But in actuality, he doesn't know for sure that Sgt. why did barnes kill elias. Chris views the division in the platoon as a direct result of Barnes lack of respect for human life and unscrupulous morals: BARNES: Yall experts? Progress for the platoon is in a very grim state. Barnes focuses on Chris preconscious responses as being the cause of the problem. Sgt Barnes, Elias' sadistic staff sergeant, was in direct contrast to Platoon's main character. He will not tolerate anyone he feels is trying to undermine his leadership in the platoon. Lurking in the town in the disguise of a day laborer, Elas . Chris seems awestruck that his worse fear could have been realizedhe could have been easily killed if there had been enemy troops in the bunker. Noting Barnes' anxious manner, Taylor realizes that he was responsible. 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. 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. Tonight. By reprimanding the platoon on the all night ambush, Barnes feels he will be able to get his men to perform better on their missions; By denouncing and challenging Lt. Wolfes authority, Barnes will secure more control over the platoon; The effect of killing Elias will prevent Barnes from having to deal with any crusaders in his platoon. "Adagio for strings", composed by Samuel Barber and performed by the New Zealand Symphony. But he also learned that he could throw a mean fastball. ELIAS: I thought it was ONeills turn tonight. () Even though he didn't see Barnes actually shoot Elias, or has any physical proof of the crime, Chris still knows Barnes murdered Elias. Sgt. | He later died in an airplane accident. 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 sergeants actions momentarily shock the entire platoon, but then seem to inspire the platoon to want to kill all the villagers. Barnes that Chris and Gardner were not ready for the all night ambush patrol. Sgt Barnes, Elias sadistic staff sergeant, was in direct contrast to Platoons main character. Barnes is able to provoke Chris to attack him, and Barnes almost kills Chris, but is persuaded not to by Rhah. Edit, Likely because it is meant to represent a helmet from a fallen soldier on the battlefield. Top 4 Reasons the Property Management Companies are Thriving. 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. Live up to what Grandpa did in the First War and Dad the Second. Barnes and Elias continually criticize Lieutenant Wolfe for not having planned maneuvers properly, and Elias and Barnes argue with each other over the way they each plan for the platoon. There are so many war movies out there to choose from, yet not many come from the perspectiveof a man who personally lived through the hell that was the Vietnam War. How many days you short? Susanna", written by Stephen Collin Foster in 1847 or 1848. 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. Sgt. Barnes have different ideas on what the war represents. Chris understanding of the war increases as he engages in combat activities: hiking through the jungle from sun up to sun down, digging foxholes, going on point, participating in 3-man listing posts and all night ambushes, etc. In that sense, the film can be interpreted literally or metaphorically, as one could argue that Sheen's character doesn't literally kill his superior at the end, but rather imagines himself getting revenge. Far from it, as Audie Murphy was awarded the Medal Of Honor and every other medal for bravery in combat, sometimes in multiples. . Edit. You got no proof man. Elias; In the films climatic battle, instead of relying on the safety of his foxhole, Chris leaves to engage the enemy in hand to hand combat; Ultimately, he ends up murdering Sgt. Sgt. Barnes finds Elias alone and shoots him, then returns and tells Chris that Elias was killed by the enemy. Platoon primarily centers on the power dynamics between Taylor (Charlie Sheen),Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes (Tom Berenger), andSergeant Gordon Elias(Willem Dafoe). Elias. 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. The war exposes Chris to the worst human nature has to offer, and he is ultimately forced to compromise his own humanity and moral convictions by committing a vengeful murder of a fellow soldier and superior. 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). When Berenger's character rolls over on his back and demands a medic, he simultaneouslyshows his bravery along with an attitude that unnerves Taylor. Barnes seems to think he owns an exclusive insight to death. There is only terror, bone-deep exhaustion, nighttime patrols and the humid jungle, crawling with snakes, insects and the silent Viet Cong. (Los Angeles Times, 12/19/86, Calendar/p. Is the village massacre based on any actual events? 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. His wisdom in understanding the unfair pattern established by society and the government to favor him, while subjecting the less fortunate to the lions share of military duty bothers Chris and provokes him to enlist in the service. Theres a lot of suspicion and hate. Thematically, the final war sequence is designed to parallel the Elias shooting scene. Car-15. 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. External Reviews Its all a blur. Throughout the film, we experience the platoons frustrations, anxieties, and fears of fighting an invisible enemy that the platoon seems to have little to no impact against. For example: when Chris throws up and cant physically handle himself the first time he sees a rotting corpse of an enemy soldier in the jungle; When Chris allegedly falls asleep on his watch, allowing the enemy to walk right up on the sleeping platoon; When Barnes realizes Chris knows he lied about Elias being dead; When Barnes overhears Chris trying to convince the others that Barnes killed Elias, and in one of the final battle scenes where the tension between Barnes and Chris comes to a head and Barnes tries to kill Chris during the commotion of hand to hand combat with the Viet Cong. More:Every Song in Da 5 Bloods Soundtrack. Elias, and the other half with Sgt. Barnes: (to all) Yall take a good look at this lump of shit! Platoon's medic.LT. What's new. While Chris finds great value in the lives of his platoon members, as well as in the Vietnamese civilians, Barnes does not. When you know you know. Barnes, a combat-loving burnout (Tom Berenger), is the informal leader of the lifers, and Sgt. Optionlock Barnes defeats any ideas they might have had about killing him. Barnes, severely wounded himself, says, "Do it." Taylor obliges and kills him. Elias, a free spirit (Willem Dafoe), leads the latter group. Platoon was inspired by Stone's real-life experiences at theNew Year's Day Battle of 1968, and the director himself makes a cameo during his cinematic recreation. In fact, Stone shot the entire movie in the Philippines and had plenty of trouble doing so. They are the internal moral pillars all humans have that determine whether man's innate capacity for evil is realized or not. Chris has a strong hunch that Barnes killed Elias which develops into a theory. I dont know whats right and whats wrong anymore. Out here assholes, ya keep your shit wired tight at all times! 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. When the platoon takes some gruesome losses, an enraged Barnes kills some Vietnamese and orders the burning of their village, outraging the temporarily absent Elias. Chris is obviously opposed to, and appalled by, Sgt. Insufficiency, inadequacy, deficient to the purpose are ways to look at the term non-accurate. By the early 1960s, after increasing military involvement, America found itself stepping in for the exhausted French and Southern Vietnamese governments, and leading the campaign against the lethal Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese communist regime. Sgt. He is one of the four dead bodies under ponchos. 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. 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. Just keep your pecker up and your powder dry, things change. ELIAS: In 65 - yeah. 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. You aint ever been right - bout nothing. Why did Taylor drop a grenade after the battle was over? The first casualty of war is innocence. Sgt. Since these two view the war differently, their view of certain causes is a source of tension for them. 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. Sgt. If the U.S. military would have proven to be a more effective adversary in the jungle style warfare waged against the Viet Cong, the U.S. would have probably won the war; If Lt. Wolfe had been a proven combat soldier, many situations the platoon faced wouldnt have resulted with such ill consequences; If Sgt. To make matters worse, the inexperienced, incompetent Lt. Wolfe accidentally orders an air strike on the platoons location resulting in more casualties in the platoon. What's with the booby trap that kills Sal and Sanderson? Get that other cherry up here, Gardner! Is "Platoon" based on a book? Elias enough to attack Sgt. Car-15. Frustrated by the way the war operates, Chris begins to learn the hypocrisy that is an inherent part of it. He takes the bowl from Adams, smokes it. I shit you not! Essentially, he was told where explosives were going off and how to best avoid them. (to Doc) Doc, tagem and bagem. The black soldier behind him is Flash, the guy in the foreground is Bunny. Chris Taylors strong sense of moral obligation and lack of self fulfillment has brought him to the Vietnam War. Sergeant.Pvt Tubbs (KIA): Killed by NVA soldier, in the church battle, we don't see this on screen. WOLFE: (to Barnes) Who do you want on ambush, Sergeant? Suspicion and hate cause them to turn on each other. Six of you boys against me. Chris is thematically focused on understanding how to apply what he knows. CHRIS: Proofs in his eyes. Warren when Lerner is being worked on by the Doc. That day we loved him(Stone, p. 45) The fact of Barnes authority inhibits the relationship between himself and Chris. You fuck up in a fire fight and I goddamn guarantee you a trip out of the bush, in a body bag! So he stabbed himself in order to be taken off duty long enough to be sent home. The lives of the infantry men who havent proven themselves arent valued as much as the lives of the men whove been in Vietnam longer. 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. He uses this theory to try to convince others in the platoon that Sgt. Barnes would have been court-martialled, the civil war in the platoon would have subsided, and Barnes wouldnt have been able to ultimately kill Elias. He totters slightly as he circles the outer edge of the hutch. Hes seen a lot of action in his day and has already served several tours in Vietnam. 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. Unlike Elijah, however, he was not successful in his goals. Elias, he begins to consider Chris as another crusader that wants to challenge his authority. Seen trying to rape a girl in village scene. Want to fight this war with one hand tied round their balls. KING: Way out of anything, man. He became quite famous and was a hero to Army soldiers for decades and is still widely remembered to this day. This is illustrated time and again throughout the film. More can be read about him here. Chris presumes Barnes killed Elias as if it were a fact. For example,look at how Taylor reacts when Berenger says "Go on, boy" - it's like he'sreceived all the confirmation he needs toget payback for Elias. 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. Elias Gordon was born in 1936, and he joined the US Army during the Vietnam War, serving as a Sergeant in Bravo Company, US 25th Infantry Division. Here's our breakdown. Platoon is one among a great many Hollywood movies set in Vietnam which were instead shot in the jungles of the Philippines. Cause drives Sgt. Barnes, the cold-blooded platoon sergeant. I am reality. I have no energy to write. Its purely practical: the helicopters up there, you want to reach for it. Therefore they would probably have to break in new recruits, until the WIA's were fit for duty again. No longer a liability, Chris has become a valuable asset to the platoon. Barnes; Chris attacks Sgt. 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