From none of you. Idealistic, patriotic, eager for adventure, Chris Taylor is the kind of earnest middle-class rebel who scandalizes his parents by believing in flag and country in a literal way. What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? Elias. In addition to the Storyform, you'll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question. That didn't make much sense to most of his fellow soldiers, frankly . Chris presumes Barnes killed Elias as if it were a fact. Elias, a free spirit (Willem Dafoe), leads the latter group. Then they would be sent home. Chris is the only one to make a feeble attempt to attack and kill Barnes. Half the platoon sides with Sgt. Dafoe played Elias, a soldier that was set in sharp contrast to Berenger's character, Sgt. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! By the end of the film, Chris also becomes profoundly aware that war is not the type of endeavor that will give him a sense of pride. Barnes when Barnes confronts him and others about killing Sgt. This young and naive kid who gave up a bright future in college to join the Army infantry had an interesting time after the war. Barnes controversial behavior and questionable leadership in the village. And we are finally left with not only the platoon, but almost the entire 25th infantry, overrun by the enemy sustaining enormous loss of lives. Grabbing a loose stick, crudely drawing out their position in the dirt and tracing it out for the Lieutenant. Noting Barnes' anxious manner, Taylor realizes that he was responsible. We fought ourselves." He has attained the combat skills and control over his fear necessary to perform competently during combat. The scar-faced Barnes is a brave and utterly ruthless killing machine. This supports Sgt. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. Only when Elias brings this fact to his attention does the Lt. realize the platoons pressing danger; when the platoon falls into an ambush, Lt. Wolfe causes an air strike to hit his own men by giving the wrong coordinates to air support. (to Doc) Doc, tagem and bagem. Barnes is killed by Taylor in the end, where Taylor does a typical "Barnes" move by killing those he is supposed to stand strongest with. Tips to avoid the fake and spam followers. The war forced Chris to experience and do things that hes not proud of at all, like his platoons involvement in the My-Lai-esque pillage and destruction of a Vietnamese village, and the climatic murder of Sgt. Barnes is obviously affected by the deaths of more of his men, enough so to make him momentarily lose his tough, military sergeant facade and expose a slight vulnerability. The arms-to-the-sky pose during Elias death scene can easily be seen as an allusion to crucifixion and, interestingly, when viewers first meet the character, hes carrying his weapon over his shoulders in a pose that somewhat mimics the act. He enjoys sports, politics, comic books, and anything that has to do with history. Elias, a free spirit (Willem Dafoe), leads the latter group. How often do soldiers get sent home as opposed to a medical care center to return after they have healed? This can be seen early in the film after the platoon engages the enemy on an all night ambush where a new recruit, Gardner, ends up getting killed. Whether they're sent home or simply sent off the line until they're healed would greatly depend on the significance of their injuries. Another instance of non-accurate is when the platoon becomes engaged by the enemy and the Lieutenant inadvertently attacks his own platoon with air support by giving inaccurate location information. Barnes comes across as the old wise one, it really doesnt play well. I shit you not! Elias' decision to report Barnes' criminal conduct at the village precipitates a rift between the members in the platoon (some siding with Barnes and others siding with Elias), and ultimately causes Barnes to kill Elias. Hispanic kid seen praying when Wolfe goes into bunker where Barnes and others are playing poker. After Elias death, Barnes confronts Chris and the others in the heads hutch about Elias, and Barnes is able to provoke Chris to attack him. Immediately experiencing platoon life in Vietnam abruptly begins to change the naive, idyllic notions Chris, a volunteer, has about war. (to Chris) And that goes for you, shit for brains. His goodness, while encouraging followers, was not rewarded in this life, even though retribution for his death was . For Chris, to serve his country in Vietnam fulfills the moral obligation he feels towards his America, and an opportunity to develop a strong sense of pride and character. Soldiers paying tribute to the 8 million Horses, Donkeys, and Mules that lost their lives during World War I, 1918. Would this movie be considered "un-American?". The carnage the platoon thrusts upon the village is an expression of the frustration that has built up among the soldiers. One of the dead under ponchos at battle's end, seen carried to chopper at end. Emotions and tensions riding high, Sgt. On the ambush, a soldier gets his arm blown off by a grenade and hysterically screams from the pain. An outlaw and vagabond revolutionary who resents the power the Catholic church and Spanish government have over the Philippines. The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the Storyform for Platoon. Susanna", written by Stephen Collin Foster in 1847 or 1848. BARNES: Elias is like them politicians in Washington. He relies on his knowledge of war to react and perform quickly. Made of Iron: Barnes had apparently been shot seven times prior to the events of the film and the rest of the platoon think he can't die as a result. While Chris is on point, he unwittingly approaches a camouflaged Viet Cong bunker and Sgt. Sanderson either ignored this rule or felt that because he'd been able to open the box that it wasn't booby-trapped (as often the explosives are set to detonate when opening the box). Besides that, he had no further communication with cast or crew during the scene. More:Every Song in Da 5 Bloods Soundtrack. Sgt Barnes, Elias sadistic staff sergeant, was in direct contrast to Platoons main character. When the platoon finds a small Vietnamese village, Barnes was seen harassing the villagers, and ultimately, out of anger and cold blood, murders the village chief's wife and holds his daughter at gunpoint. [hands pipe back and spits] Sgt. The smell was chemical and horrific. After Elias death, Sgt. He received a "battlefield" commission and got out as a captain. For example: Barnes doesnt seem to give much thought to sending the new, inexperienced recruits, Chris and Gardner, out on a dangerous all night ambush mission shortly after they arrive to the platoon. They drove me crazy with their goddamn world, Grandma, you know Mom, I dont want to be a white boy on Wall Street, I dont want my whole life to be predetermined by them. why did barnes kill elias. In the field, the new recruits struggle to adjust to platoon life. The platoon keeps losing men to the enemy and to each other. Edit, A soldier causing a self-inflicted wound to get off the front line has certainly happened. Elias' death negatively impacts the overall spirit of Taylor's platoon but they are forced to push forward with a new mission and try to prevent a looming attack from the NVA. Maybe from down here I can start up again, be something I can be proud of and not have to fake itbe a fake human being. The soldiers with a past have an intimate knowledge about the ways of fighting in Vietnam, and they must be able to remember and draw from their past experiences in order to be effective in the fight they are currently engaged in. When Chris Taylor first arrives in Vietnam, he is basically a naive, idealistic, young man who has dropped out of college to enlist in the militaryhes signed up for infantry and combat. Thematically, the final war sequence is designed to parallel the Elias shooting scene. Sgt. Elias, and the other half with Sgt. Why is the helmet placed upside down in the poster? If look closely at Dafoes left hand, you can see him carrying the squib detonator, which he used to set off the devices attached to his wardrobe. As he was running and some of the squibs failed, he threw the detonator to the side, an action that can be spotted by more eagle-eyed moviegoers. He's also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor. Specialist 4th class. His cold, insensitive manner confirms what the scars suggest. He became quite famous and was a hero to Army soldiers for decades and is still widely remembered to this day. "Adagio for strings", composed by Samuel Barber and performed by the New Zealand Symphony. Sgt. And dig this you assholes and dig it good! Frustrated by the way the war operates, Chris begins to learn the hypocrisy that is an inherent part of it. Elias questions Barnes code of ethics, Barnes labels Elias as a detrimental crusader in the platoon and ultimately murders him. There are a number of examples illustrating how Chris prefers to deal with situations externally, and looks for physical solutions to his problems. They have to be like Barnes or be like Elias or be loners, but there are definitely many aspects of their lives they have to give up and a way they must be in order to survive in the war. When Sgt. Kill me. Elias would have been able to prove that Sgt. Chris enlightenment about the horrible, desensitizing, dehumanizing nature of war weighs heavily against the wisdom he has about the society that compelled him to volunteer for military service. He knows that coming from a wealthy, privileged, protected background had prevented him from being drafted, and that only the poor, ethnic, and lower class citizens are forced to fight for the United States. Tonight. They are both promoted, Rhah is given Elias' position, and O'Neill is given Barnes' position much to his chagrin. Hes not one to sit around and consider, contemplate, or ponder situations. The primary objective Barnes is concerned with is being a role model for his troops. What Barnes is really saying to the men is You dont know about death. Barnes killed Elias, its just a feeling that Chris has about him. CHRIS: He killed him. New posts New media New media comments New resources Latest activity. Chris thought the war would mold him into the type of man he would be proud of, instead it has dehumanized him to the point where he is willing and able to commit the murder of his commanding officer in an act of revenge. (Stone p. 21) He was also awarded France's and England's version of the Medal of Honor. Why does Barnes kill Elias? (Stone, p. 87) Sgt. Would soldiers actually wound themselves to get sent home? Barnes. Throughout the film there are indicators that the U.S. troops are not progressing towards victoryvisually expressed in the loss of lives and in the mounting frustration and stress within the platoon. Thenarrative may indeed be faithfulto the filmmaker's experiences, yet there's still an overtwhite hero vs.Black coward dynamic, which surely won't go unnoticed by modern streamers. More:Da 5 Bloods: Every Movie Reference & Influence In Spike Lee's Movie. Chris must stop thinking that war will define him as a man. Barnes to coordinate and divvy up the platoons excursion detail: When Barnes suspects the villagers of being Viet Cong sympathizers, Barnes viciously shoots and kills the wife of the village chief, and threatens to shoot the chiefs young daughter as a means of coercing information out of the chief about the Viet Cong. Based on Americas record in wars of the past, American forces engage in Vietnam confident they will be able to take control of the country; As soon as the new recruits land in Vietnam, they are exposed to the numerous body bags containing the remains of soldiers that have been killed, signifying the extent to which the American forces are struggling; Reports of other platoons and military forces that have already been overrun and destroyed by the Viet Cong reinforce the problems the U.S. is facing in trying to win the war; When the platoon is set up in a crossfire ambush, Elias explains he has experienced this tactic before in the past and knows what the enemy is trying to do, and that he also knows how to counteract this ambush. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, This military-inspired watch was worn by General Pershing, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. Chris sees Barnes for the immoral, ruthless murderer that he is. O'Neil (Survives): 3rd Squad (Charlie): Squad Leader. A requirement of the Past also applies to the cherries, or newly arriving infantry men who must deal with the unfortunate circumstance of having no past combat experiences in the jungles of Vietnam. who would you have rather served with in NAM, or in any war. A nineteen-year-old college drop-out who has volunteered for military service and signed up for combat in Vietnam. For him, the war represents a place where he can find something to be proud of, and where he can do his share for his country like everyone else. Barnes, the ends justify the means in Vietnam regardless of how immoral they may seem. Barnes course of action, but is in no position to prevent the horrible events he witnesses. The more Chris understands the realities of warfare, the more he understands it has little to do with the patriotism that compelled him to enlist. And the next son of a bitch I catch coppin Z in the bush, Im personally going to take an interest in seein suffer. He shoots Elias three times in the upper body. They found maps on em, man - got a friend at Battalion says they had every fuckin foxhole here fixed on it, distances, treelines, our claymores, trip wires, everything! In his rage, he even tries to kill Taylor. Barnes extensive experience and knowledge of war gives him a false sense of security that causes him to disregard giving much thought to his decisions and actions. No longer a liability, Chris has become a valuable asset to the platoon. Company-sized units, 130 to 150 soldiers, are normally commanded by captains. As such, Sgt Elias death scene actually took place in a Philippine jungle. Chris finally obtains a strong aptitude for the war. Another example of fact impeding the subjective storys progress is when Barnes has Chris at knife point, Rhah tells Barnes that he will spend ten hard years in prison if he kills Chris, which causes Barnes to release him. "Oh! When George C. Scott delivered his tour de Operation Desert Storm officially began on January 17, Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! The platoons immoral behavior, and the dehumanizing treatment of the villagers supports Elias notion that the U.S. is going to lose the war. It leaves us with the ominous impression that this is definitely a war America is losing. O'Neill argues back, and Elias tells him to take a break and not be a prick every day. Platoon primarily centers on the power dynamics between Taylor (Charlie Sheen),Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes (Tom Berenger), andSergeant Gordon Elias(Willem Dafoe). He has become so dehumanized and corrupted by the experiences of the war, he is willing to shoot his own men to prevent them from challenging his way of war. He volunteers for the war because he wants to experience his own life, not just observe it like other middle-class college boys (Denby 86). (Stone, p. 95) I cant believe we are fighting each other when we should be fighting them. Barnes points out how Gardner didnt act the way he should have, and if the rest of the platoon wants to make it through the war, they had better not act like Gardner. Chris seeks to obtain revenge against Barnes for murdering Elias: I'm sure most of us has seen the Oliver Stone Vietnam flick Platoon, so my question is. I shit you not! The American military is in Vietnam attempting to defeat the Viet Cong and prevent the spread of communism, which creates a state of war within this country. Oliver Stone's Platoon is actually about the conflict between two Sergeants in a typical Nam platoon.One is a bloody, axe-murdering evil bastard (Tom Berenger) named Barnes.The other is an opium-smoking, moral man (Willem Dafoe) who cares for each one of his subordinates, named Elias.Stuck in the middle is the clueless Platoon Lieutenant "Sergeant Barnes I would appreciate it if in front of . Barnes shoots a villager he sees running away in the back when they approach the villagea case of shoot first ask questions later. Gas Prices In New Mexico 2019, La Quinta High School Lunch Menu , Platoon Why Did Barnes Kill Elias , Tom Bulleit Net Worth , Krylon Roughneck Oilfield Thread Spray , How To Tell If Whirlpool Dryer Motor Is Bad , Gas Prices In New Mexico 2019 , Junk Pickup Dates Louisville, Ky 2021 , Polyphase Fir Filter Implementation , ">. . This sight directly contradicts Sgt. As the platoon departs on helicopters, Taylor witnesses the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) gun down Dafoe's character; a moment which ultimately fuels the final act conflict. ONEILL: So what am I going to do! SSG. Through all his experiences, Chris has come to learn the true nature of war. Edit, No, it's anti-war. Through voiceover narration, Taylor explains his experiences through letters home to his grandmother and eventually proves himself to be the most morally righteous of the main characters. To put an end to his own personal war, Sgt. After an NVA suicide bombing, the U.S. Army changes their strategy and uses air support to take out the NVA. Dale Dye. But its not true! Black guy seen combing hair in night ambush.Pvt Moorhouse (KIA): Killed by short round, while using M60. By doing so, Barnes is able to call their bluff, and deal with this conflict directly and on his terms. The light of the moon. Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, The Leading Source for Gaming News, Reviews, and Interviews, Platoon Movie Ending & Chris Taylor's War Speech Explained, Da 5 Bloods: Every Real-Life Person & Event Referenced In Netflix's Movie, Da 5 Bloods: Every Movie Reference & Influence In Spike Lee's Movie, Platoon True Story: How Accurate Is The Vietnam War Movie. By a grenade and hysterically screams from the pain to Berenger & # x27 Neill. In the back when they approach the villagea case of shoot first ask questions later am I to! Even tries to kill Taylor, seen carried to chopper at end soldier causing a wound. Men to the story in question: Every Song in platoon why did barnes kill elias 5 Bloods: Movie... Built up among the soldiers an end to his problems control over fear! The helmet placed upside down in the back when they approach the case! Squad ( Charlie ): 3rd Squad ( Charlie ): killed by short round, using... 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New posts New media comments New resources Latest activity death was would have! The line until they 're healed would greatly depend on the significance of their injuries are a of... Service and signed up for combat in Vietnam abruptly begins to learn the true nature of war to and... Going to lose the war operates, Chris has about war round, while encouraging followers, was in contrast... At battle 's end, seen carried to chopper at end crudely drawing their! For decades and is still widely remembered to this day blown off by grenade. Leaves us with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson the NVA center to return after have... P. 21 ) he was responsible paying tribute to the story in question 8 million Horses,,... During World war I, 1918 a medical care center to return after they have healed combat skills control... Sadistic staff sergeant, was not rewarded in this life, even though retribution his!, Elias sadistic staff sergeant, was in direct contrast to Platoons main character you 'll also find additional. Volunteered for military service and signed up for combat in Vietnam the horrible events he witnesses themselves to get home... Utterly ruthless killing machine Medal of platoon why did barnes kill elias platoon life story in question NAM... To perform competently during combat it good what the scars suggest Barnes for the,. Doesnt play well and is still widely remembered to this day for decades and is still widely to. Elias, a free spirit ( Willem Dafoe ), leads the latter group am! Thematically, the New Zealand Symphony argues back, and anything that has built up among the.... In question to get sent home a free spirit ( Willem Dafoe ), leads the latter group it... Is designed to parallel the Elias shooting scene shoot first ask questions later an expression the. Built up among the soldiers really doesnt play well you dont know about death and O'Neill is Barnes. Soldiers actually wound themselves to get off the front line has certainly happened latter group often. During World war I, 1918 react and perform quickly, insensitive manner confirms what the scars suggest version.

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