Platoon 1986

The Film:

It's another 'Nam film. And one that I haven't seen (although I feel as though I should have). Whilst it would never be a genre I would automatically choose to watch, I've been pleasantly surprised and impressed by the war films we've watched so far, including the 'Nam one (The Deer Hunter).

However, from what I know about it, I'm not sure that this is going to be quite the same. First of all, it's Oliver Stone so it's going to be brutal and serious - the word "visceral" springs to mind. Secondly, I know that it all takes place actually out in Vietnam, so I'm guessing it's not going to focus on the wider back story of these men at all. That might be what makes it great, but that doesn't really appeal to me.

Other than that, I know we've got Barber's Adagio, raining bullets, lots of sweaty jungle scenes and a very young Charlie Sheen (and possibly several other soon-to-be-famous 20somethings?). I'm determined to keep an open mind!

The Ceremony:

There was continued concern this year about ratings, leading to all sorts of production interference. Probably the most significant was the attempt to reduce the running time of the ceremony by introducing a 45 second limit for acceptance speeches, much to the annoyance of several recipients then and since. The broadcast still ran to nearly three and a half hours. The ceremony was co-presented by Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan in an attempt to keep it fresh, funny and appealing to younger viewers. I'll let you be the judge:

Other Notable Winners That Night:

About time too!

Of course I'm slightly biased here - but this is the year to celebrate the fact that the lovely Mr Newman finally did get his Oscar! For playing Fast Eddie in the sequel to The Hustler, The Color of Money. He's sixty years old in this picture and still very handsome.

Best Actress went to Marlee Matlin, who I know more for her unfortunate lipreading mistakes in Seinfeld and for being a kickass politician in The West Wing. She won for Children of a Lesser God, her first acting credit. Some people cried political correctness, but I think that's unfair - she's really good.

The other big winner this year was Hannah and Her Sisters - Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest took the other acting awards and Woody Allen got Original Screenplay.


Best Song:

The thing is, I love Berlin (both the city and the band). I could give you a list of at least a dozen songs by Berlin that I much prefer  to this one. And it wasn't even the best song on the Top Gun Soundtrack (hooray for Kenny Loggins) But it was everywhere in 1986 and it was the one that won the Oscar. (Although it is now always sung along to in our house with the words to Walking On The Moon - thanks Peter Kay!)

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

It's an RE thing....I can't help it!

I don't really disgree that Platoon was a worthy winner, but there were so many good films released in this year. I'm finding it hard to pick a favourite out of the nominees and I may still change my mind. I've seen all the other nominees and like them all - Hannah and Her Sisters, Children of a Lesser God, A Room With a View and The Mission. I'm going to honour my roots as a Catholic and an RE teacher and go with The Mission. But it's a close call.

It was also the year of Aliens, which is arguably a better film than all five nominees put together - certainly if you consider impact, longevity and technical achievement as well as good acting, directing and storytelling. We also had Stand By Me, Blue Velvet and My Beautiful Laundrette, among others. Take your pick!

Our Verdict:

My irrational dislike of both these two really helped!

As I hoped, this film is firmly in the category of films that I rate as really good - and yet can't really say that I like. It is a great film and I'm very pleased that I finally watched it. I recommend it to others that haven't seen it yet. But I won't be in a hurry to see it again.

It's Oliver Stone - and if you know his work and know what Platoon is about then you can pretty much work out exactly what the film is going to be. Considering this was the first time I watched it, the feel of the whole thing, the storytelling, the characters and the shocking scenes were all things that I was expecting. That's not to say that it was any less impressive or shocking because of this - I was both impressed and shocked in equal measure.

It's difficult not to compare Platoon to the previous 'Nam winner, The Deerhunter. I think I still prefer the earlier film, but this one is very different and all the better for it. Unlike Deerhunter's three-act structure of home-away-home again, Platoon is just one relentless, claustrophobic trek through the jungle and the horrors within. We get to know something about our main characters, but we hear it directly from them - we never actually see them in their natural setting, just in their titular Platoon. It makes for a very different film, and I like that.

The horrors of war

There is no flinching from the reality of the brutality of war - and it is very clear that, if there is a classic "baddie", it is war itself rather than one side or the other. Our so-called heroes (and, to an American audience they would have been "our boys") do some horrific and inhuman things to innocent civilians that they come across. Stone tries to suggest some of the reasons for their actions, but never tries to excuse them.

If this image had sound, it would have
been written by Samuel Barber

Several of the characters are also ambiguous in their morals. We're left to wonder if they really are that evil and heartless - or if their fear and false bravado is the reason. Of the three main characters, two are played by actors I have an irrational dislike of. In the case of Tom Berenger (I can't get over the ending of Looking For Mr Goodbar, so he just gives me the creeps) this probably helps. He plays the psychotic war-addled Sgt Barnes brilliantly. With Willem Dafoe I feel a tad unfair - he's great as someone who shows almost the flipside reaction to that of Barnes, which leads to the epic image (and soundtrack) that most people associate with Platoon.

Charlie Sheen pre-Tiger Blood

The real revelation is 20 year old Charlie Sheen showing what a chip off the old block he had the potential to be before the sex, drugs and tiger blood got in the way. He's the real heart of the film for me and his character made all the difference. There were some great films in 1986. This one isn't my favourite, but I'm happy to agree that it might just be the best one.

Out of Africa 1985

The Film:

This is one that I've not seen before. Or if I have then I've completely forgotten about it. I'm actually not looking forward to it very much at all - but I'm hoping that my preconceptions will be proved wrong.

The think is, I don't know why I'm not keen, except that all I've seen or heard about the film is lots of moody shots of people on African plains. And Meryl Streep's slightly un-nerving accent.

Firstly, I like both Streep and Redford. If the film is mainly these two, then it can't be that bad. Secondly, I like the director, Sydney Pollack. He did They Shoot Horses Don't They?, Tootsie and the lovely remake of Sabrina. (And he was Will's dad on Will and Grace!).

I also really love Babette's Feast, which was written by Karen Blixen, the character that Streep plays in this. That should be enough to keep me interested and happy. Surely?

The Ceremony:

Exactly fifty-two weeks after the previous awards - March 24th 1986, at the Dorothy Chandler pavilion. This time it was a triple-header of presenters. Jane Fonda, Alan Alda and Robin Williams. It ran only one minute longer than last year, coming in at 3 hours and 11 minutes. There were concerns about falling TV ratings in recent years, so a lot of time and money was thrown at this year's ceremony which included various song and dance numbers - including the one here, which included Howard Keel, Debbie Reynolds, June Allyson, Leslie Caron, Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse etc etc.

Oh, and it wasn't the year that Cher won an Oscar - but it was the year that she wore *that* dress (see below).

Other Notable Winners That Night:

One of these two won an Oscar - the other
one won all the headlines!

First of all, we need to talk about the notable non-winner of the night. The Color Purple had eleven nominations, but didn't win a single Oscar. Some people have put it down to the Spielberg effect (he did crowd-friendly blockbusters, not Oscar films...) and others blame the predominant African-American theme of the film and the predominant Whiteness of the Academy - a criticism that still has some justification today. Maybe it was just bad luck - who knows!

On the plus side for diversity, Best Actor went to William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman - the first time an acting award was given to someone playing an openly LGBT character. Don Ameche was one of the oldest ever winners, taking Supporting Actor aged 77.

However, he wasn't the oldest nominee - John Huston was 79 when he was nominated for directing Prizzi's Honor. His daughter Anjelica won Supporting Actress, becoming the first ever third-generation winner (Grandad Walter won back in 1948, before she was born)

Best Song:

We're still in a golden era of Movie Songs. My choice this year would have been Huey Lewis and the News (but, then, I'm a Back to the Future geek, so it would be!). The Academy went with Lionel Richie for Say You, Say Me from White Nights. But it does mean we get to look at some cross-genre dancing with Hines and Baryshnikov! 

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Poor Celie....

Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Prizzi's Honor and Witness were all nominated. Of those I've only seen Witness - and I really like it. And then we have The Color Purple which would have been my winner. Great film, shockingly overlooked in favour of a bunch of white people in Africa! I think Steven, Whoopi and Oprah have probably just about got over it by now, but it's still not right. (And I shall return to this theme in a few years' time when the best film of the year is almost completely ignored for possibly similar reasons.....)

1.21 gigawatts of awesome!

On a lighter note, this was the year of Back to the Future which is still in my all time Top Ten. Spielberg again (producing this time) and definitely not regarded as Best Picture material (although director Bob Zemeckis went on to direct a winner a few years later). However, it is now regarded as a classic and is still watched and loved by new generations. And it wipes the floor with Meryl and co!


Our Verdict:

Take two bottles into the shower? Nope, just
Robert Redford and a great big jug of water!

Meh. Can I just leave that as my review? Just "Meh"? I'm struggling to say very much more about it. If I had really disliked it (like "Tom Jones", "Gigi" etc) then I'd have plenty to say. If I'd really loved it I could tell you all the reasons why. But there's actually very little wrong with this one. It's just "meh".

I'll try and put it into pros and cons to explain why I pretty much come out entirely neutral about the whole thing.

Pros:
1. The acting and directing is all great. I can't really argue with that. I like Redford, Streep and Pollack - and they all do what they do very well in this film.
2. The landscape is beautiful and it is really well shot. This film is lovely to look at - and that does make a difference. Add in the John Barry score and the overall effect is impressive.

Ok, I admit, the interactions with the tribespeople
are great!

3. It is a film about a strong woman and that character comes across well. (Said woman is also the writer of Babette's Feast, which is a plus for me!). This is shown particularly well when she meets with the local tribes people and Streep just about redeems the film in these scenes. Apart from Aurora and Emma, there haven't been many strong women in our winners since Margo, Eve and co - so this is definitely a plus!
4. There is a fabulous wind-up gramophone that appears in several scenes. It's just that little bit nicer than the one I own, and it perks me up every time I see it.

The star of the film is the one on the left. The far left.
That beautiful gramophone........

Cons:

1. I suppose the fact that my favourite thing about such a lavish big-budget film is a small prop that appears now and then counts as a big mark against it!

2. In the year that The Color Purple went away empty handed, the winner is a film set in Africa that is basically a bunch of rich white people behaving as though they had sole rights to the place and complaining about how hard their lives are because of this. It's not the fault of OOA that it is forever set against TCP in my head (and the heads of many others) - but I came to this film knowing what lost out to it, so it definitely counted as a minus.

A bunch of white people striding around talking

3. Ultimately the men are really boring. Even Redford's character. I couldn't muster up much emotion for him, or for his relationship with Karen (which is meant to be at the heart of the film) - so much so that the poignant ending did very little for me.

4. Linked to that last point - I got bored with the story as well. I need to have some sort of reaction to the characters in a film to be bothered about what happens. And I didn't. So I wasn't.

There - I did have something to say after all. But ultimately, my verdict is: Meh.

Amadeus 1984

The Film:

It's our second Milos Forman film - and the first one (Cuckoo's Nest) is such a triumph that this is going to find it hard to match up to it. Thankfully, it is a very different film - set in a different time, filmed in a different way and with a very different focus (from what I remember - it's been a while since I saw it!)

I am looking forward to seeing it again after all this time. There's very little that I remember about it, except the music (obviously) and the general feel of the film. One of Andy's often-uttered quotes is "don't trust him, he killed Mozart" - which apparently is from Last Action Hero! - and he does seem to have a bit of a thing about F Murray Abraham as Salieri, so I'm intrigued to see that again.

But I know I'm going to get slightly disappointed when, even though our hero is sporting a suitably punk-y wig, he doesn't end up rapping in German!

The Ceremony:

March 25th 1985 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Hosted by Jack Lemmon and running slightly shorter than last year, at 3 hours and 10 minutes. There is much of note in terms of who actually won the awards - see below. In terms of the ceremony itself, probably the most notable thing is a (relatively slight) gaffe in announcing the winner. Sir Laurence Olivier got a bit ahead of himself and tore open the envelope to declare the winner without mentioning the nominees. Winning producer Saul Zaentz showed what a class act he is by making sure he mentioned every other nominee in his speech! Here's the opening of the ceremony:

Other Notable Winners That Night:

They liked her - right then, they liked her!

Most of the awards went to Amadeus, including Best Actor for F Murray Abraham (although Tom Hulce was also nominated in the same category). The Best Actress winner, Sally Field, delivered one of the most famous acceptance speeches with the line "this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now you like me!"

The Best Supporting Actor was Haing S Ngor, a Cambodian surgeon, who won for The Killing Fields, despite not being a professional actor (only the second to do so, after Harold Russell). Best Supporting Actress was Peggy Ashcroft for A Passage to India - at 77, the oldest winner in that category.

It was also the first time that more than one Black performer would win an Oscar in the same year. Prince won Best Song Score and Stevie Wonder won Best Song.

Best Documentary Feature went to one of my favourite documentaries - The Times of Harvey Milk. The story of Harvey Milk has since been made into an Oscar-winning film in itself. Both films are excellent - but this one is more impressive, partly because of the timing of its release, only six years after Milk's death and at a time when LGBT-themed stories were far more controversial than they are today.



Best Song:

For the first time in Oscar history, every one of the Best Song nominees went to Number One in the US Charts. The other four were - Against All Odds, Footloose, Let's Hear It For The Boy and Ghostbusters. But it was Stevie Wonder's year to win an Oscar (to go with his 25 Grammys!) for possibly his least impressive song (imho) "I Just Called To Say I Love You". I love Stevie more than all the other four artists put together, but I'd have given it to Phil Collins this time (I was obsessed with that song!)

What We Could/Should Have Been Watching:

Mrs Moore! Mrs Moore! Mrs Moore!

The other nominees were all big, serious, sweeping dramas - A Soldier's Story and Places in the Heart (neither of which I've seen), The Killing Fields (impressive, admirable but not enjoyable) and A Passage to India.

I loved A Passage to India when I saw it. It's been a while and I need to see it again. It was David Lean's last film and I think it's one of his best. Very serious subject matter, but with lovely humour. I think I'd rather be watching this than Amadeus - but it's very close between the two.

Our Verdict:

"Now, remember, pizzicato - oh, oh, oh, A-MA-DE-US"

It's a really odd film, this one. I like it a lot and appreciate it objectively even more than I like it. It is a very good film and deserved its accolades. But it is also very odd - which makes it surprising that it did so well with a relatively large and diverse audience.

After nearly three hours of it,
I can practically hear this picture!

The story includes many familiar elements. On one level it is a bio-pic of Amadeus himself, following him from his early days in court through to his death. On a slightly deeper level, it's actually not the life story of Amadeus at all, but rather that of his rival Salieri who is narrating the story from his deathbed. Ultimately, it is the story of the rivalry between the two (most of which is of Salieri's making) and the jealousy that drove Salieri to different levels of madness and evil-doing.

The first half hour or so really worried me. Amadeus is shown being uncouth and bawdy in the palaces of Vienna and his hideous signature laugh (which I did grow to love, sort of!), coupled with random belching, made me put up all my "not-my-sort-of-thing" barriers. It started to play out like parts of Tom Jones (which is still very high up on my "worst winners" list) and I was struggling to work out what I had liked about this film first time round.

More brocade and breeches than you can shake a stick at!

However, that soon faded as the story kicked in and completely won me over. One of the best things about the film is the slightly quirky nature of the characters and settings - including Amadeus himself, giggling fright-wigs and all. One one hand it is very much a classic costume drama. The sets and costumes are lavish and sumptuous and - as far as I am aware - fairly accurate. There are bewigged gentlemen dripping with brocade all over the place - but they don't speak in cut-glass RP and the women don't say "indeed" all the time. It's far more earthy than that - and all the better for it. You can tell that Milos Forman is taking everything incredibly seriously, including the importance of not portraying everyone too seriously (if that's not a contradiction...). It's unusual, but compelling - and it works. (At the time of writing I've not yet seen this year's awards tip "The Favourite" - but reviews and discussions with others give me the sense that it owes a fair bit to comic side of Amadeus).

Don't trust him......

Ultimately, this film is a drama rather than a comedy - and the main reason it succeeds so well is the performance of the two leads. They are two very different characters and both actors act their socks off in very different ways. It's a shame that neither of them could have been sold to the Oscars as a supporting character. They are both leading performances, so only one of them could win. (It would have been brilliant if there had been a tie this year!). Tom Hulce is great in a part that could so easily have been over- or under-acted. He strikes the balance between manic and tragic really well - as with the whole film, it's odd but it works. The Oscar went to F Murray Abraham as Salieri who is brilliantly villainous. He manages to be both subtle and subtle-as-a-brick, sympathetic and completely unsympathetic, incredibly measured and completely unhinged - and sometimes all at the same time. One of the greatest characters we've seen so far in this challenge, and one of the greatest performances as well.