This is way better than Saving Private Ryan
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Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(August 09, 2016 10:10 AM)
I like them both but platoon better. The worst war movie ive ever seen is black hawk down.
BHD is head ache inducing, it's basically like watching a 90 minute battle scene. It's so boring.
Go watch Casualties of War and get back to me on that.
Haha, that film is really bad. Not just as a war movie, but as a movie altogether.
Imdb message boards - kick someone's ass on the first day, or become someone's bitch. -
Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(August 31, 2016 09:00 PM)
Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh. It's not
that
bad. I loved Casualties of War when I was in high school, it was one of my favorite movies but I couldn't get through it upon reviewing recently. What I didn't like was the sloppy dialogue and major overacting (something I've learned that Brian De Palma movies are notorious for). The music score is laughably melodramatic and overblown, and the film itself is far too overbearing, in your face and thus ugly in its message. It's a depressing film with not that much rhyme or reason.
What I will say is that the location shooting and cinematography in Casualties Of War is just spectacular, really breathtaking. It's a great looking movie. Some of the action scenes are okay, too. But compared to something like Platoon, it feels amateur.
Commence Operation Vacu-suck -
Badlands1 — 9 years ago(August 10, 2016 06:47 PM)
I think mainly because Platoon is an anit-war movie, SPR is a pro war US flag waver, and Spielberg spoon feeds the emotion. Platoon seemed to flow like reality does, it's almost like a documentary. SPR clearly feels like an acted out Hollywood movie
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kmags84 — 9 years ago(August 24, 2016 12:05 AM)
SPR represents a Certain Time in the US, when Patriotism ran deep. Even if something was questionable, it was your "Duty to be an American" etc
Platoon was the Polar Opposite. It's as Anti-War as they come, full of Stones Liberal Idealism BUT, it is very realistic. The day to day of the Soldiers Life and the Counter Culture peeling away at that BLIND Patriotism. I may disagree with 99% of Stones politics but he got it right in the film.
To go a step further, Apocalypse Now, The Thin Red Line and Full Metal Jacket are both Superior to this. Casualties of War might be the worst of them all. I'd even say Hamburger Hill is better than most, I think it's right up there with Platoon in that next tier. -
Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(August 31, 2016 09:03 PM)
SPR represents a Certain Time in the US, when Patriotism ran deep. Even if something was questionable, it was your "Duty to be an American" etc
Platoon was the Polar Opposite. It's as Anti-War as they come, full of Stones Liberal Idealism BUT, it is very realistic. The day to day of the Soldiers Life and the Counter Culture peeling away at that BLIND Patriotism. I may disagree with 99% of Stones politics but he got it right in the film.
Well said, Kmags
I always like hearing what you have to say. We have similar tastes
Commence Operation Vacu-suck -
Badlands1 — 9 years ago(January 03, 2017 02:09 PM)
Apocalypse Now, and FMJ were not superior to Platoon. AN is an art movie not realistic, a fat 300lbs Colonel living undefeated from the NVA in hostile Cambodia?
FMJ is a boot camp movie, they never made it into the jungle, it was shot in cold England, in a 6-7 story warehouse district while, Hue was a lush tropical 2-3 story city. Kubrick and Coppola both never had planned endings and they fail.
R Lee Ermey was so disappointment in Kubricks direction he made his own nam flick Siege Of Firebase Gloria, much more realistic. -
degree7 — 9 years ago(September 24, 2016 09:06 PM)
I totally understand why people don't like SPR. The script is pretty flawed in some ways, there are definitely corny moments in there. However, it's hard to deny the ifluence that SPR has had on its depiction of war in cinema. It truly was probably the first technically realistic, boots on the ground depiction of warfare. The opening scene had veterans seeking therapy due to the traumatic memories it brought back. The way the film is shot, handheld, with the filter removed to give it that grainy quality, was a brilliant move on Kaminski's part. The sound design is also fantastic, the way the bullets and bombs sound so frightening. The sound of the Tiger tanks approaching is equivalent to the bass notes in Jaws Terrifying. The film also has an excellent cast, I would be lying if I didn't tear up when half of them buy the farm in brutal ways.
However, it's true that it lacks the character and thematic depth that Platoon has. Whereas Stone's film had a miniscule budget and technical limitations in comparison. I think the perfect war film is a combination of the two
~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here. -
Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(October 16, 2016 07:13 AM)
It truly was probably the first technically realistic, boots on the ground depiction of warfare. The opening scene had veterans seeking therapy due to the traumatic memories it brought back. The way the film is shot, handheld, with the filter removed to give it that grainy quality, was a brilliant move on Kaminski's part. The sound design is also fantastic, the way the bullets and bombs sound so frightening. The sound of the Tiger tanks approaching is equivalent to the bass notes in Jaws Terrifying. The film also has an excellent cast, I would be lying if I didn't tear up when half of them buy the farm in brutal ways.
Well said! Yep, SPR is a technical marvel. Its realistic battle scenes & cinematography are unparalleled in cinema.
However, I think no matter how good the technical aspects of a film are, it just doesn't stand up if the human side doesn't work.
Matt Damon's story about watching his brother having sex in a barn just sums up how awkward the film's script & characterization is. That scene where Hanks tells everyone he's a teacher just makes me want to puke. The character of Upham is basically a human Jar Jar Binks.
Spielberg just forgot about subtlety after the 80s. His films became overwrought and melodramatic. Even the battle scenes couldn't save SPR. It was a cheesefest from start to finish.
Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe? -
Kojiro_Vance — 9 years ago(December 25, 2016 03:16 AM)
Agreed 100 %
Platoon is a masterpiece. The ultimate Vietnam movie, with Full Metal Jacket being number 2.
Saving Private Ryan is a crowdpleaser (yes, despite it's horrific opening scene), made by a director known for making crowdpleasers. The double meanings and symbolism in the movie are so Hollywood, it makes me wanna throw up.
Platoon on the other hand has no hidden messages (except maybe the Christ metaphor for Elias). It's a straightforward story about a guy fighting in the Vietnam war in a platoon with two camps.
Schindler's List should have been Spielberg's only WW2 movie.
I'm just on my way up to Clavius.