platoon why did barnes kill elias

We just dont add up to a rats ass. People like Elias get wasted and people like Barnes just go on making up rules any way they want and what do we do, we just sit around in the middle and suck on it! The war has exposed him to its dehumanizing qualities, and the insensitive depths to which the spirit of men can sink as a result. Meanwhile, Taylor loses friends within the platoon after preventing the rape of a Vietnamese woman. First Cavalry (Stone, p. 72) Elias would have been able to prove that Sgt. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. Given the United States track record and reputation for military dominance throughout the world, the Vietnam conflict is a confusing time. 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. Matters continue to get worse for the platoon. 2nd Lieutenant (Platoon Leader).SSG. This sight directly contradicts Sgt. Chris drops out of college, enlists in the military, and asks for combat duty in Vietnam. After Elias death, Sgt. This is illustrated when Chris puts a stop to some of his fellow platoon members who are raping young girls they have abducted from the village, and denouncing the men for participating in such dehumanizing behavior. Barnes holds no value for civilian life in Vietnam and almost seems to value Sgt. The U.S. forces are so overwhelmed, they order an air strike on their own compound. Platoon's demolition expert. Its funny, in retrospect Ive heard many people say that Oliver Stone took that [pose] from a war photo, he continued. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! Emotions and tensions riding high, Sgt. How big is a platoon? 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 doesnt bother acknowledging the question, barely glancing at the Lieutenant, to him a necessary evil. This brief moment of reflection is effectively Oliver Stone talking through his narrator, expressing his own experiences and what he's taken from them: a drive to make the world better. In Platoon, the narrative constant is always chaos. When you know you know. I cant believe we are fighting each other when we should be fighting them. Captain. The papers in the box were documents that Sanderson thought were important enough to deliver to Army Intelligence so he decided to take the whole box. The young Lieutenant Wolfe, who has not proven himself in war yet, illustrates unproven as the problem in several situations. S.SGT Barnes or Sgt. Chris is driven to prove himself as a valuable member of the military, and therefore of society: Was there a real Sergeant Barnes? Elias is the Aramaic form of the Biblical Elijah. Barnes sitting down, lost in a thought. He was also the Technical Advisor for the film. 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. 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. Lt. Wolfe hasnt said a word, looking as Elias departs, without a word. This provokes Chris to attack Barnes, signifying that Chris does stand for something, and he honors the beliefs and ideals that Elias stood for. Sgt Barnes, Elias sadistic staff sergeant, was in direct contrast to Platoons main character. Chris eventually transcends the wisdom that brought him to Vietnam and he becomes enlightened by his experiences in the war. who would you have rather served with in NAM, or in any war. Here's how the final action plays out in Platoon, andwhat it all means for the bigger picture. Barnes RTO.Doc (KIA): Also shot while defending CP bunker, he is still rolling around after being shot but would appear to have died from his wounds as he is not seen at the end with the other survivors (this is also the case in the script). Chris wants to go with Barnes to help find Elias, but Barnes threatens to write Chris up on a citation if he doesnt obey orders and return to the helicopter. Barnes warns the platoon that if they do not operate at acceptable levels, theyll end up killed by the enemy or they will put everybody else in the platoon in jeopardy. Forces are situated, definitely implies the platoon will soon suffer the consequences of failure. When Barnes is faced with an accusation, or when he can directly accuse someone else for being the cause of a problem, he really gets upset and motivated. 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. Platoon is a 1986 film about a young recruit in Vietnam who faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man. Here's our breakdown. This is illustrated time and again throughout the film. ): Day by day, I struggle to maintain not only my strength, but my sanity. An example is the scene where Lieutenant Wolfe calls in the wrong coordinates and mistakenly attacks his own platoon with air support. Barnes becomes irritated with Chris when Chris throws up and faints after he discovers the rotting corpse of a Viet Cong soldier: Chris memory of Barnes evil deeds and the memory of Elias and what he stood for, enable him to finally shoot Barnes. 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. Chris experiences in the war do not lead him to find something to be proud of, instead, he has become a cold-blooded murderer, and kills his nemesis, Sgt. Edit, Yes, and it's probably a composite of several of them. Barnes, who drives Chris and the platoon hard throughout the jungle hikes. Live up to what Grandpa did in the First War and Dad the Second. Well, here I am, all by my lonesome, and ain't nobody gonna know. Bunny refers to himself as "Audie Murphy". Barnes focuses on Chris preconscious responses as being the cause of the problem. RHAH: I remember you first came in here Taylor. They seek direction and guidance for the way they need to function in order to stay alive in Vietnam. KING: How the fuck you get over here man, you look like you educated The physical and, especially, emotional wounds he has sustained in Vietnam will forever serve to remind him of the shameful dehumanization he endured in the war. Barnes believes that Chris fell asleep during his watch, allowing the enemy to sneak up on the platoon. Elias? 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'm sure most of us has seen the Oliver Stone Vietnam flick Platoon, so my question is. Chris presumes Barnes killed Elias as if it were a fact. People like Elias get wasted and people like Barnes just go on making up rules any way they want and what do we do, we just sit around in the middle and suck on it! Is there a Nazi flag on the American tank? Sgt Elias represents the good in Christ-like fashion, while the callous Sgt Barnes, portrayed by Tom Berenger, is devil-like. There's nature and technology, free will and fate - that place had changed him and in killing Barnes, he acknowledges as much, if only to break the spell. In one scene, Barnes is bathed in red light, symbolizing the evil within. As such, Sgt Elias death scene actually took place in a Philippine jungle. 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. Barnes : Y'all love Elias. CHRIS: I volunteered. Ironically, it is the impact of Sgt. 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. Answer: 3. Elias, a free spirit (Willem Dafoe), leads the latter group. Barnes blatant disregard for ethics of war and his dysfunctional code of morals are like a nagging toothache on Chris psyche: That day we loved him(Stone, p. 45) Momentarily losing control of his senses, Chris fires his gun at the feet of a retarded village man. CHRIS: He killed him. His endeavor is brought about by his concern for making sure the rich and privileged, like himself, do for the country what the poor and underprivileged are always forced to do. This frustration is derived from past events the platoon has recently suffered, such as the loss of two men in the all night ambush, the loss of two additional men in a booby trapped Viet Cong bunker, and the abduction of another platoon member who is found strapped to a tree, dead and mutilated. During the run, however, some went off, while others failed, although viewers were unaware of this. Why did Elias smile at Barnes? Platoon's medic.LT. He is a stern, fierce leader with practices that make others question his morality. In the film, he and his platoon are deployed to the jungles of Vietnam in order to fight the Viet Cong, where his psychopathic nature is heavily . These two soldiers were new to the platoon and lacked the experience they needed and might have gained if Barnes hadnt decided to send them out so soon; Its decided that the platoon should move further on to a nearby village suspected of Viet Cong activity. Barnes orders the rest of the platoon to retreat and goes back into the jungle to find Elias's group. Most of the platoon, including Wolfe and most of Barnes' followers, are killed in the ensuing battle. Now streaming on Netflix, Platoon ends withviolence, betrayal, andretribution within a United States Army infantry unit. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. Since not all the squibs exploded as planned, Dafoe ended up throwing the detonator to the side during the take that made the final cut. This is just another disastrous plan in a series of disastrous plans in the platoon and U.S. efforts to combat the Viet Cong. 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. If they had they would have run Barnes was at the eye of our rage - and through him, our Captain Ahab - we would set things right again. (Stone, p. 4), When the all night ambush goes awry, Sgt. Another important point relating to the range is the fact that the U.S. military is continually losing soldiers to the Viet Cong, and unable to successfully counteract the Viet Congs strategies. 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. His wounds deprived him of his biggest dream which was going to West Point, so instead he became an actor. It leaves us with the ominous impression that this is definitely a war America is losing. CHRIS: Not just me its the way the whole thing works. He volunteers for the war because he wants to experience his own life, not just observe it like other middle-class college boys. I have mixed feelings about the movie Platoon. Gallery Everybody knows whos really in charge of the platoon. He shoots Elias three times in the upper body. He takes the bowl from Adams, smokes it. I saw his eyes when he came back in He was also awarded France's and England's version of the Medal of Honor. Barnes in an act of revenge for Elias and for himself. But rather than checking on the injured, Francis deliberately plunges a knife into his leg. Barnes killed Elias, its just a feeling that Chris has about him. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. Barnes shoots a villager he sees running away in the back when they approach the villagea case of shoot first ask questions later. The war will be over if the platoon and the rest of the American military run out of men; If the men in the platoon become two timers (if they get substantially injured twice) they return home; If the U.S. Military achieves their objective of winning the war, then the war will be over and the goal will have been met. ONEILL: Shit! Upon leaving the bunker en route to a nearby village, the platoon discovers the mutilated remains of one of its soldiers who was just abducted by the Viet Cong. Barnes: (to all) Yall take a good look at this lump of shit! The platoon commits war crimes against the village as a means of releasing frustration for the deaths of the members in their platoon. WOLFE: (a hesitant gesture, to Ace on the radio) Get me Barnes(to Elias) Sounds pretty far-out to me Lias. Sgt. You dont sleep on no fucking ambush! Based on theories and materials developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley. While the platoon is extracting via helicopter, they glimpse Elias, mortally wounded, emerging . He later died in an airplane accident. In the film Barnes clearly represents the darkness and evil while Elias is the light and goodness. CHRIS: I was wrong. Barnes was very harsh, uncaring and sarcastic towards his troops but he was very charismatic when it came to garnering their loyalty to him. CHRIS: Didnt make much sense. What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? Oliver Stone set up several cameras to capture the drama of the moment that gives you chills. The light also shines on his eyes, giving them a devilish glow. Barnes blames it on the way the men acted, and he gives them a lecture on how they need to be and act when they are on a nighttime ambush: In the speech he gives the head, hes basically telling the men to think his way; be part of the machineCause when the machine breaks down, we break down, an occurrence hes not going to allow. Elias argument to Sgt. 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. 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. Barnes approaches what he sees as the problem of inadequacies, by taking the direction of letting everyone know what is acceptable. As he puts it, "Didn't make much sense, I wasn't learning anything. For far too long, they engage in a losing war, deluding themselves that victory is certain. Chris views the division in the platoon as a direct result of Barnes lack of respect for human life and unscrupulous morals: This is done as a means of releasing the tension and frustration that has built up from horrific ordeals he and his platoon have recently experienced; While his platoon pillages a small village, Chris rescues a young village girl from being raped by some of the men in his platoon; When Sgt. It doesn't kill Elias and he leaves him for dead as we later see. 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. CHRIS (V.O. 1, Sheila Benson). Barnes realizes that Chris is standing behind him with a rifle pointed at him. 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. Chris proves to himself he can soldier as well as any man; what he doesnt bargain on is the experience of killing in cold blood. Tonight. Now (pause) No. And I ain't gonna allow that in any of you. No longer a liability, Chris has become a valuable asset to the platoon. For instance: Chris drops out of college and enlists in the military to do something positive for his country; He shoots his rifle at the feet of a young, retarded man he finds hiding. When you know you know. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. Elias condemns Barnes' actions and a fight breaks out between the two. Elias warns Barnes that he shouldnt send the new men in the platoon out on an all night ambush because they would most likely engage the enemy, and their inexperience would make them inadequate for the patrol. . Elias eyes seem to go to some inner place, his passion surging. CHRIS (V.0. BARNES: Theres the way it oughta be and theres the way it is. He is played by an Assistant Technical Adviser Mark Ebonhoch. Suddenly, at. Specialist 4th class. In fact, Stone shot the entire movie in the Philippines and had plenty of trouble doing so. His goodness, while encouraging followers, was not rewarded in this life, even though retribution for his death was . Truman willingly agreed to aid Frances ambitions in exchange for Frances support. I am reality. Hes not one to sit around and consider, contemplate, or ponder situations. Sgt. If the state of the platoon wasnt bad enough, now theyre forced to face impossible odds. Best Gaming Laptops under $600. M79.Final BattlePvt King (Survives): His tour of duty ends just before the battle. (Stone, p. 3) Barnes course of action, but is in no position to prevent the horrible events he witnesses. They are used as bait to lure the entire 167 Viet Cong Regiment into the open. Barnes feels whatever strides he can make against the enemy are worth operating outside the moral codes of war. 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. The iconic imageappeared on the movies poster and the box of the video tape release. (Stone, p. 87) He is not a good man, but he is also tormented by the choices he's made. Chris must stop thinking that war will define him as a man. When Sgt. How many days you short? In one scene, Barnes is bathed in red light, symbolizing the evil within. Morehouse and Sal are short, Fu Shengs going on an RnR, you dont want to send their asses out on an ambush. Barnes confronts Chris and some of the other men when he overhears them talking about killing him to revenge Elias murder. Sgt. CHRIS: Yeah, I dropped out of college and told em I wanted infantry, combat, and Nam Six of you boys against me. Make it outta here, its all gravy, every day of the rest of your life - gravy(Stone, p. 95). During that 10 month period an estimated 600,000 French and German soldiers became a casualty. Reference: Quiz: "Platoon" - The Movie . ELIAS: Sir, I saw it happen in 66 at Ia Drang. BARNES: Yall experts? (Stone, p. 21). Barnes orders the rest of the platoon to retreat and goes back into the jungle to find Elias's group. After Sgt. Edit, For two reasons:1) He didn't think Chris had it in him to kill his own comrade in cold blood, and it was his way of taunting him2) If it turned out that Chris did actually have it in him to kill Barnes then Chris will have become just as ruthless and evil of a person as Barnes was. Platoon Translator. Barnes, who he sees as a worthless human being. . 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. In the closing minutes of Platoon, the character re-emerges with a big smile on his face, and tells Taylor that they'll both be sent homeas "two-timers." As it turns out, Francis stabbed himself as a strategic wartime move. No on talks. Select Page. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. CHRIS: Yever get caught in a mistake King and you just cant get out of it? Chris gets his revenge and kills Sgt. After an NVA suicide bombing, the U.S. Army changes their strategy and uses air support to take out the NVA. We just dont add up to a rats ass. You are one simple son-of-a-bitch! Yeah. Dafoe played Elias, a soldier that was set in sharp contrast to Berenger's character, Sgt. But a cold and ruthless product of warfare. Tension is derived from the sense that everything the platoon attempts to do appears ineffective against the elusive and ever encroaching enemy. Sgt. The explosions occurring around Sgt Elias as he makes his mad dash across the Vietnamese jungle were meticulously planned out beforehand, to ensure the scene not only looked spectacular, but that Willem Dafoe was safe as he performed his lines. smiling as he puts bullets in the Shamans chest. 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. And dig this you assholes and dig it good! Check outLarry Kings YouTube video below to hear Willem Dafoe retell the story of filming the epic scene. Murphy was a small guy but was a wrecking crew against the Germans. Dafoe also had some control over the timing of the detonations. I know he did. 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. Hundreds of dead American and Viet Cong soldiers bodies are strewn all about the compound and nearby jungle floor. When Chris reflects upon the village and the murder of Elias, he is able to gain the same enlightenment, yet his killing of Barnes in cold blood detracts from any progress hes made toward self-fulfillment. This is what has brought him to Vietnam. How much is a platoon? When Taylor discovers Barnes in Platoon, both men aren't doing well after the NVA attack and the subsequent air raid. Elias tells Barnes that they don't know anything, and they are probably going to run into something. RHAH: (puffing on his bowl) How do you know the dinks didnt get him. ONeill spits in the dust, a freckled, short red head with a hard worried face, a lifer, 30 going on 60. Course Mom and Dad didnt want me to come, they wanted me to be just like them - respectable, hard-working, making $200 a week, a little house, a family. Why does Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) call Barnes and Elias his "fathers" during the final monologue. The primary objective Barnes is concerned with is being a role model for his troops. He wants to do for his country what his father did in World War II, and what his grandfather did in World War I. Kill me. Barnes was a hot headed, gung-ho go getter who actually believed in his cause was was willing to do whatever was necessary to win the war Elias was much less of a fighting man but it can be argued that men like Elias would be better for winning the Hearts and Minds of the population. Warren when Lerner is being worked on by the Doc. I say we frag the fucker. Chris respects and values the humanity of the Vietnamese civilians. The ending of Platoon suggests that Elias and Barnes are symbolic of good and evil forces that fight for the soul of Taylor. They are the internal moral pillars all humans have that determine whether man's innate capacity for evil is realized or not. From none of you. Elias is missing in the jungle, Chris sets out to find him until hes stopped by Sgt. Grabbing a loose stick, crudely drawing out their position in the dirt and tracing it out for the Lieutenant. Even though Lieutenant Wolfe is the highest ranking officer in the platoon, he is young, inexperienced, and has only recently come to Vietnam. Early in the film, its clear that Sgt. The smell was chemical and horrific. People like Elias get wasted and people like Barnes just go on making up rules any way they want and what do we do, we just sit around in the middle and suck on it! The sergeants actions momentarily shock the entire platoon, but then seem to inspire the platoon to want to kill all the villagers. Elias squad out for an all night ambush resulting in Gardners death and Chris injuries. You fuck up in a fire fight and I goddamn guarantee you a trip out of the bush, in a body bag! 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). Patent #5,734,916; #6,105,046. 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