Oliver Stone is best known for his depictions of Vietnam in cinema. His films “Platoon” and “Born on the Fourth of July” won him the Academy Award for Best Director. These films depicted not only the violence of war, but also the cultural and psychological problems that soldiers in these wars had to endure. The majority of his oldest and best-known films center around the Vietnam War. Oliver Stone's experience in the military gave him a unique vision that made his films more authentic and compelling to audiences. These films depict the struggles that Vietnam War soldiers and veterans faced on and off the battlefield. Platoon is Oliver Stone's first cinematic portrait of Vietnam. The film begins with the arrival of the main character Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen) in Vietnam. A very important element about Chris Taylor's character is that he is a student who dropped out of school by choice to join the war effort. This element helps contrast Taylor with the supporting characters, as most of them are people who were drafted and came to Vietnam against their will. "Mr. Stone, himself a Vietnam veteran, observes the war through the brief focus of a single infantry platoon, fighting somewhere near the Cambodian border in 1967." (Vincent, "The Vietnam War in "Stone's Platoon") Charlie Sheen's character recounts the platoon's journey and struggles through notes to his grandmother. "For all intents and purposes, Chris was Oliver Stone. 'alter-ego' Stone wrote similar letters to his grandmother, telling her 'my wishes, my desires' (Salewicz 21) The choice of narration indicates to the audience that Taylor might have a closer relationship with her. grandmother than with her current parents. There... middle of paper ... adaptation of Ron Kovic's best-selling autobiography Both films tell real-life stories of how war can change people, both. both physically and emotionally America is approaching the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Today's students are far too young to remember that era in society. Although textbooks contain a lot of information about this period, they lack the emotional impact that these films convey. In a case of life imitating art, Stone's films are the voice of a generation. Works Cited Canby, Vincent. "The Vietnam War in Stone's 'Platoon'." The New York Times October 19, 1986: n. page. The New York Times. Internet. December 8, 2013. Salewicz, Chris. Olivier Pierre. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1998. “Oliver Stone” print. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition (2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Internet. December 9. 2013