Vietnam movie poll: "Casualties of War" (1989) vs. "Platoon" (1986)?

Really tough, but between both I'd say Platoon by a margin mostly because of Oliver Stone and Charlie Sheen. Though I still like the story to Casualties of War more than Platoon's honestly, its just a lot of the acting in Platoon especially William Dafoe's blew Casualties of War's out of the water.

Oliver Stone,

BQ: Hamburger Hill, probably my most favorite war movie as well.

Another would be an old documentary I saw a long long time ago. French made I think, covering Vietnam after the war. We thought the Vietnamese didn't like the Americans? not really they were actually quite afraid of the US; however they really didn't like the Chinese. That documentary covered Vietnam's brief but very violent war with the People's Republic of China and Pol Pot's regime in Cambodia during the 1970s.

Casualties Of War Movie

That's apples & oranges for me. Psycho is a very good flick, but Citizen Kane has more going on, even if it accidentally ruined Orson Wells' future. The Hearst family had a huge impact on California, and some of the nation. Funny, I was just thinking of the kidnapping of Patty Hearst this morning. I don't know enough about cinematography to comment intelligently on the two, but Hitchcock sure hit a home run with how he filmed the shower scene. That'll never happen again: no horror director would miss the opportunity to show breasts and blood. Last Movie: Moonlight Kingdom

I liked both but I give the nod to "Platoon" - This kind of movie isn't my type of thing for the most part. I go to movies to escape from real life, not to see it at it's worst. "Stripes" is my kind of Army movie. LOL Comedies (even some Romantic comedies like "Pretty Woman"), Action Adventure, Sci-Fi and Fantasy are the ones I go see. My wife will occasionally get me to go to a drama but I'm usually very bored. I am a 57 year old teenager when it comes to entertainment. I love Rock n Roll and care free movies.

OK back to your question. DePalma makes better art but Stone makes better conspiracies. Usually I go with the Art but in the case I will go with Stone. As for Shean Penn I haven't liked him since he was Spigoli in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High". I don't think it's his acting I dislike but the roles he takes. He always takes roles where the characters aren't very likable. Where as Johnny Depp can make Pirates and Vampires likable. LOL

BQ - Favorite Vietnam movie is "Apocalypse Now" of course but "Good Morning Vietnam" deserves a mention.

The acting and story in Platoon is superior. Say what you want, Oliver Stone did live it.

Platoon is my favorite of its type, but I do like Good Morning Vietnam and The Deer Hunter.

Keep stirring the pot Kelly. :)

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Kelly,

This is a tough call for me because of the personal attachment I have with "Platoon" and the like that I have for both Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox on the other hand. Yet, it isn’t about the actors as it is about the story line. Both movies bring fiction into story line and yet as in “Platoon” I personally know of a man who worked in South America and Vietnam as a Peace corps volunteer before volunteering for Army Infantry so he could fight Communism in the Republic of Vietnam. This same person was given up for dead but for one doctor who felt he could save his life. Later, he was appointed as a Federal Judge on the Bench of the U.S. Courts (which court and by whom intentionally left out for his privacy sake).

I didn’t quite find every facet of the Michael J. Fox character completely believable; nor that of Sean Penn’s character. However, there were many other parts of the character roles they portrayed that were VERY believable. On the other hand I could say the same about Charlie Sheen and that of Tom Berenger as well. The one character that was completely believable to me was that of William Defoe. Keep in mind too that “Platoon” was actually part of an Oliver Stone trilogy: “Platoon” (1986), “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), and “Heaven and Earth” (1993).

Final answer to this good question: “Platoon” ~ I once knew Dale Dye who played the Company Commander in this film who later would play the crusty old Colonel in “Band of Brothers” ~ his 10 day training program brought the movie to life as he also employed with “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”.

BA: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058863/ because the American experience begins after the French and lessons were never fully appreciated, learned, nor applied. FYI ~ this film is made as well by the same person who 10 years later would complete the “Anderson Platoon” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062244/ We all lost a brilliant mind this year in Pierre Schoendoerffer.

I want to reiterate on "Anderson Platoon" not to watch the watered down PC version but the original documentary in the context to which it was made.

I hope this sheds some light,

Gerry

I like both, but "Platoon" is the better film.

I think the performances are stronger, and the conflict between Barnes and Elias is more effective in symbolizing the larger moral and political choices of the period.

Actually neither. The gibson movie depicts a real life battle that the 7th cav took part in and was by far the most realistic vietnam movie ever made

Platoon for me, but only by a small margin.