Platoon

Oliver Stone's big breakthrough (four Oscars!) was applauded and opposed in equal measure back in 1986. While some praised the relentlessly irreconcilable portrayal of war as a permanent overload for young, male cannon fodder that either brutalises or dies - probably also because of Stone's own Vietnam experiences, which were clearly incorporated into the film - others criticised his undifferentiated approach, which condemned America too little as an accomplice to the slaughter, or even thought they detected an inconspicuous rehabilitation in it. There is no doubt that few war films have ventured as deep into the heart of darkness as this one. "We didn't fight the enemy. We fought ourselves."