| Platoon | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Platoon_posters_86.jpg) Theatrical release poster by Bill Gold | |
| Directed by | Oliver Stone |
| Written by | Oliver Stone |
| Produced by | Arnold Kopelson |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert Richardson |
| Edited by | Claire Simpson |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $138.5 million[2][3] |
Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, and Johnny Depp. It is the first film of a trilogy of Vietnam War films directed by Stone, followed by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth (1993). The film, based on Stone's experience from the war, follows a new U.S. Army volunteer (Sheen) serving in Vietnam while his Platoon Sergeant and his Squad Leader (Berenger and Dafoe) argue over the morality in the platoon and of the war itself.
Stone wrote the screenplay based upon his experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam, to counter the vision of the war portrayed in John Wayne's The Green Berets. Although he wrote scripts for films such as Midnight Express and Scarface, Stone struggled to get the film developed until Hemdale Film Corporation acquired the project along with Salvador. Filming took place in the Philippines in February 1986 and lasted 54 days. Platoon was the first Hollywood film to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War.[4]
Upon its release, Platoon received critical acclaim for Stone's directing and screenplay, the cinematography, battle sequences' realism, and the performances of Sheen, Dafoe, and Berenger. The film was a box office success upon its release, grossing $138.5 million domestically against its $6 million budget, becoming the third highest-grossing domestic film of 1986. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards at the 59th Academy Awards, and won four: Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing.
In 1998, the American Film Institute placed Platoon at #83 in their "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies" poll. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5][6][7]
- ^ "Platoon". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ a b "Platoon (1986)". The Numbers. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "Platoon (1986)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Stone, Oliver (2001). Platoon DVD commentary (DVD). MGM Home Entertainment.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (December 11, 2019). "National Film Registry Adds 'Purple Rain', 'Clerks', 'Gaslight' & More; 'Boys Don't Cry' One Of Record 7 Pics From Female Helmers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- ^ "Women Rule 2019 National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2020-05-08.