Platoon 1986
Oliver Stone's low-budget epic made nearly $140M and set off what one journalist called the Vietnam Vogue.
The Big Picture · Discussion
7. Ain’t War Hell? | Do We Get to Win This Time?
August 23, 2023/ 56 min/ Brian Raftery
Episode 7 of Brian Raftery's Vietnam-at-the-movies series, on how Platoon's success set off a late-'80s glut of Vietnam films, and what that boom actually showed (and what it didn't).
11 films across 1 segment.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
The post-Platoon Vietnam movie boomthe films this episode is built around
Full Metal Jacket 1987
Kubrick's two-part film (Parris Island, then Hue during Tet), shot in cloudy England. R. Lee Ermey's drill sergeant made it a must-see.
Hamburger Hill 1987
John Irvin's gruesome account of a real battle, shot in the Philippines with Department of Defense cooperation. Flopped in theaters, then became a video-store hit.
Paths of Glory 1957
Kubrick's earlier WWI anti-war film with Kirk Douglas; one of Oliver Stone's favorites, banned for years in France and Switzerland.
The Deer Hunter 1978
Irvin called it racist and unlike the war he'd witnessed, which is why he wanted to make Hamburger Hill.
Good Morning, Vietnam 1987
Robin Williams as DJ Adrian Cronauer; sold by Disney as an upbeat romp, it sat at No. 1 for over two months in early 1988.
Casualties of War 1989
Brian De Palma's brutal true-story film with Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn; a box-office failure that found its audience on cable and home video.
Apocalypse Now 1979
Michael Herr wrote its narration; a cable and VHS staple that hooked a generation of underage viewers.
The Green Berets 1968
John Wayne's pro-war film, mocked by the Marines in Gustav Hasford's The Short Timers.
Coming Home 1978
Cited as the kind of tough reckoning with the war that Good Morning Vietnam wasn't.
Welcome Home 1989
Drama about a presumed-dead vet (Kris Kristofferson); Kieu Chinh plays his Cambodian wife, then vanishes from the film.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Kubrick's other films Dr. StrangeloveA Clockwork OrangeBarry LyndonThe ShiningEyes Wide Shut
Rambo-era action Rambo: First Blood Part IIThe Dogs of WarRaw Deal
Brian De Palma SistersScarfaceBody Double
Michael J. Fox Back to the FutureTeen Wolf
1989 competition Uncle BuckParenthood
Kieu Chinh The Joy Luck ClubOperation CIA
In passing The BirdsE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialThe 40-Year-Old Virgin
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Magnum, P.I.The A-TeamM*A*S*HFantasy IslandERFamily TiesSouth ParkWelcome Home, Veterans (HBO telethon)
Comics The 'Nam
Video games Rambo (Nintendo)FIFA World Cup Launch Edition
Music Freedom RockVietnam: Rockin' the Delta
Podcasts 22 GoalsJust Like UsGene and Roger
Ads NetflixBoar's HeadCarvana