Talked to a Vietnam vet about this movie
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brtndr — 10 years ago(April 18, 2015 09:21 PM)
Not only did he call it "pathetic" but he said the ending was the dumbest thing he had ever seen, he said the movie that most captured the Vietnam war was We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson. Thoughts?
Okay, and why should I, or anyone else care at all what the Vietnam vet that you allegedly spoke with said about the movie 'Platoon'? Or, any movie for that matter. I missed that part.
However, why I love the movie 'Platoon', is because, I was a teenager back in '86 when my parents took me to see 'Platoon', and like everyone else in that theater that evening, we were completely moved, troubled and mesmerized at the same time.
And, at the end of 'Platoon', just before the credits are seen the words, "This movie is dedicated to the men and woman who fought and died in the Vietnam War" are splashed across the big screen. My father stands up and yells at the movie screen "Hey, what about the people who fought and lived fighting the Vietnam War!?!".(and I'm awkwardly looking around in the theater, in a moment of intense public embarrassment)
The reason my father reacted like that, is that my father is a very patriotic, America first type 'conservative', who was drafted in '68, and served as a US Army helicopter pilot for a year of duty in Vietnam. As a result of my father being drafted, I was born on a Alabama Army base during my fathers pilot training. My father and I not only enjoyed the movie 'Platoon', but we really admire and appreciate Oliver Stone for making the film, and consider it an incredible cinematic achievement, for its time. Thoughts? -
ExplodIngNinja — 10 years ago(April 19, 2015 06:42 PM)
You don't have to get hostile. I was just wondering what you guys thought of this. I for one was shocked at what this man said to me, after hearing the realism of this movie.
-Carter Thomas Krebs, From WIsconsin -
brtndr — 10 years ago(April 22, 2015 10:36 PM)
You don't have to get hostile.
I'm getting hostile? That's certainly news to me. I don't think I'm being hostile at all.
I was just wondering what you guys thought of this.
We'll, now you know what my thoughts are on Platoon. Hope that helps.
I for one was shocked at what this man said to me, after hearing the realism of this movie.
Why? Everybody has an opinion. While this veteran, that you allegedly spoke with, has an opinion about the movie 'Platoon', that is definitely different than the vast majority of people who have watched the same movie. Hey, in the end, it's his own opinion that he is entitled too, no matter how absolutely batsh*t insane that opinion is. -
Wuchakk — 10 years ago(January 10, 2016 03:55 PM)
I'm getting hostile? That's certainly news to me. I don't think I'm being hostile at all.
It must be because you're an arrogant fool that's blind to his own needless antagonism. For evidence, here's how you responded to the OP's inquiry:
Okay, and why should I, or anyone else care at all what the Vietnam vet that you allegedly spoke with said about the movie 'Platoon'? Or, any movie for that matter. I missed that part.
The OP was simply asking others if "Platoon" is realistic after talking to a Vet who said it wasn't. It's a legitimate question for someone who wasn't there and you get all huffy and offensive for no reason except that you're on a faceless medium and can get away with it.
As another poster pointed out, someone could reply to you in the same rude manner: "Why should I, or anyone else care at all what your Veteran father said about the movie? Or any movie for that matter? I missed that part."
Does this tick you off a little bit. GOOD. You need to taste your own medicine you pompous axx.
My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/ -
crashdummy35 — 10 years ago(November 05, 2015 12:35 PM)
You start you response with this:
"Okay, and why should I, or anyone else care at all what the Vietnam vet that you allegedly spoke with said about the movie 'Platoon'?"
Then go on to tell what your "vet" father thought of the movie.
Why should anyone care what he thought? -
mam13143 — 9 years ago(May 10, 2016 11:05 AM)
As a Vietnam vet who was drafted and was obviously not killed I agree with your father. We came home to derision at worst and ignored at best. Today everyone is a hero who serves wherever. Back then it was the total opposite. The guys who served in a very unpopular war deserve great credit in my opinion. If I had known how the people would treat us when we got back, and that idiot Jimmy Carter would give all the draft dodgers in Canada amnesty, I would have gone north. Your dad did right!
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rfa77 — 9 years ago(July 08, 2016 12:08 PM)
Amazing how we are brainwashed to political correctness that we "see" things that aren't there. The end of the movie does not say, "This movie is dedicated to the men and woman who fought and died in the Vietnam War". It says, "Dedicated to the men who fought and died in the Vietnam War". There were no women combat troops in Vietnam. Of the 2,594,000 who served in Vietnam, only 7,484 were women, of which 6,250, or 83.5%, were nurses. The majority of the rest were admin types. Only 8 women died, of which 5 were accidents (aircraft crashes), 2 were illnesses, and one died in a rocket attack on the base.
So, the movie is correctly dedicated to the men who fought and died. -
nickm2 — 10 years ago(May 18, 2015 01:32 PM)
Not all of the Vets I know 'like' the 'drugs/atrocities/fragging' cliches but they ALL agreed the 'environment' was dead on: The bugs, the ants, the heat, the humidity, the jungle, the vines, the thorns
Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!? -
michaeluk26 — 10 years ago(June 05, 2015 09:46 PM)
The thing with Vietnam vets is if you ask 10 different people about their experiences there you will get 10 different answers. Most I have seen said this movie got way more right than wrong.
Haters gonna hate -
nickm2 — 10 years ago(June 06, 2015 04:15 PM)
True; the story varies on what part of the country they served in; what year they were there & even what unit they were in. For Ex: The experiences of a Marine in the Hill Fights in 1966 would be substantially different from an unwilling draftee in 1970 serving with the AmeriCal Division as they would from a district level MAT Advisor or a CAP Marine.
Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!? -
sonofbeach-sheet — 10 years ago(June 08, 2015 05:03 PM)
Oliver Stone has always had a reputation as angry, biased, and subversive. Maybe this is the truth, maybe it isn't. The jungle environment and combat to me are nothing short of believable. But to portray the drinking and non drug using soldiers as without morals, hateful, stupid, uneducated, and violent and the druggies as decent and compassionate. Wrong
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riversideriverside — 10 years ago(September 30, 2015 02:59 PM)
Your friend is correct. I've been arguing with another poster on a thread for the piece of crap movie "1969." He said Platoon is one of the bestit isn't. I said We Were Soldiers is one of the best. The thread is named "Complete Crap."
http://www.imdb.com/board/10094594/board/nest/62945066?ref_=tt_bd_1 -
piddy60 — 10 years ago(November 13, 2015 05:49 PM)
As a Vietnam Vet this movie came closest to what I experienced. As was said in another post, all this didn't happen to me but it all happened in the time frame 1967-1968 when I was there. People ask me what was it like and I say watch "Platoon".
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haynese_98 — 10 years ago(December 01, 2015 12:03 AM)
This is a weird fact but in a poll of Vietnam Veterans the vast majority have nothing but positive thoughts about their experience while they were there. Of course, most vets weren't infantry slogging in the jungle. There were medics, pilots, sailors, mechanics, communications centers, REMF's in Saigon etc.
Shall we play a game? -
riversideriverside — 10 years ago(December 02, 2015 06:58 AM)
True, haynese. The best estimates of how many Vietnam veterans experienced close combat is about 5%. That is: 5 out of every 100. Our presence there was a big logistical monster.
A good book, Armed With Abundance, explains it. Including the fact that REMFs in Vietnam played a large part in negatively stereotyping true close combat vets. Many REMFs, when polled later, revealed the easy life they had in Nam.
Though some close combat vets, like myself, are proud of having fought there; and didn't adopt the beleaguered-victim routine.
Armed With Abundance: I recommend it. -
nickm2 — 10 years ago(December 02, 2015 08:15 PM)
Well it might be a bit more: Redlegs/Arty/cannon cockers, Chopper Jockies, Motor Pool Truckers, Treadheads, district level mobile advisors all got to 'enjoy the tropics' to an extentprobably not as much as the average 11B rifleman
Why can't you wretched prey creatures understand that the Universe doesn't owe you anything!?