AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 56


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

Chris Taylor: [voiceover] I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days as I'm sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called possession of my soul. There are times since, I've felt like the child born of those two fathers. 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 a meaning to this life.

Platoon (1986)
Original List Position: 83
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and Tom Berenger
Director: Oliver Stone
About: We have our second Vietnam film in a row, and our second dark tale. This one also features a Sheen--Martin's son Charlie--in a lead role. In this case, Charlie Sheen is our POV character, a young, idealistic man who volunteered. He finds himself between two warring leaders (Dafoe and Berenger) in a war that doesn't always make sense. It's a dark depiction of the war, which is common for the era, and a dark depiction of humanity at times. It's a powerfully told film that remained on the list both in the original draft and in 2007, albeit lower than were I have it. It's not an easy watch, either, but I think it's one of the most straightforward from Stone, an interesting filmmaker. It feels right to have it paired back-to-back with Apocalypse Now.

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