The greenery back home couldn’t compare to the vibrant hue displayed by “Chris” (Charlie Sheen) upon his arrival in Vietnam, prepared to fight against the well-established Viet Cong. His entrance is telling; his older colleagues regard his youthful face with a mix of resentment and scorn, assigning him to a squadron led by an equally inexperienced lieutenant (Mark Moses). Fortunately, a staff sergeant “Barnes” (Tom Berenger) and “Sgt. Elias” (Willem Dafoe) carry much of the weight. The former is a hardened, ruthless man, marked by battle, while the latter is just as capable but less aggressive in his approach. The experiences of “Chris” and his unit quickly reveal the worst aspects of jungle warfare against an enemy who is exceptionally skilled, and this naturally takes a psychological toll on these men as they climb, scramble, and crawl through the dense foliage. When they arrive at a small village, their desperation for information leads “Barnes” to disregard legal boundaries, much to the anger of “Elias,” and what follows sees the men divided and in conflict. There’s no room for investigations, so back into battle they go, but this time “Chris's” enemy isn’t just wearing a VC uniform. The recurring use of Samuel Barber’s "Adagio for Strings" sharply contrasts with scenes of indiscriminate killing on the ground and from the air as these young men, coming from diverse backgrounds and educations, confront the horrors of war firsthand. The effect isn't simply physical; as fear sets in, lack of sleep impairs their judgment, and every sound within their hot, confined environment triggers alarm, transforming them into anxious individuals whose personal codes of honor are compromised by the urgent need to survive—and Oliver Stone constructs a series of situations that powerfully portray their circumstances while directly inviting viewers to consider the brutality of modern warfare. Their lives are their most valuable possession, and the longer they remain there, the more they realize how insignificant and fleeting life can be. I felt Berenger deserved the acting praise, but across the board, there were strong and believable performances that combine with intense cinematography to underscore that many of those fighting weren’t any more seasoned soldiers than those who fought in France twenty years prior, and humanity hadn't gained much wisdom since other than developing even more destructive weaponry.

Source on TMDB