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. Understanding how networked the entire area has become and how hidden and well stocked the Viet Cong are serve as forewarnings that support the consequence. They are the internal moral pillars all humans have that determine whether man's innate capacity for evil is realized or not. Immediately experiencing platoon life in Vietnam abruptly begins to change the naive, idyllic notions Chris, a volunteer, has about war. Make it outta here, its all gravy, every day of the rest of your life - gravy(Stone, p. 95). RHAH: Wrong? I know he did. The value of human life and what it is worth is the thematic conflict waged between Chris and Sgt. Sgt. Elias threatens to take the unproven matter to the proper authorities, but he never has the chance because Barnes kills him. His extensive exposure to combat has caused him to develop warped ideals to support his cold, callous, and immoral behavior. He was in an area by himself, armed with a walkie-talkie from which he got instructions from Oliver Stone. 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. Francis - portrayed by Living Colour frontman Corey Glover - emerges from a foxhole and correctly determines that help is indeed on the way. 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. Shortly thereafter, Sandersen and Sal are killed by a booby trap in an abandoned Viet Cong compound, and Manny is abducted, killed, and mutilated by the enemy, and left strung up on a tree trunk for the platoon to find. (to Doc) Doc, tagem and bagem. 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. Half the platoon sides with Sgt. You are one simple son-of-a-bitch! France wanted Vietnam. CHRIS: He killed him. For instance, Chris is appalled when Barnes shoots a village woman in the head and then threatens to shoot a young village girl unless the villagers give him the information he wants; Chris tries to convince some of the other men that Barnes killed Elias, and that they need to kill Barnes who is becoming an evil, immoral, out-of-control liability to the platoon. Barnes tells Elias he is moving out, and then he tells O'Neill his short termers can stay in; but he is going out because he needs veterans out there. ): Course Mom and Dad didnt want me to come, they wanted me to be just like themrespectable, hard-working, making $200 a week, a little house, a family. Susanna", written by Stephen Collin Foster in 1847 or 1848. M79.Final BattlePvt King (Survives): His tour of duty ends just before the battle. Barnes and Sgt. As Taylor departs the battlefield in a helicopter in Platoon, voiceover narration suggests that he is now speaking in the present rather than writing a letter to his grandmother (a recurring theme in the movie). As such, Sgt Elias death scene actually took place in a Philippine jungle. He had some trouble with the law, his vision went to sh*t, and he changed his name to Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. Essentially, he was told where explosives were going off and how to best avoid them. Elias squad out for an all night ambush resulting in Gardners death and Chris injuries. (to Warren) We leave here in 2-zero minutes. Barnes is the first platoon sergeant. Tonight. And the next son of a bitch I catch coppin Z in the bush, Im personally going to take an interest in seein suffer. The carnage the platoon thrusts upon the village is an expression of the frustration that has built up among the soldiers. Another instance that illustrates how Chris looks at the war from an overall, holistic standpoint is in the last conversation he has with King: Bunny refers to himself as "Audie Murphy". smiling as he puts bullets in the Shamans chest. Warren (WIA): Wounded behind Learner, seen being choppered out after church battle. One of the dead under ponchos at battle's end, seen carried to chopper at end. Unlike Elijah, however, he was not successful in his goals. Barnes have different ideas on what the war represents. | After the aerial bombardment, he wakes up from a state of unconsciousness, picks up an enemy rifle, and aims it at Barnes. Lt. He wants to do for his country what his father did in World War II, and what his grandfather did in World War I. What many might not know is that the pose wasnt planned out beforehand. 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). Specialist 4th class. Staff Sergeant (Platoon sergeant).Ebonhoch (Survives): Seen in foxhole with Rhah just before battle, then seen waving at the end with Tony. Edit, Night AmbushPvt Tex (WIA): Has hand blown off by Sgt. For far too long, they engage in a losing war, deluding themselves that victory is certain. To prevent Sgt. Forums. This is of note due to the ideals he represented. What does Barnes say in platoon? Elias. Did Elias die in platoon? What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? 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. But, be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach to others what we know, and to try with what's left of our lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life.". In this story, the prerequisites work hand in hand with the requirements. I saw his eyes when he came back in Barnes also points out to Chris and the other men the pertinent facts of the way he runs the platoon: RHAH: (puffing on his bowl) How do you know the dinks didnt get him. This is why he is so bothered by Elias. Barnes instinctively warns him of the pressing danger. None of this sits well with Sgt. In Platoon, the narrative constant is always chaos. You got the fresh meat Elias. Not one(Stone, p. 88), Sgt. Political unrest in the Philippines almost shut down production. Barnes impact on Chris eventually dehumanizes him to the point where he is capable of killing his commanding officer, fully conscious that he is committing the same type of immoral act that Sgt. He doesn't kill any civilians during the raid on Barnes flicks his gaze to Elias. Platoon, principal subdivision of a military company . The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the Storyform for Platoon. However, by the end of the film, we sense that Chris doesnt still hold to the same basic ideals as when he first arrived in Vietnam. Live up to what Grandpa did in the First War and Dad the Second. ONEILL: Shit! He is no longer a naive, idealistic, young boy who was looking for a great adventure to make him a man, he has come to realize, and take part of, the atrocities and numbing reality of the Vietnam War. Why does Barnes kill Elias? Barnes' decision to kill Elias and later, his decision to try and kill Chris, provokes Chris to kill him. 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 , ">. The others in the platoon view the experienced Sgt. Marine veteran Capt. BARNES: Elias, get your men ready | Elias tells Chris he thinks the U.S. is going to lose the war: (Film). Gallery Barnes deems Chris untried battle skills as dangerous, causing conflict between the two. The light of the moon. ELIAS: I thought it was ONeills turn tonight. Lias, he was full of shit, Lias was a crusader - I got no fight with a man does what hes told, but when he dont, the machine breaks down, and when the machine breaks down, we break down and I aint gonna allow that. When Chris and the others in the head initially decline to accept Sgt. Chris Taylor didn't much like the Ivory Tower, so he decided to jump ship and try life in the jungle. I shit you not! Dafoe was "self-contained" during the scene The acclaimed actor was given a walkie-talkie and was instructed by Stone to run from point A to point B while avoiding all the explosions. Sgt. The inference, of course, is that war is such hell that soldiers would do anything to escape it, including causing themselves grave injuries, but inPlatoon, Stone doesn't paint a flatteringpicture of Black soldiers, and he's been called out for it over the years. When you know you know. Hope things are well Grandma, tell Mom and Dad, I well just tell them, Chris. Performing a patriotic service for your country, the chance to take rage and frustration out on the enemy that has caused it, doing drugsthese are types of dividends the men can reap in the platoon. Wasnt learning anything (hesitate) And why should just the poor kids go to the war - and the college kids get away with it. How often do soldiers get sent home as opposed to a medical care center to return after they have healed? RHAH: (puffing on his bowl) How do you know the dinks didnt get him. Barnes seems to think he owns an exclusive insight to death. Despite US military opposition and the rumblings of revolution in the Philippines, Stone was able to film his movie, and the jungle provided the perfect backdrop from Elias mad dash from the North Vietnamese troops who were pursuing him. I guess having always been sheltered and special, I just want to be anonymous. Platoon Translator. Elias condemns Barnes' actions and a fight breaks out between the two. CHRIS: Not just me its the way the whole thing works. I know he did. If their wounds were minor and would fully heal in a few weeks, they'd be sent to a hospital and then once they had healed, sent back to the front line. He will not tolerate anyone he feels is trying to undermine his leadership in the platoon. Like everybody else. He is stoic, cold and brutal, doesn't care for any others than himself - and that includes his own soldiers and country. Barnes killed Elias, its just a feeling that Chris has about him. Hawaiian kid, seen lighting building in village scene. Who was Murphy? Morale among the platoon is bad. BARNES: What you waiting for? ): the village, which had stood for maybe a thousand years, didnt know we were coming that day. 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. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. He eventually gains an insight to the overall scheme of the war and where he fits in its plan, and he doesnt like the design at all: Barnes is the antithesis of Hamlet. Hes willing to kill civilians, and even his own men, to support his immoral beliefs. What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? It was at this point the Sergeant Elias arrives, furious with Barnes. Extreme tension and frustration has overcome the men. New posts New media New media comments New resources Latest activity. He heroically rescues several platoon members when the platoon is caught in an enemy ambush. Simpson then had to explain to Stone that he couldn't find that footage because the scene in question hadn't been shot yet. Tonight. Chris is thematically focused on understanding how to apply what he knows. CHRIS: Yever get caught in a mistake King and you just cant get out of it? Barnes as a role model and leader makes a significant impact on the men in the platoon, including Chris. Elias's onscreen death in Platoon. 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. I say we frag the fucker. Chris Taylor. Barnes as the leading commander in the platoon instead of the inexperienced Lt. Wolfe; he doesnt do anything when Barnes and others in the platoon commit war crimes against the Vietnamese villagers; he also doesnt realize that the platoon is about to be caught in a crossfire trap by the Viet Cong. Chris loses credibility with the other men because hes treating the incident as a fact when it really isnt certain. Taylor's message is that Vietnam should become a message, a morality tale for those who come afterward, and a reminder that the world should never fall so far. What Barnes is really saying to the men is You dont know about death. Truman willingly agreed to aid Frances ambitions in exchange for Frances support. With Barnes clearly aware that he could potentially be court-martialed, he devises a plan that will prevent Elias from making an official statement. The way events are progressing, the outlook does not look good for the platoon. Excluding the WIA's, who is left behind to fight from the platoon? Barnes challenges Chris to, Do it!to shoot him while Chris has a rifle trained on him and his finger on the trigger. This supports Sgt. ELIAS: Hey ONeill why dont you cool it, you dont have to be a prick everyday of your life you know. 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. Was ONeills turn tonight he is so bothered by elias all night ambush resulting in Gardners and! Rhah: ( puffing on his bowl ) how do you know the dinks get. 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