Better than saving private Ryan ?. - Platoon (1987) Discussion

[–] Robbmonster 9 years ago

Suggesting that Platoon has 'a better story' than Saving Private Ryan implies that Saving Private Ryan actually HAS a story.

Which it doesn't.

So yes, Platoon has an infinitely better story.

Never defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] Robbmonster 9 years ago

It's not even the 'gimmick' that's the problem. If the idea of using the finding of the last brother was converted into an actual story, it would be a perfectly valid driving force.

Story is cause and effect, one thing leading to another, a cycle of events caused by decisions characters make, as well as factors beyond the characters' control. SPR has no drive. There is a long battle scene, then Miller is given a mission to find Ryan. This SHOULD be story, but instead it's just a series of incidents and encounters until eventually they just stumble upon Ryan in a field, go back to town, and we get another long battle.

No story, no plot, just a string of incidents. SPR gets much more credit than it truly deserves based purely on its (absolutely exceptional) technical merits.

Is it a 'bad' film? No. Is it a bad story? Definitely.

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] Degree7 9 years ago

A tough comparison. Two entirely different wars, two very different films.

SPR obviously had the bigger budget. It feels more epic and detailed, with its huge battle scenes and unrelenting violence. There are scenes in that movie that make me feel physically ill. It also had a good cast, with Vin Diesel, Tom Hanks, Barry Pepper, Matt Damon, and it wasn't afraid to kill these guys off in gruesome ways. I think SPR is one of the most realistic and influential films in depicting warfare, and putting you right in the action. It's definitely a technical masterpiece, although it's dialogue is often trite and suffers from some annoying inaccuracies.

Platoon on the other hand has more realistic characters and dialogue. Stone was also in Vietnam, so it feels more personal a story. I think Platoon was more uncompromising in the way it showed how the war affected people psychologically. Obviously Apoclaypse Now and Deer Hunter had explored these themes before, but those movies were fantasies. Platoon actually showed the hell these soldiers went through and the evils that were committed.

At the end of the day, SPR shows me the horrors of war, and allows one to understand how even if war is necessary, it comes at an irreparable cost. Whereas Platoon makes me question whether it is worth it at all.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

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[–] jfurness4 9 years ago

Yes,but I'm more interested in the vietnam war than the world war film wise

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