Top Film for Each Year of My Life – 1986

Platoon

"Me, I don't need this shit. I am reality."

"What happened today was just the beginning. We're gonna lose this war. "

So this is really a no-brainer. When I was in high school, I was fascinated by the Vietnam War (Conflict? has that issue been solved?). I watched all of the films on the subject I could get my hands on. Oddly, I didn’t fell the need to read up on the subject. Films would do just fine and Platoon has always been on the top of that list. Not only on the top of the Vietnam list, but on top of my all-time list, as well.
There isn’t another film that came out in ’86 that compares to it. It’s one of the few times that the Academy Awards and myself will agree on the Best Picture on this list. I don’t want to knock the great, bizarre films that came out this year, though. Critics lambasted The Hitcher, but Rutger Hauer is terrifyingly awesome in it. Aliens gave us reason to hate Paul Reiser long before Mad About You. The Fly, Blue Velvet, Labyrinth, Big Trouble in Little China (which was originally supposed to be a sequel to Buckaroo Banzai), all of these films are classic or near classic. Then there is one of the few musicals I like, Little Shop of Horrors, which features hilarious turns by Bill Murray and Steve Martin. And Steve Martin had Three Amigos come out too! The quality cup runneth over. (As a complete aside, how many realized that Crocodile Dundee was nominated for Best Original Screenplay? I’m blown away!)

But Platoon rises so much higher than those films. The soundtrack is classic. And no one will ever forget the use of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” during which, Willem Dafoe’s Sergeant Elias dies one of cinemas most classic deaths. Elias’ battle with Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) over Private Taylor’s (Charlie Sheen) soul is epic. The Zen master versus the barbarian.
The cast is full of recognizable faces, even if some great actors don’t get much to do. Johnny Depp pops up briefly in an early role and I just learned the horror icon Tony Todd (Candyman) is in a scene, too. Oliver Stone regular John C. McGinley puts in a turn as a sycophantic wimp. Each of the factions exhibit great camaraderie that makes it feel like they really didn’t like the other group.

I’m not really sure how to write in an interesting manner on the film because I’m not used to writing about serious films. This is one of the few times that I have something that isn’t horror or comedy at the top of my list. As far as war movies go, this is perfection. It shows the variety of experience, soldiers, and opinions and what happens when they all come to head in the wrong war.
Up until seeing Platoon, my impression of Berenger was him as the Jake Taylor, the washed up Cleveland Indians catcher in Major League. His performance is far scarier and more menacing than the Vietcong. Much like in real life, Platoon portrays the war with an enemy and the war with ourselves. A pantheon level classic.