nov. 2” Variety 329 (Oct 28, 1987), p. 38. ____________. “HBO readies videos of ‘Platoon,’ ‘Hoosiers,’ despite court battle” Variety 327 (Jul 15, 1987), p. 34. ____________. “Hemdale countersues Kopelson in ‘Platoon’ case: Producer miffed” Variety 329 (Dec 23, 1987), p. 4+ [2 p.] ____________. “Judge orders HBO to recall ‘Hoosiers’ tapes: Tally rentals” Variety 329 (Dec 23, 1987), p. 37. ____________. “Kopelson gets injunction against Hemdale over ‘Platoon’ revenues” Variety 328 (Oct 21, 1987), p. 5+ [2 p.] ____________. “Market potential of ‘Platoon’ vid looks undamaged by court delay” Variety 330 (Jan 27, 1988), p. 35. ____________. “‘Platoon’ takes spotlight in court as homevideo rights spark suits” Variety 326 (Apr 1, 1987), p. 45-6. ____________. “‘Platoon’ vid case finally settled: Tapes reach shelves this week” Variety 329 (Jan 20, 1988), p. 13. ____________. “‘Platoon’ video talks fall apart dashing hope for Xmas release: fear paycable will sap potential” Variety 329 (Dec 16, 1987), p. 76. Bierinckx, Cim and Wauters, Jean-Pierre. “‘Platoon’: Hoe ‘Nam werkelijk was” Film en Televisie 359 (Apr 1987), p. 14-17. Bishop, Rod. “Platoon” Cinema papers 63 (May 1987), p. 65. Blake, Richard A. “Film: Mind and heart” America 156 (Feb 21, 1987), p. 159+ [2 p.] Blauner, Peter. “Coming home” New York 19 (Dec 8, 1986), p. 60-76. Block, Alex Ben. “Faces behind the figures: Getting respect” Forbes 139 (Apr 6, 1987), p. 170. Blowen, Michael. “‘Platoon,’ gritty, powerful film” Boston globe (Dec 30, 1986), Arts and film, p. 28. _____________. “‘Platoon’ leads charge on war fantasies” Boston globe (Jan 4, 1987), Arts and film, p. B21. Blum, Heiko R. “Vietnam, mein eigenes Trauma” [Stone interview] Tagesspiegel (May 3, 1987), p. ? Boc. “Ein Weg durch die Holle” Neue Zurcher Zeitung (Apr 4, 1987), p. ? Boukrief, Nicolas. “La guerre sans etoiles” Starfix 47 (Apr 1987), p. 49-50. Broeske, Pat H. “After seeing ‘Platoon,’ Fonda wept” Los Angeles times (Jan 25, 1987), Calendar, p. 3. ______________. “Drawing flak from Norris” Los Angeles times (Jan 25, 1987), Calendar, p. 3. Brownlie, Tom. “We gotta get out of this place: Memories of Vietnam” Film (UK) 3/9 (November 1987), p. 9. Bruning, Fred. “A celluloid war of credibility” Maclean’s 100 (Mar 16, 1987), p. 7. Burke, Maureen. “Haunted by Stone’s hell” Stills 29 (Feb 1987), p. 18-19. ____________. “‘Platoon’ revives Stone’s traumas” Stills 29 (Feb 1987), p. 16-17. Burnett, Frank (see under Perret, B. J.) “Business: A jungle war over the ‘Platoon’ video” Newsweek 110 (Nov 23, 1987), p. 58. Bygrave, Mike. “War in tablets of Stone” Guardian (Jan 24, 1987), p. 13. “California court bombs ‘Platoon’: Recall cassettes” Variety 328 (Oct 14, 1987), p. 3+ [2 p.] Canby, Vincent. “Film view: ‘Platoon’ finds new life in the old war movie” New York times 136 (Jan 11, 1987), p. C21. ____________. “The Vietnam War in Stone’s ‘Platoon’” New York times (Dec 19, 1986), p. C12. ____________ (see also under Maslin, Janet) Cardullo, Bert. “Vietnam revisited and recent films about the Vietnam war” [GB] Carroll, Raymond L. (see under Lichty, Lawrence W.) Cawley, Leo. “An ex-Marine sees ‘Platoon’” Monthly review (Jun 1987), p. ? Ceplair, Larry. “A B-movie for middle class liberals” Cineaste 15/4 (1987), p. 6. Champlin, Charles. “Has ‘Platoon’ de-escalated war movies” Los Angeles times (Jan 25, 1987), Calendar, p. 4. Cheney, Harry. [Platoon] Christian herald 110 (Mar 1987), p. 44+ [3 p.] Cherchi Usai, Paolo. “‘Platoon’; ‘Gunny’” Segnocinema 28 (May 1987), p. 58-9. Christensen, Terry. Reel politics : American political movies from Birth of a nation to Platoon [GB] (p. 198, 207-8, 219-20) Christopher, Renny. “Negotiating the Viet Nam War through permeable genre borders: ‘Aliens’ as Viet Nam War film; ‘Platoon’ as horror film” Lit : Literature interpretation theory 5/1 (1994), p. 53-66 Ciment, Michel. “Entretien avec Oliver Stone” Positif 314 (Apr 1987), p. 13-17. “Citibank no longer part of ‘Platoon’ litigation” Variety 329 (Jan 5, 1989), p. 5+ [2 p.] Cockburn, Alexander. “Oliver Stone takes stock” American film 13 (Dec 1987), p. 20-26. Cohen, Richard. “The nightmare of ‘Platoon’” Washington post (Feb 3, 1987), p. A21. Comber, Michael and O’Brien, Margaret. “Evading the war: the politics of the Hollywood Vietnam film” [GB] Combs, Richard. “Beating God to the draw: ‘Salvador’ & ‘Platoon’” Sight and sound 56/2 (spring 1987), p. 136-8. Cooper, Marc. “Playboy interview: Oliver Stone” Playboy 35 (Feb 1989), p. 51-53+ [11 p.] Corliss, Richard. “Cinema: A document written in blood” Time 128 (Dec 15, 1986), p. 83. [Reprinted in Film review annual 1987] ____________, [et al.]. “Show business: ‘Platoon’: Viet Nam the way it really was, on film” Time 129 (Jan 26, 1987), p. 54-61. ____________. “Stone age battles” Observer magazine (Mar 8, 1987), p. 22-5, 28. Corson, William P. [Platoon] Penthouse 18 (Aug 1987), p. 92. Cosford, Bill. “‘Platoon’ focuses terror of ‘Nam” Miami herald (Jan 16, 1987), p. 6D. Cosulich, Callisto. “‘Platoon’: Il nemico a dentro di noi” Bianco e Nero 48/2 (Apr/Jun 1987), p.