Many people have been laughing their heads off about Charlie Sheen for years. This is due to comedy roles like in Two and a Half Men, for which the star has undeniable talent. However, 37 years ago he was seen in the deadly serious role of a young soldier living through the nightmare of the Vietnam War. It’s still the best part of his career, and he has Keanu Reeves to thank for it, among others. Platoon is available to stream for free on Freevee on Amazon.
Keanu Reeves refused: Charlie Sheen trained extremely hard for war film epic
Platoon tells the story of very young volunteer Chris Taylor (Sheen), who is sent to a hot spot during the Vietnam War in 1967. The young soldier Narrowly escapes death in Viet Cong attacks. Far more dangerous, however, is the bitter hostility between Taylor’s superiors, the gentle Elias (Willem Dafoe) and the brutal Barnes (Tom Berenger).
20th Century Fox
Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger in Platoon
Director Oliver Stone (Natural Born Killers) asked various actors for the main role. Keanu Reeves turned down the role because he “didn’t want to make a film with violence“, as Stone reveals in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Sheen could almost be grateful to Reeves for this: the rejection gave him the chance for a role that many fans still consider his best.
However, the fame came at a certain price. Stone based the plot on his own Vietnam experiences and wanted to bring the brutality of war closer to the cast.
Sheen, Dafoe, but also Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker were subjected to military drills in the jungle for 30 days, deprived of food and sleep They were even shot with blank cartridges to toughen them up (via War Is Boring). It worked: Many war film fans consider Platoon to be one of the best and most authentic representatives of the genre.
Podcast: The 5 most exciting films in October on Netflix, Amazon and Co.
Still no idea which movie you should watch tonight? We introduce you to the most promising streaming films in October:
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Whether on Netflix, Amazon, Paramount+ or Disney+, the in-house productions of streaming films can be seen this month. There’s a lot of spooky entertainment in the horror fall, but also some sci-fi and a highly acclaimed thriller.
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